Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-01-24
BY REX E. BEACH.

OF every man except Wheaton. He
heard his companion talking, but
grasped only that the attorney gloated
and gloried.
we have whipped them, boy. We
have whipped them ut their own game.
Arrested in their very dooryards-cited
for contempt of court-that's what
they are. They disobeyed those other
writs, and so got them"
Il broke his arm," muttered the
miner
Yes, I saw YOU do it! Ugh! It was
an awful thing! I couldn't prove con-
spiracy, but they'll go to Jail for
little while just the same, and we have
broken the ring"
1T snapped at the shoulder" the
other continued duly, "just like a
shovel handle. 1 felt it-but he tried
to kin me, and had to do it,
The attorney took Roy to his cabin
and dressed his wounds, talking In
lcessantly the while, but the boy was
like q sleep walker, displaying no cla-
tion, no excitement, no joy of victory.
At last Wheaton broke out:
Cheer up! Why, man, you act like
loser! Don't you realize that we've
won2 Don't you understand that the
Midas is yours? And the whole world
with it?"
"Won?" echoed the miner. what
do you know about It, Bill? The
Midas-the world-what good are they?
You're wrong. I've lost-yes-I've lost
Everything she taught me- and by
some damned trick of fate she was
there to see me do it. Now, go away;
I want to Sleep"
| He sank upon the bed with its tangle
Of blankets and was unconscious be-
tore the lawyer had covered him over.
| There he lay like dead man TIL
late in the afternoon, when Dextry
and Slapjack came in from the hills.
answering Wheaton's call, and fell
upon him hungrily. They shook Roy
into consciousness with joyous riot,
pommeling him with affectionate
roughness till he rose and Joined with
them stifiy. He bathed and rubbed
the soreness from his muscles, emerg-
ing physically fit They made him
recount his adventures to the tiniest
detail, following his description of the
fight with absorbed interest till Dextry
broke into mournful complaint:
"I'd have given my half of the Midas
to see you bust him. Lord, I'd have
screeched with soopreme delight at
that"
"Why didn't you gouge his eyes out
when you had him crippled?" question
ed Slapjack vindictiYely. I'D "a done
| it."
/ Dextry continued: "They tell me that
when he was arrested he swore ii,
eighteen different languages, each one
more refreshin'iy repulsive an Vigorous
than the precedin'. Oh, have sure
missed a-plenty today, partic'lar be.
cause my own dictlon is gettin' run
down an skim milky Of late, shown
sad lack of new idees, which I might
have assim'lated somethin' robustly
original an expressive IL I'd been here
No, sir; nose bag full of nuggets
wouldn't have kept me away"
"How did 1t sound when she bust
ed?" insisted the morbid Simms, but
J Glenister refused to discuss the com
bat.
"Come on, Slap" said the old pros
pector; "let's go downtown. I'm Sc
het up I can't set still, an, besides
mebbe we can get the story the way i
really happened from somebody wht
amt bound an gagged an chloroform
ed by such unbecomln' modesties
Roy, don't never go into yawdyvillt
with them personal episodes, because
they read about as thrillin' as cook
book. Why. say, I've had the story O
that fight from four different Teller!
already, none of which was within
four blocks Of the scrimmage, an
they're all diff rent an all bettern you
account"
Now that Glenisters mind had re
covered some Of its poise he realized
what he had done.
II was Il beast, an ANIMAL" he groan
ed, "and that after all my striving.
wanted to leave that part behind.
wanted to be worthy Of her love an,
trust even though never Won it, bu
ut the first test I am found lacking.
have lost her confidence. Yes, an,
what Is worse, Infinitely worse, l hay
lost my own. She's always seen me a
my worst" he went on, "but I'm no
that kind at bottomnot that kind.
want to do what's right, and IL l hay
!. /! another chance will know will
I've been tried too hard, that's ALL
Some one knocked, and he opene,
the door to admit the Bronco Kid an,
Helen.
tTobs continued)