Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-01-22

cial popularity, and circumstances or his own Wickedness had made him d scoundrel and very bad scoundrel at that.
 And so it was that responded quite affably to his greeting. obivious of the past and almost forgetting tho future He stood by me, surveying the encamp- ment. his bulky form overlapping mine by three inches at the least
 Its pity, Mr. Greatorex," says he. refiecting. that these animals have 10 spunk. Spunk goes a long way with me, will admit, and that warns my heart to you. 1 doff my hat to MT. Sheppard and, by the way, to my young friend Montgomery also"
 What you lack in quality, suppose you calculate to make up in quantity" I said grimly.
 ''Precisely. Mir. GreatoreX You've hit l it. That's the rub. If I had three Of my mongrel Indians here I'd reckon to finish the job in q couple of days, but one has to use the material at hand"
 No doubt" said Sheppard, but your plans must have been laid d long time"
 The captain cast a curious glance at i him. Well, you seem to know, he said slowly. But l tell you frankly that greed can carry too far and that d jaw too widely open will sometimes lose a bite it takes too long to shut it. If Lad managed this business But here. apparently recollecting himself, he broke off and turned away with a little frown. But presently he resum- ed, wearing his accustomed good hu- mored expression. "There was never any good came of d Greek. I've known them upward of twenty years, and l never knew one that was fit for any thing save to jab you in the back when you were not looking
 Il should say' remarked Sheppard mildly, that you had very suitable gang for your purpose
 Sercombe laughed. "Oh, don't fan cy the knife myself, though some peo- pie do
 Sheppard turned deathly pale but he | is ao knowing what scruples a man will develop"
 This turn of the conversation sud denly woke me to a sense of my erland, and quickly communicated my news to Sercombe.
 II thought we should come to this" he said eheerfully, and l would have laid odds l should have had you here on this mission l knew you would drop that mealy mouthed righteous ness of yours What I dislkcd in you, Mr. Greatorex, from the outset, if I may say so without offense, was your blamed British pharisaisu. You couldn't look at q job squarely. It's not your fault, but that of your train ing l had the same defect once my self, but a campaign in the Ionian isles knocked the pretenses out of me. 1 That's how came to know these scoundrels so well. Well, I'm glad we meet evenly at last. You can see for yourself there's not pennorth to choose between Us, save that you've had first blood" and with that he look ed at Sheppard.
 This time Sheppard held his color under control. but he looked away, and perceived. in spite of his severe re- straint, a twitching of the nostrils.
 Come, come" said 1. we must take what steps we may in self defense against cutthroats, captain"
 I'm with you there," said Sercombe cheerily. and the steps I usually take consist of barker. I shoot out of my coat tails as often as not. My plan is to fire when l see a squint.'
 II fear you rebuke me-" I replied, with bow, but I swear that I would have fired if it Lad been any other