Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-17
BOB HAMPTON OF PLACER.
BY RANDALL PARRISH,
AUTHOR OF WHEN WILDERNESS WAS KING.
Copyright. 1907. b. A. O. Ncciurs Coz

much from them now. II he only knew how
much information the other possessed. II
would be easy enough. As he did not, he
must WELD his weapon blindly.
You're maxim q devil Of fuss over
little or nuthin'." he growled. Stimulating q
| tone of disgust. II never amt he'd no quar-.
| rel with We. exceptin' fer the way ye man.
aged ter skin me at the table bout two
years ago. I don't give two screeches In
- for who you are: an besides, I reckon
you ain't the only ex-convict arranging Da-
kota either. fer the matter o. that. No
more does Murphy. We amt no bloomin'
detectives, an we amt buckin' in on no
business o yourn; ye kin just bet your
Where Is Murphy. thenr wish to see
II told you he'd gone. Maybe he didn't
git away till this mornin', but he's gone
now all right. What in thunder do ye want
Q, him? reckon kin tell ys all tibet Muir
For a breathless moment neither spoke,
Hampton lingering his gun nervously, his
eyes lingering on that brutal face.
"slavin." he said at last. his voice hard.
metallic. I've figured 1t out, and do
know you now, you lying brute. You are
the fellow who swore you saw me throw
away the gun that did the shooting, and
that afterward you picked 1t up.
eyes. and the gambler covered back before
them, trembling like a child.
IL only swore to the last part, cap
tain" he muttered. his voice scarcely audi
"And swore." went on Hampton. "tnat
l would kill you on sight. You lying whelp,
are you ready to der
Slavin's face was drawn and gray, the
Precipitation standing in beads upon his
forehead. but he could neither speak nor
think. fascinated by those remorseless eyes,
which seemed to burn their way down into
his very SOUL
mo? Well, then, will give you, today,
just one chance to live-one. you dog-one.
Don't move an eyelash! Tell me honestly
why you have been trying to get word with
the girl. and you shall go out from here
living. Lie to me about 1t, and I am going
to kill you where you sit, as would mad
dog. You know me, Slavin-now speak,!
So intensely still was It, Hampton could
distinguish the faint ticking of the watch in
his pocket the hiss Of the breath between
low tried to utter something, his lips shak-
ing as with the palsy. his ashen face the
picture OF terror. No wretch dragged
shrieking to the scaffold could have formed
In the eyes Of the man watching him.
Speak, you crfnging hound!
Savin gripped his great hands together
convulsively, his throat swelling beneath Its
escape. IL had to do 1t! Ny God, cap
tain, I had to do it?'
81 had to- tell you. Oh. you devil. you
IA AoS SaS oho Jou ~ .
Murphy
For a single moment Hampton stared at
the crtnging figure. Then suddenly he rose
to his feet in decision. stand up! Lift
your hands first, you fool. Now unbuckle
your gun-belt with your left hand-your
left said! Drop 1t on the floor
There was an unusual sound behind. such
as a rat might have made, and Hampton
glanced aside apprehensively. In that sin
gle second Slavin was upon him. grasping
his pistol-arm at the wrist, and striving
with hairy hand to get death-grip about
his throat. Twice Hamptons left drove
straight out into that red, gloating face,
and then the giants crushing weight bore
him backward. He fought savagely, 81
lently. his slender figure like Steel but
Slavin got his grip at last and with giant
strength began to crunch his victim within
his vise-like arms There was a moment Of
superhuman strain, their breathing mere
sobs of exhaustion. Then Slavin slipped.
and Hampton succeeded in wriggling par
TALLY free from his death-grip. 1t was for
scarcely an instant, yet it served; for as
he bent aside. swinging his burly opponent
with him, some one struck vicious blow
at his back; but the descending knife, miss
ing its mark, sunk instead deep into Sla-
wins breast.
Hampton saw the flash Of a blade, q
hand. q portion Of an arm. and then the
clutching fingers Of Slavin swept him down.
He reached out blindly as he fell. his hand
closing about the deserted knife-hilt. The
two crashed down together upon the floor.
the force Of the fall driving the blade home
to the gamblers heart.
ITO be Continued TOmOrrow,)