The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-07-16

glittered as he spoke Don't use such
ugly words. These men are gentlemen
and my friends. It's a show down,
and the best hand takes the pot, What
have you got, Blowser?"
The stool pigeon, his face flushed
with annoyance at his blunder, with
out word laid five cards down before
him-for aces and queen.
Hes swindler!' cried the boy.
"By heaven, believe you all are swim
dlers The pots mine, and I'll have
IT." And his right hand went down to
his hip pocket
stop" Missed the gambler, and the
excited boy looked across the table
straight down into the muzzle of
choked revolver. Put your hands on
the table"
81 won'tr' screamed the boy.
Crash! A heavy body shot down
through the battered ceiling amid a
! shower of plaster and broken lathe
straight upon the broad neck and
shoulders of the gambler. smashing
his chair beneath him and hurting him
to the ground. Out of the chaos and
| above the bang of the revolver, the bull
let from which whizzcd harmlessly
into the floor, Van Elston heard n
strong Irish voice shout out to him:
"Klver the ither two sphalpccns, me
by! Kape thin kivered an blow their
dirty heads off If they thry to novel
Ofll w-r-r-ring the neck av this muir
therln bla'guard, oil wull!"
Van Elston, encouraged by the
friendly shout, leaped quickly back.
ward, drew his revolver and ordered
| the other two men, who had sprung In
| terror toward the door, to hold their
| hands above their heads and turn their
faces to the wall.
Over and over Pat and the gambler
rolled like two ferocious bulldogs fight
Ing to the death, Pats left hand grip
| ping like an Iron wise Big bottoms
right, which still grasped the revolver,
while the long, bony fingers of his own
right hand We're twisted with n
strangers grip about the gamblers
throat The table and chairs were over
| turned and the floor was Uttered with
fragments of plaster and broken laths.
among which the two men wrlthed,
one painting like n laboring locomotive
and the other. blue In the face and al.
most breathlcss from tho dcathllke
grip about his ihront. still struggling
family to free his pistol hand.
"Dhrap II! Dhrap IT, oil say, or
| ORR thwlst yer bloody head elaine Off
| A., nj ha al m
naming strength into one more vlgor-
Gus shake the fight came to an end,
the gamblers head fell back, his hand
relaxed, the revolver dropped to the
floor, and Pat. withdrawing his stlff-
ened fingers from the discolored neck,
! slowly rose from the senseless form of
Big BOLTON.
"Bo gorrah, me by, 1t wor n-~close
shaye-yez had" His breath came In
Jerks. Don't yez-know enough-not
to thry-an' pull yer gun-whin man
has tn dhrap on yez loikc thotf'
l.. II didn't care" answered the boy, re
alizing for the first time how near ht
had been 10 death. "Who are you any
way?"
"Who am or answered Pat In gasps
"Shure an OF believe OF must-be-th
whoite winged angel thot looks-afthe
foolish b'ys."
1t was the work of but few mo
ments to dsarm and Danish the gam
bler's cowcd assistants. Then. gather
Ing up his money and check, youni
Van Elston meekly followed the re
doubtable OGrady from the shanty
leaving Big Dolton to recover ut hi
leisure.
just what passed between O'Grady
ana his youthful companion on thai
homeward ride no one knows, but GER
tpin 1t IL that Van Elston no longer
plays cards for money. Neither is
O'Grady to be found on the list OF
licensed hackmen, for he acts rs head
eoachman In the Van Elston stables,
while patient Billy is pensloned off as
reward for the part he played on the
memorable ride.