The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-13

i. IN no business o Iourns ye hn Just
BET your sweet life On thet 4
Where Is MURPHY, thenf ] wish 70
see he fellow
Il told Jon he'd gone. Maybe be
didn't git away TN this mornin', but
he's gone now an right What IN
thunder do ye Ranto, hims Ireckon
I Kin ten ye al that Murphy knoys.
For q breathless moment neither
spoke, Hampton nntertng his gun ner-
yousiy, his eyes lingering on that BIRD
tai face.
-slayin,- he saidat last, his voice
hard, metallic. i've figured It out,
and / do know you now. you lying
brute. You are TIE fellow who swore
you saw me throw away the gun that
did the shooting. and that afterwards
you picked ftup.-
There was the spirit Of murder in
his eyes. and the gambler covered
back before them, trembling Ike a
child.
FL only sWore to the last part
CAPTAIN" he muttered, his voice
scarcely audible. IL never said ]
saw you throw
aAnd 1 sWore." vent on Hampton,
that l would XII you on sight You
lying whelp. are you ready to diet"
slayfns face was drawn and gray
the perspfration standing in beads
upon his forehead, but he could Meth
err speak nor think, fascinated by
those remorseless eyes, which seemed
to burn their way down into his very
souI.
NO! Well, then, 1 viii give you, TO.
day, Just one chance 70 dye-oue, you
dog-one. Don't move an eyelash!
Ten me honestly Why you have been
trying to get word with the girl, and
Jon shall 90 out from here living. Lie
TO me about II. and ! an going to
kiI you where you sit, as would q
mad dog. You know me, slayin-noS
speak,
So intensely sull Wss II, Hampton
could distinguish Tie faint ticking Of
the watch in his pocket the hiss Of
the breath between the giants elineh'
ed teeth. No wretch DRAGGED Shrek
ing to the seanold could have formed
a more pitiful sight but there was nc
mercy IN the eyes Of the man watch
ing him.
Speak, you cringtng hound!"
slavtn gripped bis great hands to.
gether eonyulsiyely, his throat swell
INK beneath its read beard. He knew
there was no way Of escape. ii
had to do it, Ny God, Captain, i had
to do it,"
~Why?"
Il had to. I tell you. Oh, you devil
Won fiendl I'm not the one you're af
ter-it's Murphy"
For a single moment Hampton star
ed at the cringing figure. Then sud
denly he rose to his feet in decision
stand up! Lift up your hands first
YOU fool. Now unbuckle your gun
belt with your let hand-your left,
said! Drop it on the floor"
There was an unusual sound behind
such as a rat might have made, and
Hampton glanced aside apprehensiye
". In that single second Slavin was
upon him, graspIng his pistolarm al
the wrist, and striving with hairy
hand to get a death-grip about his
throat. Twice Hampton's left drove
straight out into that red, gloatins
face. and then The giants crushing
weight bore him backward, He fought
sayaSely. silently, his slender figure
like steel, but Sllyin got his grip al
last and With giant strength began Il
crunch his victim within his yiselIks
arms. There was a moment OF su
perhuman strain, their breathing
mere sobs Of exhaustion. Then SlaTfr
slipped, and Hampton succeeded II
wrfeglIng partially free from his dealt
grip. 1t was scarcely an instant, yei
it served; for as he bent aside. swing
bis burly opponent with him, someone
struck a vicious blow at his back; but
the descending knife, missing 1T
mark, sunk instead deep into slayin''
breast.
Hampton saw the fash of blade, Z
portion Of an arm, and then the
clutchfng fingers Of Slavin swept hin
down. He reached out bltndly as be
fell. his hand closing about the de
serted knife-hilt The two crashed
down together upon the floor. the
force of the fall driving the blade
home to the gamblers heart
CHAPTER Xxx.