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Buck, Charles Neville, 1879-1930

"A Pagan of the Hills"


As they waited through the day for the call which did not come they
began to feel the dispirited gloom of men keyed to action and kept
interminably waiting--but none of them dropped away.
It was close to sundown when Brent himself arrived, and since he failed
to encounter Jerry O'Keefe on the streets he did not pause to search
for him, but went direct to the telegraph office. It had not been
disclosed to O'Keefe how close to the heart of the conspiracy was the
operator and the young man with the Irish eyes had not been stirred to
any deep suspicion in that quarter.
Brent himself had not considered it a reasonable assumption that to
such a powerful fellow as Halloway harm could come in so public a
place. Yet Halloway had meant to make that office his headquarters and
now Brent made it his first destination.
Through the open door and the smeared window spilled out a yellow and
sickly light.
Inside sat two men, but a glance told Brent that neither of them worked
the key. The pair were gaunt and sinister of aspect and they were not
town folk but creek-dwellers.


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