The Red Cloud chief., 1907-12-20

htt Nv tiltVhShs . NS bON htVhtJ ohu
I want to play III!
"Pah!'' said Mullins disgustedly.
Hes one Of them Vermont despera-
does that never laid a bet till he was
thirty. If Glenister loses he'll hate
him for life"
There are plenty OF his sort here"
the girl remarked. His soul would fit
In q flea track" She spied the Bronco
Kid sauntering back toward her and
Joined him. lie leaned against the
wall, watching the gossamer thread Of
smoke twist upward from his ciGa-
rettc, seemingly oblivious to the sur
roundings md showing no hint OF the
emotion he had displayed two hours
before.
This is a big killing, isn't itT' said
the girl.
The gambler nodded, murmuring in
differently.
"Why aren't you dealing bank2 Isn't
this your shift"
81 quit last night"
"Just In time to miss this affair.
Lucky for you
yes; I own the place now Bought
1t yesterday"
Good heavens! Then It's your mon
ey he's winning!"
"Surc, at the rate Of a thousand n
minute"
She glanced at the long trail Of dew
astated tables behind Glenister and
his followers. At that instant the
sound told that the miner had won
again, and 1t dawned upon Cherry that
the gambler beside her stood too quiet
ly, that his hand and voice were too
steady, his glance too cold to be nat
ural. The next moment approved her
instinct.
The musicians. grown tired Of their
endeavors to lure back the dancers,
determined to join the excitement and
ceased playing. The leader laid down
his violin, the pianist trailed up the key
board with q departing twitter and
quit his stool. They all crossed the
hall, headed for the crowd. some of
them making ready to bet. AS they
approached the Bronco Kid. his lips
thinned and slid apart slightly. while
out of his heavy lidded eyes there far
ed unreasoning rage Stepping for
NdTu, ue StLLtu lii loIclhOSI hiu NV
spun him about violently.
"Where are you gOing?"
"Why. nobody wants to dance, 80
we thought we'd go u front for a
bit"
"Get back. all Of your 1t vas his
first chance to ven the passion within
him. A glance ut his maddened fea-
lures was sufficient for the musicians,
and they did not delay. BY the time
they had resumed their duties. howev-
er, the curtains Of composure had
closed upon the Kid. masking his emo
ton again. but from her brief glimpse
Cherry Malotte knew that this man
was not Of ice. as some supposed. He
turned to her and said. "DO you mean
what you said upstairsT
II don't understand"
"You said you could kill Glenister."
81 could"
Don't you love-
~ hate him." she interrupted hoarse-
ly. He gave her n mirthly smile and,
spying the crap dealer leaving his
bankrupt table. called him over and
said:
Tony, 1 whit you W uIlNe tHe
hearse when Glenister hegins to play
faro. I'll deal. Understand :"
"Sure! Going to give him a little
work ehy"
81 never dealt a crooked card L. this
camp" exclaimed the Kid, "bUt I'll
|, , lay that man tonight or I'll kill him!
I'll use a 'sand-tell,' see? And ! want
, to explain my signals to you. II you
miss the signs you'll queer us both and
put the house on the blink"
He rapidly rehearsed his signals in q
, jargon which to a layman would have
> been unintelliglble. Illustrating them
by certain almost imperceptible shift
ings Of the fingers or changes In the
y position of his hand so slight rs to
{ thwart discovery. Through 1t all the
girl stood by and followed his every
e word and motion with eager attention
= She needed nc explanation of the terms
they used. She knew them all; knew
!. that the "hearse driver" was the mar
: who kept the cases; knew all the code
= Of the "inside life" To her It was al
, as an open page, and she meniorize(
= more quickly than did Toby the Sign
by which the Bronco Kid proposed t
signal what card he had smugglet
:. from the box or held back.
".
Ito BE ~CoNTINUED.l