The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-03-27
The Spoilers.
By REX E BEACH.
eo,,rt.ht 1908 ~ 3. Beach
Bv REX E BEACH.
(ContinusaJ

III tie Ahth-
"What's the matterT'
Dextr. drew him 10 an isolated cor
ner. Me an my partner want to send
q man to the states with you"
"AIl right;
"well-er-here's the point" hesltat-
Cd the ninsE, wno rebellsd q asking
favors. He's oar law Aharp. an the
Mcnamara outfit II tryin' 10 put the
steel ON him."
q don't understand"
why, they've swore out q warrant
an aim to guard the shore tomorrow.
We want you to-
"Mr. Dextry, I'm not looking for trou-
bic. get enough in my own bust
ness"
But. see here" argued the other
we've got TO send him so he can make
q powwow 10 the big legal smoke in
Frisco. We've been cold decked with
a bum judge. They've got ne into
corner an over the ropes"
I'm sorry can't help you, Dexty,
hut l got mixed up in one of your
HCEHpCC IHdt
This amt no stOwaway. There's no
danger to YOU" began Dextry, but the
officer interrupted him:
There's no need OF arguing. I won't
do it."
"Oh. you won't, ehT' said the old
man. beginning to lose his temper
''Well, you listen to me for a minute.
Everybody in camp knows that me an
the kid IL on the square an that we're
gettin' the bunk passed to us. Now,
THIS lawyer party must get away to-
night or these grafters will hitch the
horses to him on some phony charge SO
he can't get to the upper court It'll be
him to the bird cage for NINETY da,r,
He's gotn' to the States, though, an
he's -fn-your-wagon! I'm talk.
IN tn you-man to man. II you don't
take him. I'll go to the health inspector
he's a friend of mine-an' I'll put a
crimp in you an your steamboat.
don't want to do that--it amt my reg
Tar graft by no means-but this bet
goes through as she lays. l neve
balched up a secret before. No, sir.
am the human huntin' case watch, an
/ won't open my face unless you press
me, but If / should, you'll see that it's
time for you to hunt new job. Now,
here's my scheme" He outlined his di-
rections to the sailor, who had fallen
silent during the warning. When hi
had done, Stephens said:
II never had a man talk to me like
that before, sir-never. You've taken
advantage Of me, and under the cir
cumstances l can't refuse I'll do this
thing not because of your threat, bu
because / heard about your trouble
over the Midas and because / can't
help admiring your blamed insolence. ;
He went back into his stall.
Dextry returned to Wheaton's office
AS he neared it he passed a lounginP
figure in an adjacent doorway.
1.-The place is watched" he announc
ed as he entered Have you got Il
back door, Good! Leave your light
burning and we'll go out that way"
They slipped quietly into an fnky, tor
tuous passage which led back TOWARD
Second street. Floundering through al
leys and over garbage heaps, by cir
cuitous routes they reached the bridge,
where in the swift stream beneath the
saw the lights from Macs tug.
Steam was up, and when the captail
had let them aboard Dextry gave hir'
instructions, to which he nodded &C
uuiescence. They babe the lawyer
adieu, and the little craft slipped i
moorings. danced down the current
across the bar and was swallowed ur
In the darkness to seward
"I'n put out Wheaton's light 50
they'll think he's gone to bed
Eyes. and at daylight TIL take your
place In McNamara's loft" said Glen
lister. "There will be doings tomorrow
when they don't find him."
They returned by the way they hal
come TO the lawyers room, ext1nguish-
ed his light, went to their own cabin
and TO bed. At dawn Glenister arose
and sought his place above McNa-
mara's Office.
To lie stretched at length on a sin
gle plank with eye glued to crack Is
not comfortable position, and the
watcher thought the hours OF the next
day would never end. As they dra@-
ged wearily past his bones began to
ache beyond endurance, yet owing to
me nimsy structure Of the Dunoing ne
dared not move while the room below
was tenanted. In fact, he would not
have stirred had he dared, 30 Intense
vas his interest In the scenes being
enacted beneath him.
First had come the marshal. VINO re-
ported his failure to find Wheaton.
He left his room some time last
nisha MY men followed him In and
saw a light in his window until 2
o'clock this morning, At 7 o'clock we
broke In, and he was gone"
"He must have got wind Of our plan
Send deputies aboard the Santa Maria.
Search her from keel to topmast. and
have them watch the beach close or
he'll put Off in small boat You look
over the passengers that 90 aboard
Yourself Don't trust any of your men