The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-01-30

secretly, with a girl who had fought
to keep him from being discovered.
School kid stuff" Horsethief
Fisher had declared. ". the
thing was ended" Was it?
Through those five minutes Walt
Candy stood in a mood both bitter
and hard, piling one grim thought
upon another in what seemed for a
little while an absolute case against
the girl. But in the end he knew
he was overlooking one fact. Helen
Cameron was no cheat.
Candy twisted his cigarette and
bent over the lamp chimney for a
light. Horsethief Fisher had once
more crossed to the door, opened it
and was looking into the dark. His
bow legs had carried him on step
outside, when from somewhere on
the slope above the bunk house a
guns sudden crash Jared the deep
silence.
AT the first impact Candy puffed
out the lamp. He Strengthened up in
darkness, one hand slipping out the
thirty-eight. He heard Fisher leap
into the room. The door remained
open, and outside, after the rolling
echo of that first explosion had faded
from the timbered slope, all sounds
of every sort were hushed.
CANDY"
"Over here"
Fisher hunched out of the dark.
"Come on! You heard where that
was from?"
mot exactly"
''The garden patch!" said Fishers q
husky voice. "where the cook got
his!'
But Candy thought otherwise; that
the shot had come from higher up,
in timber where Powell's body lay.
Moving outside and sliding on rapid
ly across open ground beyond the
bunk house, he saw that Fisher,
close on his left, had strapped belt
holster over blue jeans. A dull CLINT
of gunmetal showed in the bronc rid
er's hand. Fishers left hand came
out suddenly. They stopped.
81 Dunno" he whispered, answer
ing a questioning turn of Gandy's
head. Thought ! saw something"
Walt was little in advance. Over
his shoulder he said, "Guess not.
I've been watching. Let's go on"
Again Horsethief Fishers hand
groped out of the dark and touched
him. Candy shook his head. They
stood facing up the slope. Minutes
passed. He could feel Horsethief
begin to shift restlessly. To the
right of them the barbed wire
creaked in a fence post staple.
The sound was as abruptly star
ting as shot. Someone was crawl
ing through the fence.
Candy turned his head, whisper
ing: Fisher. You wait. Less noise,
one at time. I'll CO."
AS he crept on beside the barbed
wires his eyes began to pick objects
out of what had seemed solid black
ness. When a gray blot moved
across his vision, soundless as his
own forward advance, it took shape
at once in human form.
Softly, gun leveled, Candy said,
Hold your hands up! Keep quiet!"
As if jerked by springs two arms
shot up and stayed rigid in the air.
"Come here" he ordered.
Paul Champion came to him out
of the dark.
kid You?" In hot flare as ten
sion left him, Walt Candy snapped,
Are you crazy?" Then he saw that
the boy was shaking.
WALT" Paul began. ST :"
His mouth continued to work but no
words came. He still gripped the
big forty-fve in his right hand, and
the sharp odor of burned powder
drifted from it.
Candy took him by the arm and
moved back along the fence, picked
up Fisher, saying nothing until they
were again in the tall corn rows.
There in a low voice, he asked,
"Now, boy, what happened? Why
did you come up here and what did
you shoot at?"
Young Champion seemed to have
got hold of himself. "a man." he
said. "He was right there, right
beside that, that, you know, Ranger
Powell. / saw him, and he saw me
and raised a rifle. I had to shoot
first. Then he just faded. Walt, I
didn't hit him, but he just wasn't
there any more!" The boy finished
in high pitch.
Easy, Paul." Walt said. "Take
another breath, kid, and start again.
What were you doing up here any,
way?" He bent forward to see the
young face but could make out only
the vague hollows of eyes, and next
minute they were turned from him.
Young Champion didn't answer.
Candy gripped his arm. Look
here, Paul, you'd better talk If you
followed anyone, or know who it was
you shot at, you tell US"
'.I didn't see anyone, honest, un-
til I got here" the boy answered,
head down.
"Well, what were you looking
for?"
The head lifted. ST don't want to
tell you, Walt! Let me goi'
Horsethief Fisher spoke angrily
from Gandy's side. "You young
jackass, by thunder |"
"Never mind, Horsethief," said
Candy. kid, you travel on back.
Quick! Get to the bunk house and
don't you move from there again
tonight" He watched the vanishing
form, then to Fisher: What do you
make of that?"
"Beyond me. ] don't figure he