Page:Frank Owen - Rare Earth, 1931.djvu/97

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Rare Earth

Hung Long Tom made no effort to stop Scobee in his flight. He did not call after him. What would have been the use? He would probably not have heeded the call, nor even heard it. After all what could Hung Long Tom say even if he had succeeded in restraining him? What was there to say? It was best not to interfere. If Scobee exhausted himself, maybe he would sleep and sleep was the one thing he needed right then. Of course Hung Long Tom had not dreamed for a-moment that Scobee would run into one of the barns. It was a horrible thing to behold. It made Hung Long Tom shiver. As he saw what was about to happen, he cried out in alarm. But either Scobee was too far away or Hung Long Tom had cried out too late. Scobee struck the barn and fell, struck the barn like a moth beating its wings futilely against a window.

He was unconscious when Hung Long Tom came upon him though perhaps as much from exhaustion as from the effects of the blow. Hung Long Tom examined his body carefully

but there seemed to be nothing much the mat-

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