"We'd better wait until they're asleep," counseled The Sky Pilot."Two of us can tackle this Bridge and hand him the k.o.quick.Eddie and Soup Face had better attend to that.Blackie can nab The Kid an' I'll annex Miss Abigail Prim.The lady with the calf we don't want.We'll tell her we're officers of the law an'
that she'd better duck with her live stock an' keep her trap shut if she don't want to get mixed up with a mur-der trial."
o o o Detective Burton was at the county jail in Oakdale administering the third degree to Dopey Charlie and The General when there came a long distance telephone call for him.
"Hello!" said the voice at the other end of the line;"I'm Willie Case, an' I've found Miss Abigail Prim.""Again?" queried Burton.
"Really," asserted Willie."I know where she's goin' to be all night.I heard 'em say so.The Oskaloosie Kid's with her an' annuder guy an' the girl I seen with the dead man in Squibbs' woods an' they got a BEAR!" It was almost a shriek."You'd better come right away an' bring Mr.Prim.I'll meet you on the ol' Toledo road right south of Payson, an' say, do I get the whole re-ward?"
"You'll get whatever's coming to you, son," replied Burton."You say there are two men and two women--are you sure that is all?"
"And the bear," corrected Willie.
"All right, keep quiet and wait for me," cautioned Burton."You'll know me by the spot light on my car--I'll have it pointed straight up into the air.When you see it coming get into the middle of the road and wave your hands to stop us.Do you understand?""Yes," said Willie.
"And don't talk to anyone," Burton again cautioned him.
A few minutes later Burton left Oakdale with his two lieutenants and a couple of the local policemen, the car turning south toward Payson and moving at ever ac-celerating speed as it left the town streets behind it and swung smoothly onto the country road.
o o o It was after midnight when four men cautiously ap-proached the old mill.There was no light nor any sign of life within as they crept silently through the doorless doorway.Columbus Blackie was in the lead.He flashed a quick light around the interior revealing four forms stretched upon the floor, deep in slumber.Into the blacker shadows of the far end of the room the man failed to shine his light for the first flash had shown him those whom he sought.Picking out their quarry the intruders made a sudden rush upon the sleepers.
Bridge awoke to find two men attempting to rain murderous blows upon his head.Wiry, strong and full of the vigor of a clean life, he pitted against their greater numbers and cowardly attack a defense which was infinitely more strenuous than they had expected.
Columbus Blackie leaped for The Oskaloosa Kid, while The Sky Pilot seized upon Abigail Prim.No one paid any attention to Giova, nor, with the noise and con-fusion, did the intruders note the sudden clanking of a chain from out the black depths of the room's further end, or the splintering of a half decayed studding.
Soup Face entangling himself about Bridge's legs suc-ceeded in throwing the latter to the floor while Dirty Eddie kicked viciously at the prostrate man's head.The Sky Pilot seized Abigail Prim about the waist and dragged her toward the doorway and though the girl fought valiantly to free herself her lesser muscles were unable to cope successfully with those of the man.Co-lumbus Blackie found his hands full with The Oskaloosa Kid.Again and again the youth struck him in the face;but the man persisted, beating down the slim hands and striking viciously at body and head until, at last, the boy, half stunned though still struggling, was dragged from the room.
Simultaneously a series of frightful growls reverber-ated through the deserted mill.A huge body cata-pulted into the midst of the fighters.Abigail Prim screamed."The bear!" she cried."The bear is loose!"Dirty Eddie was the first to feel the weight of Beppo's wrath.His foot drawn back to implant a vicious kick in Bridge's face he paused at the girl's scream and at the same moment a huge thing reared up before him.Just for an instant he sensed the terrifying presence of some frightful creature, caught the reflected gleam of two savage eyes and felt the hot breath from distended jaws upon his cheek, then Beppo swung a single terrific blow which caught the man upon the side of the head to spin him across the floor and drop him in a crumpled heap against the wall, with a fractured skull.Dirty Eddie was out.Soup Face, giving voice to a scream more bestial than human, rose to his feet and fled in the oppo-site direction.
Beppo paused and looked about.He discovered Bridge lying upon the floor and sniffed at him.The man lay perfectly quiet.He had heard that often times a bear will not molest a creature which it thinks dead.
Be that as it may Beppo chanced at that moment to glance toward the doorway.There, silhouetted against the lesser darkness without, he saw the figures of Co-lumbus Blackie and The Oskaloosa Kid and with a growl he charged them.The two were but a few paces outside the doorway when the full weight of the great bear struck Columbus Blackie between the shoulders.
Down went the man and as he fell he released his hold upon the youth who immediately turned and ran for the road.
The momentum of the bear carried him past the body of his intended victim who, frightened but uninjured, scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the rear of the mill in the direction of the woods and distant swamp.
Beppo, recovering from his charge, wheeled in time to catch a glimpse of his quarry after whom he made with all the awkwardness that was his birthright and with the speed of a race horse.
Columbus Blackie, casting a terrified glance rear-ward, saw his Nemesis flashing toward him, and dodged around a large tree.Again Beppo shot past the man while the latter, now shrieking for help, raced madly in a new direction.
