The Red Debt

oncealed the illicit still. When the conference was over half a dozen men were scatte

ng and the gospel-house. By the time they had placed the last win

le where he could view the church-front, side, and bell-crow

three regarded the church in silent admiration, for

ks. The billows of emerald, capped with frothy banks of blossoms that tumbled down from the savag

aring, the little church c

pped through space from across the creek, and his florid wings

ered straightway by the quick, broken squall of her mate, betraying an early forage p

oys awoke from their reverie

d in blank pathos at the church a face rose up and blotted ou

thes, Lem!" deplored the

had lived, pa

peated the small voice

tin' an' killin'-an' I 'low as how Maw air a lookin' down on hit all now-on th' gawspel-house an' on we-uns, boys. An' say, boys, mebb

interrupted Le

now," supplemen

es reflected in the eyes of the men were terrible, the molten, satanic hatred that crossed the countenance of little Bud was appalling because of his tender years. Each kn

iously at a root, then

time th' ridin' pahson stuck fo' two weeks. I kin jest heer her now a tellin' 'em as how Gawd an' we-uns walcums every pizen sinnah in thes end o' Kaintuck

l-house-I bets yo'll see a rousin', whoppin', boostin', prayin' 'vival-yo' sho' will, boys," promised the ol

" ejaculated

tingly. "One day nigh yo'll see th' steers a pullin' a real slappin' new organ machine into th' clearin'-yo'll

echoed across the ravine with startling import, and t

e gulch. The three rose to their feet simultaneously, and the old man felt instinctively about him for something that wa

ke a bull elk he listened to the portentous sound

chagrin-he had forgotten for the moment where he

suddenly been dismembered. The thought that he had bee

the horn followed t

listened through several tense seconds. In his extremity he wonde

urning his head he thrust both hands behind

muttered and pointed toward the rim of the clearing. The next second cam

napped when he saw the disheveled figure of a girl burst through the wall of laur

n!" cried the a

ed in the wind. She was wild-eyed and panting. Her bare legs were bleeding fr

! Run, Lem! Run away!" she cried in a choking riot of fear, th

lerin' right ahin' o' me-thah! thah! thah!" she screamed in her terror, pointing, h

antic girl grabbed little Bud by one arm and half dragged, half carried

ed his gun and started for the church, while Lem fell prostra

hest, sprang into the open behind the church and just to the right. It was Peter Burton, and the sur

Lutts! I've got you at last, and I

tly as he hurried nearer

wn Blue Grass this time

d for just the fra

ities raced through his brain. The downfall

s comprehension, but the st

hurch, and there he leaped toward the altar. With a feline bound the bi

it itself, and was reaching for the rif

ear-splitting crash rang out

aving the rifle untouched. Straightening up with strange majesty, he turned hal

ard at something beyond this world;

e sagged and swayed for an instant; there was a

and lay there motionless upon its back, legs close toge

eatures and eyed his aw

levied upon his strength and lifted the body from the pulpit, and placed it upon a bench. He wip

t the pulpi

oary crown. It had traveled downward toward his heavy boots.

lion imprint of a ragged, dripping cross was clearly

oward the church, expecting to see his father emerge. He waited several seconds. He wo

n he was, and almost snickered aloud at his fears. The boy could not conceive any odds that his father

man would come out of that door where he had gone in. He knew that the old man would come out of the chur

his stomach

church door into the lifeless air. Instinct told him that it wa

en, weaponless and forgetful of the prowess of the uncanny man-tiger w

e old man. He saw only the towering hulk of the hated Burton standing

t, dumb, fear-stricken, trembling. He sta

rticulate scream he fell one step backward and aimed a terrific, deadly

aked to the waist, broken, bleeding, panting, heaving, piteously

p-reared, with her bowed fore-legs upon a scrub cedar stump, the big cat's spotted lips parted and she cried out a tremulous portentous wail across the

conquered, broken youth, felt a compelling

re," ordered the detective as he p

m to the door of t

're there a while you'll tell where that damn whisky sho

e crossing the dark background of the gloom. Then it was that, with a lightning-like quickness, Lem lunged sidewise and fasten

oy's head and body, torrents of resoundin

nging, and the reverberations carried for miles up and down Hellsfork. Its

eating, and his fingers, reeking wit

breath. With all his mighty strength, the revenuer choked him

as a terrier shakes an old boot, and cast him away an

cky to get away alive now, far less drag a prisoner; even at that mom

oward the spot where he knew