Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

: De pleaded, ‘an’ exzact ter me what words > i a= 3 as FLIGHT TO ‘done thet afore Cyniby sung at ther school- house.” “ Speaking of Cynthy,”’ commented Car- roll, whose eyes were on the graveled. high- way, “ there she comes now and, by God, something’s wrong! She’s running as if hounds were after her.” Murrell wheeled and started forward, but the girl had appeared around the bend, close at hand, and she came forward stumbling with exhaustion, her face hotly flushed and her eyes wide. At first she tried to speak and failed. She could only lean panting against the rail fence while Wade fanned her with his hat and said quietly: “ Take yore time, Cynthy. Ye’re safe hyar, an’ thar hain’t no tormentin’ haste.” ‘But there is!” she broke out in the staccato vehemence of exhausted breath. ‘IT came to warn you.” Again she had to pause and gasp. Her - heart was palpitating with the unaccus- tomed run over broken and rocky ways. Her stockings and skirts were wet from plunging pell-mell through the creek. ‘“ Enoch Wade,” she rushed on, “ told me to come here. He’s hurrying to other houses first. Cas Harley has killed Lesher Skidmore, and they think he’s running here for shelter. The Skidmores are after him.” The announcement came in broken spurts of short-breathed violence, but a volume could hardly have held between its covers a more burdened story of catastrophe. Wade Murrell stood holding the girl’s eyes with his own. His face had seemed to freeze into an icy misery. His hands closed slowly and rigidly into fists. His pain- fully built structure of peace had collapsed in a breath. His efforts had crumbled, and his face was like that of a man who has come to his house, eagerly anticipating welcome and comfort, to stand dazed before a square of smoking ruins and to taste in his nostrils the stench of formless ashes. His enemy was dead—killed by a kins- man—and like a rabbit scurrying and doubling ahead of harriers, that kinsman was fleeing for sanctuary with pursuers hot on his trail. _ “Seek ter catch yore breath, gal,” he i ee 263 THE HILLS. " Faech spoke. I’ve need ter know enough ter go on, an,’ like es not, thar hain’t much time. Ye says Cas kilt Lesher?” Anne Purviance had instinctively caught at Carroll’s elbow, and from her lips had come a sound like a low and despairing moan, Cynthia moved forward. Her young strength was giving her back breath for utterance, and she nodded her head. “Enoch didn’t know the details. Cas Harley had been over to Skidmore’s several times lately. He was there early this morning, before sunrise. The two were alone, There was some quarrel. The Skid- mores say Lesher was lying in his bed when he was shot. Some one saw Harley leave the place. The Skidmores sounded the alarm and formed a posse.” “ An’ what did ye say Enoch’s doin’ nowe” “He’s gathering the Murrells together. The Skidmores would come here, he said, to take Cas away. They guessed he’d make for your house. Enoch’s trying to get some of your own people here first.” Wade nodded slowly. ‘“‘ Yes,” he said, “ they’d think thet, ther Skidmores would. I don’t see way Cas hain’t got hyar a’ready ef he’s comin’ in sich tormentin’ haste. He knows a short. cut hither. Hit’s right steep an’ Ja’relly. One man thet knowed hit well could slip through quick, but it would slow down a crowd. He ought ter be comin’ outen ther woods right up thar by thet big gum tree tol’able soon now.” He turned = and pointed up the timbered slope, then he =e te added: “‘ An’ thar he does come, unlessen my ears is lyin’ ter me.” The others heard nothing, but they turned and their eyes remained held by that curtain of heavy green. A macabre fascina- tion kept them straining toward it, and pres- ently they could hear a slight rustle and saw the laurel branches part cautiously. Having peered warily out and seen that _ only Murrells as yet were gathered be lg Wig it q tas eee iaib if need ‘ A Pi PUNT tis OL WP eth wiht : ily > ; j Ast, rie 4 f PA ORME ST OTN Su eta Ea IA y ett) ‘ 4 Ke ee Hie pit nb! Wh Cyig ean aN ¥ i 4 ; i { : 7 . “re ee ihets* ie ee * Pe AN — ’ “ STP, , TeitL pat) 7 “ steep grade of the cleared —_ A a oa — avalanche of loosened stones came vee eae a =