The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-02-05
pawn TO CHECK A QUEEN Dough. X Newt,

girl. She stared iwide-eyed from, him
to Warbler, shrank from the latter,
cried huskiIy, Then, why ami here?
hate you?"
IT will tell you," savaran rasped.
There were two Frenchmen, brothers,
the scum of the earth. Their name was
were -slavers. Your grandfather, my
good friend Ell Melik, caught them once,
had them both flogged and branded
On the shoulders as felons. That is
why in revenge they carried off your
mother and you, a child OF. two, from
them, but we We're too few. Your faith
er was shot and they got away. That
is why you are here"
you are sure?". the girl breathed.
II will prove it by showing you the
brand on Fulon's back" Savaran said
genially and advanced on the gross
trader.
The man who called himself VAR
der had listened with mockery on his
face. He made no attempt to inter-
rupt, he was sure of his triumph. Now
as Savaran approached, he calmly
drew his pistol and still Sinking, said:
Stand, Savaran. What matter If I
am Fulon-the girl has served; my
vow to pay you back won Yes. I
carry off Ell Melik's daughter and her
child in revenge for the branding and
the flogging. The mother died, but I
kept the brat by me for the use her
beauty might be 1t has indeed
for it has trapped you, Savaran, whom
I sWore to punish"
@Then it was I who put that bullet
through your neck" the lean man
smiled.
br nAye. you you ~ ,, and you killed my
we wore Taureg wells, but I knew you
and what your pistol had done, and I
have pursued the memory all these
years. And now I pay back! Yea, and
better than I hoped, for the daughter
and the granddaughter Of the man you
loved will also stay behind to meet the
Thonga. Perhaps even you can SAVIOR
the completeness of my revenge"
Full confession, Fulon, is an excel
lent thing for a man about to die"
Savaran laughed, and walked closer.
STAND back" Warbler mouthed.
Don't hope that I will shoot you dead
THAT. would be too easy. It'll be
you will not miss a moment of the
Ihonga's methods Stand! Stand,
I tell you 49,"
But Savaran. smiling like Lucifer,
refused to stand. He walked so stead
ny on to Warbler that the man was
forced to back away, point his gun at
trigger.
And then he gasped. For all that
came from his pistol was a hammer
click.
my pistol, as 81 see," savaran
Jeered: Il was suspicious of your kind
ness in reloading mine after that
wasteful shooting match, SO I effected
an exchange. This, F'ulon, is your pis-
tol, loaded as you loaded it. Would
you like to give me an opportunity Of
thigh?"
The gross man only shrank away. He
knew that there were no dummy cart
ridges rrige sa IN A. his own pistol. And as he
Savaran's eyes, the lean man mo-
toned to John Hyde to bind him,
As the motor launch shot down
stream an hour later, the forest on the
Pitichi-dai bank began to trill with
strange birdcalls;
said to the girl whose hand he held.
What birds are those?"
"The Thonga," Savaran told him
from the steering wheel. Duck to
A moment after he spoke a rocket
ing rifle shot and a silver flight Of ar
rows cut across the moonlit water.
"They took us for Vardier," Savaran
said as, crouching, he steered them out
or range. "A pity we did not leave him
behind to receive such guests"
Don't worry" John Hyde called from
the cabin, We've evidence enough to
get him a life sentence from the
kruman government You mustn't
be SO cold-blooded, S~avaran."
"Ihat IN me- Uhn hoe lockrovoL x1So
whole business of hatred with love
..." The bizarre ad"enturer grinned.
and, making a long leg, closed the door
OF the cabin-so that love could still
find its way.
THE END