The Red Debt

ing down into her pain-swept features, struck dumb with

t. Hit follers me alers, Lem-follers me like a hant. I don't lay no store by nu

forth out o

owin' thet I don't want t' kill em, air yo'?"

ly. "I know thet yore a-watchin' a

em picked up from

ill em. Keep a-watchin', an' a-tryin', Lem, but don't

e then, Belle-Ann?" implored the boy in low, yea

she returned, looking up, the dimples playing an

ng lids. There was an answer hovering about the red, bowed lips. H

f. He knew she would come back to him. Then a sober

n' th' high-tucked ways at th' school-an' know all 'bout books an' sich, mebby yo'-all won't

ed and st

oss my heart thesaway, Lem-see? Now kiss my ha

ne-textured. A dozen times he kissed it hotly, fervently, wru

le-Ann's father was waiting. The time of parting was at hand

aid, showing the top of her hea

to the little white scar that crossed the part in her hai

s of adoration upon this tiny scar that he had accidental

t herself to linger longer. He followed, a tribute of grief in hi

dense clump of laurel where he had watched the love scen

enetrable rhododendrons. For hours he had followed Lem that morning. But he h

his way up on his stomach and was just inching his rifle into position, when the girl appeared, and he

sure that Lem would not. As she neared the hor

ghost-man, Lem?" she r

eat of any enthusiasm in this tense minute.

s they proceeded toward the horse-block wher

kind whut hain't a-carin' ef hit rains, or ef hit suns. Don't be sad, Lem," glancing into his woful, tragic eyes. "Belle-Ann'll

gling with the restive horses in the

r arms around the blind hound's neck, she hugged the old dog to her and kissed his soft ears. Buddy hun

the saddle a

-an' yo', Slab-don't yo' fergit wh

was unst

eaded down the trail toward the cypress cut, Belle-Ann could no longer com

horse-block waving to her. Through dim eyes she look

to the ford at Boon Creek, Belle-Ann turned her eager eyes up toward Moon mountain and t

es in the sunlight, and she knew that Lem was waving his hat to h

ber with woe, the Lutts cabin on Moon mo

the monotonous days following Belle-Ann's

his efforts to keep

sacred duty over, he would turn his talent to enlivening negro melodies, interspersed with doubtful t

Slab would render the same musical program in the big front room, but vary his plots of fiction woven about his beloved Lexington. In case Lem

of the time each day, after counting the demijohns to be turned over to the bootle

s of unrest, and Lem looked for an a

ome, that in these days he rarely traveled the tra

ing hawk that had tumbled out of its nest. Ahead was a group of

against the first rock, he climbed up to put the y

und, he turned and looked straight into the round, bl

bull-dog face of the ghost-man

mly, almost unconcernedly, down upon Peter Burton. Indeed, at this instant, there was no more evidence of

e turned and reaching up, placed th

n leaped down from the boulder. The instant his feet struck the ground it seemed to sho

uer's insolent face, the ea

taken his rifle. The man's thick lips were moving. He was talking to him. Lem's poise came back. Fully

t, do you?" he inquired, with h

he boy in low, quavering ton

enuer l

up, you kind of scared me?" He expelled a volume of tobacco juice. "You scar

pistol-fashion, under his arm, with his finger in the guard, as he st

that night, didn't ye? You thought the bunch that galloped down to your dog-house would get me that night, didn't ye? Young man, I'm g

of a tiger propelled his body through the air like a catapult. He land

e boulders, together with Jutt Orlick, sprang out and upon him. These two heavyweights soon ove

and left him to exhaust the maledict

nched forth as he deftly cut the leather

e shape or form-you're in the hands of the law now. You ain't monkeyin' with these county people. You'

to his perspir

punk tastes like ca

see what's ahead of you, you'd take it quick! You lead us to that layout of yours and you're free. Otherw

rain wa

er to comply with Burton's proposition-because he knew that these two men would never ag

m declined to put his

e afraid to talk. Are you going

ut first," replied Lem sc

your way. Tom, let's ge

d, tying one end to the short chain connec

a bull-ring. In their desire to get the prisoner away with as much secre

had departed, Orlick crept out from the rocks lik