The Coolidge examiner., 1936-07-17
CHAPTER XIV

FINDER the driving of the
~ wedges the tree split and it's
halves rolled apart at Kerry
Young's feet. A great mass of
brood and comb and oozing honey
glistened in the sunlight.
Young mOaned as he dropped the
sledge and tore into the comb with
his gloved hands, wrestling from
that sticky mass the cylindrically
shaped object his quick eyes had
detected. Honey dripped from it !;
bees swarmed about his hands as
he turned it over and over.
What a place!" he muttered.
"No mouse could gnaw, no PROV
ling bear find it. Nothing, Tod
West, except the bees knew! =.
And who'd hunt for this tree?
Who, if you hadn't left honey stick
ing to that old crowbar?"
He shook off a bee which stung
his wrist. He moved away from
a buzzing cloud, making his way to
the leaf dappled spring and, stoop-
ing, plunged the smeared roll of
bills into the crystal waters.
The honey washed away quickly,
dissolving even in the cold water.
He saw figure on the currency !;
it was hundred; many more were
there. He washed them brisk
ly and Tip came close.
"GOt it, Tip!' he cried. Got dear
Mans cash! We've :"
Young whirled, then, because the
dog had turned, stiff and alert and
opened his throat in ragged
growl. In the soft earth, Kerry's
one foot slipped and he had start
ed to fall over as a rifle spoke,
started to throw himself toward
his own rifle, leaning against a bOul-
der. . That other weapon barked
and he went down with the agon-
les of hell itself tearing at his left
shoulder.
SO it was Tip who rushed Tod
West, who charged forward as the
man emerged from the brush, rifle
at ready. Tip who, with teeth
showing. and eyes wicked with an
orange flare, stood alone between
Nan Downer's money and the man
who had cached it so cunningly!
Again the rifle cracked and the
dog, yelping, swapping at his right
hind leg, went end over end
through the underbrush. threshing.
rolling, screaming with pain as Tod
West charged past him
Young had fallen face down into
the muck about the spring. His
right hand lay Imply in the water
and away from it, rocked by the
little rippIes which still disturbed
the surface, fiOated the roll of bills,
turning slowly around and around.
West saw the money. With an
oath he snatched it up and pumped
fresh cartridge into the rifle
chamber. He poised there above
the figure of his Nemesis, dropping
the muzzle quickly to the back of
his barred head.
And then caution asserted itself.
How far behind pursuit might be,
Tod did not know. Already, he
had fired twice, and sounds would
carry well today. He stopped, lis
tening. The pound of his heart,
the rasp of his own breath were
loud. He lifted YOung's arm and
let it go. The inert hand smacked
the water duly.
Then, with cruel craft, he placed
his foot against Young's cheek,
showed his face down into the
spring and leaped the now roily
pool.
breathe md drown, damn you r'
he growled shakily and set off at
slow run. -.
1t was the tugging of the whin-
ing dog on his collar which stirred
Kerry. He stirred and gulped and
gasped. With a herculean effort,
he raised his head and half rolled
over; then dropped it to the ferns
and lay there moaning Iowly. He
should not be there, he knew; he
had something to do; somewhere
to go; matter to attend. But
things were so far away, SO faint.
ly outlined, so -.
RIO BE CONTINUED