Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06

Slim Jims, when they tried to do for us,
an Burgundy hit me with the bottle. l
didn't seem to mind it. We were pardners;
you managed. But the woman died an the
child-well, says 1 to myself, them things'll
all come right when we make another
strike, an now we've made it"
Il have-youve lost out, said High Card.
Amt We pardners?"
High Card laughed again.
gold'
The laughter of fools is often heard in the
gray corridors of death. The old man
brushed aside his long hair with nervous
movement. Suddenly he stood erect. His
action and decision were quick it caught
High Card unawares The gambler reached
for his gun, but too late to secure it, With
demoniacal scream the other man tore it
from his hands. Mechanically the gambler
sought weapon, something, anything, with
which to defend himself from this mailman.
Quick as a flash he leaped across the fire
and caught out from it club, one with
blazing end The old man sprang away
from this with another eerie cry. There
in the sound an element of pain. High Card
saw the man feared the brand only. When
he swung it about the crclet of fire seemed
to fascinate, charm. When the old man saw
this brand advance, ginting, glowing, he
fled into the thicket
"Loony!' nuttered High Card in faint
tone of surprise. This realization was
only in degrees. 'Loony, an Altered o.
fire. he said. Then panic seized the
gambler.
He took the gum. he gasped.
Cant keep this ere game up long" re-
Elected High Card. Hes got aces to my
First time 1 locate him I'll go after him.
If can get him to loose that one ball, then
III be all right
Ghostly dawn came after an eternity of
somber waiting. A breaking of twigs on
the north slope aroused High Card from
doze. Peering about the tree trunk eau
tiously he could see nothing. His every
sense attuned High Card fancied he could
hear the old man circling the ridge, creep
ing upon him from every side, now here,
now there, like assassin, a specter, a
woodland fiend. High Card found himself
growing highly nervous. The slightest noise
now caused him to CULVER and chill with
the terrible fear of the unseen.
Il can't stand it no more, he decided at
length, steadying his tangled nerves. ANY
way, to stay here means to starve I'd as
lief be shot right down like a dog as starve.
Here goes, an may the devil spoil his aim,
him.
Locating the next suspicious sound. High
Card made a determined start With the
stealth of a sinking cat, he advanced over
the rising ground, lodging in and about
the tree trunks, which We're now as lank
specters in a palld mist. louder noise
directly ahead drew him on little. There
was a crash of breaking branches and the
rush of a heavy body.
"Maybe-that wasn't him,'' exclaimed
High Card. "Where-" he wheeled about
and stood momentarily paralyzed at the
sight of his enemy in the clearing, tearing
open his precious pack, throwing the things
about in destructive glee. High Card
could see the stuff falling into the fire.
Matches" he groaned, the word coming
from his heart.
Then, with wild yell, he charged down
the hill, whirling his club, fearful courage
goading him onward. What was the chance
of a shot when the loss of matches and fire
was reckoned? He would fight the man,
mad and armed though he be, with bare
hands. AS High Card neared him the old
man disposed of the last of the pack and.
with call of impish delight, he off
tried to rescue a few of the burning frag-
ments. He burned his fingers severely,
and a certain little package seemed to ex-
plode with a shimmering phoof of bright
flame in his very hands.
''Matches!' he groaned again pitifully.
Without a gun, now without the gift Of
fire, He must preserve the embers, and
High Card feverishly scraped them into a
heap until they baZed up again Hardly
port sounded from the upper ridge, and
High Card heard the heavy plunging of a
bullet overhead in the sodden branches.
He sprang to his feet, expression of
delight upon his face.
There he goes he said. THAT kills his
little game He'll not be-
Another report and another bullet. High
Cards face was convulsed. Like petrified
mar he was.
He must have got the cartridges
A third report sounded a muffied sig
nal. This time the ball sped nearer it's
mark and High Card made a desperate
leap backward into the timber.
There are thirteen cartridges he whis-
pered to himself. Three shots-he has ten