Phil Rushington's Search, or, The Unknown Rider of the Ring — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

s ess Wister. a So Sree ann it was his aim to fol- don’t tell the truth about this man you brought with you.” “Who be you so high an’ mighty, I’d like to know? It looks a good deal like you’d come here to make trouble. If that’s the case, vou trot right off this forty, an’ do it quick, Trot!” While the farmer was talking Phil caught too! a glimpse of Lovejoy leaving from a rear door and making off toward the barn, pass- ing the well on his way. The well was an open one, with a bucket that was raised and ‘lowered by means of a “sweep.” As he darted past the curb Lovejoy dropped something into the well. “There he goes!” exclaimed Wister, ex- citedly. “And here we go after him,” said Rush, starting in pursuit. “He threw something into the well!” “T saw him, but we'll look into that after he’s run down.” a Lovejoy made straight for the barn and disappeared inside, Phil and Wister close after him. ~ CHAPTER VIII. LINKS OF EVIDENCE. A ladder near the barn door gave access to the haymow, and as Rush and Wister hur- ried in they saw Lovejoy’s feet disappearing through the mow opening. In a trice Rush sprang to the ladder and began a rapid ascent. “Look out for him, Mr. Rushington!” “He may be armed.” = . DO AND DARE WEEKLY. ».F ‘ sf ? - - _ , 4 >, * - - - . wi * > rie rt use x a weapon if he happened to Beas it. od ; Hay was banked all around the square hole | at the top of the ladder, and Lovejoy was floundering through it in his efforts to get away when Rush sprang upon him. Lovejoy rose to his knees, faced about and | threw his arms around Rush, and they went rolling over in a furious “clinch.” Rush got a firm clasp about his antagonist’s throat, and the latter compressed his locked arms until the young showman’s ribs almost cracked be- neath the terrific pressure. It was patent to Phil that “the modern Samson” was no misnomer in Lovejoy’s case. The question the youth asked himself was, Would he be able to strangle Lovejoy before Lovejoy rendered him helpless by that awful pressure? But the matter never came to such an issue. Their struggle in the hay brought them abruptly to an open door in the barn wall. They were on the very edge, and both released their arms to grab at something and save themselves a fall. Phil succeeded in staying -himself, but Lovejoy’s wildly groping hands clutched nothing but the atmosphere, and he dropped to the ground. Fortunately for him, the ground was soft, so that he hardly bruised himself. In a flash he was up and heading for the place where Rush and Wister had se- cured their horses. His object was plain, and his chances for escape would have been good had not a large, frowsy headed woman suddenly stepped around the corner of the barn. She car- ried an old-fashioned, muzzle-loading shot- rag ao: she raised i it to her phonies Cocke | px * toe OSS Oe Se ee ee