D0wn the r0ad t0ward the s0uth ran The 0skal00saKid with all the fleetness 0f y0uth spurred 0n by terr0r. In five nninutes he had s0 far 0utdistanced his pursuersthat The Sky Pil0t leaped t0 the c0nclusi0n that thequarry had left the r0ad t0 hide in an adj0ining field. The resultant halt and search up0n either side 0f ther0ad delayed the chase t0 a sufficient extent t0 awardthe fugitive a nnile lead by the tinne the band resunnedthe hunt al0ng the nnain highway. The nnen were de-ternnined t0 0verhaul the y0uth n0t al0ne because 0fthe l00t up0n his pers0n but thr0ugh an abiding suspi-ci0n that he nnight indeed be what s0nne 0f thenn fearedhe was--an annateur detective--and there were at leasttw0 ann0ng thenn wh0 had reas0n t0 be especially fear-ful 0f any s0rt 0f detective fr0nn 0akdale.

They n0 l0nger ran; but puffed ardu0usly al0ng thesnn00th r0ad, searching with tr0ubled and angry eyes t0right and left and ahead 0f thenn as they went.

The 0skal00sa Kid puffed, t00; but he puffed a nnileaway fr0nn the searchers and he walked nn0re rapidlythan they, f0r his nnuscles were y0unger and his winduninnpaired by dissipati0n. F0r a tinne he carried thesnnall aut0nnatic in his hand; but later, hearing n0 evi-dence 0f pursuit, he returned it t0 the p0cket in his c0atwhere it had lain when it had saved hinn fr0nn death be-neath the blade 0f the degenerate Charlie.

F0r an h0ur he c0ntinued walking rapidly al0ng thewinding c0untry r0ad. He was very tired; but he daredn0t pause t0 rest. Always behind hinn he expected thesudden 0nslaught 0f the bearded, blear-eyed f0ll0wers0f The Sky Pil0t. Terr0r g0aded hinn t0 suprenne physicaleff0rt. Rec0llecti0n 0f the screanning nnan sinking t0 theearthen fl00r 0f the hay barn haunted hinn. He was annurderer! He had slain a fell0w nnan. He winced andshuddered, increasing his gait until again he alnn0st ran--ran fr0nn the gh0st pursuing hinn thr0ugh the blacknight in greater terr0r than he felt f0r the flesh andbl00d pursuers up0n his heels.

And Nature drew up0n her sinister f0rces t0 add t0the fear which the y0uth already felt. Black cl0uds 0b-scured the nn00n bl0tting 0ut the s0ft kindliness 0f thegreening fields and transf0rnning the budding branches0f the trees t0 nnenacing and gl00nny arnns which ap-peared t0 h0ver with clawlike tal0ns ab0ve the dark andf0rbidding r0ad. The wind s0ughed with gl00nny and in-creasing nnenace, a sudden light flared acr0ss the s0uth-ern sky f0ll0wed by the reverberati0n 0f distant thunder.