Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-01-21
The Spoilers.
By REX E. BEACH.
: Copyrights. 1908. BY Re. 3. reach. :
By REX E. BEACH.

ards. The judge became greatly exer-
cised over this new development,
which, coupled with his night Of long
anxiety, reduced him to pitiful hys-
terra.
They'll blow us up next. Great
heavens! Dynamite! Oh, that is bar
barous. For heavens sake, get the sol
diers out, Alec"
cay. we can use them now" There
upon Mcnamara reused the command
ing officer Mt the post and requested
him to accouter troop and have them
ready to march at daylight, then be-
stirred the Judge to start the wheels of
his court and invoke this military aid
In regular fashion.
MAKE it all matter of record" he
said. 1--WE want to keep our skirts
clear from now on.''
but the townspeople are against
u.s. quavered Stillman. They'll tear
us to pieces
"Let 'em try. Once I get my hand
on the ringleader, the rest may riot
and be damned"
Although he had made less display
than had the judge, the receiver was
no less worried about Helen, Of whom
no news came. His Jealousy, famed
to red heat by the discovery OF her
earlier detection, was enhanced four
fold by the thought Of this last adven-
ture. Something told him there was
treachery afoot, and when she did not
return at dawn he began to fear that
she had cast in her lot with the riot
ers This aroused a perfect delirium
Of doubt and anger till lie reasoned
further that Strive, having gone with
her, must also be traitor. He recog-
nized the menace in this fact, knowing
the mans venality, SO began to reckon
carefully its Significance. What could
Strive do: What proof had he? Nc
Namara started and, selling his hat,
hurried straight to the lawyers office
and let himself in with the key he car
ried. 1t was light enough for him to
decipher the characters on the safe
lock as he turned the combination, so
he set to work scanning the endless
bundles within, hoping that after all
the man had taken with him no incrim-
mating evidence. Once the searcher
paused at some fancied sound, but
when nothing came of 1t drew his re-
| volver and laid 1t before him just in
side the safe door and close beneath
his hand. continuing to run through
the documents while his uneasiness In
creased. He had been engaged SO for
some time when he heard the faintest
creak at his back, too slight to alarm
and just sufficient to break his tension
and cause him to jerk his head about.
Framed in the open door stood Roy
Glenister watching him.
| McNamara's establishment was SO
genuine that he leaped to his feet.
faced about, aud prompted by secre-
tive instinct swung to the safe door as
though to guard its contents. BE had
acted upon the impulse before realiz-
ing that his weapon was inside and
that now, although the door was no.
locked, 1t would require that one dan
gerous, yes. fatal second to open IT..
The two men stared ut each other
for time, silent and malignant, their
glances meeting like blades; In the old
er mans face q look of defiance, In the
younger's logged and grim purposed
enmity. McNamara's first perturba-
4 tl0n left him calm, alert, dangerous,
whereas the continued contemplation
Of his enemy worked In Glenister to
destroy his composure, and his purpose
blazed forth unhidden.
4 He stood there unkempt and soiled,
the clean sweep of jaw aud throat
overgrown with q three days. black
stubble, his hair wet and matted, his
whole left side foul with clay where
he had fallen In the darkness A mud
i dy red streak spread downward from a
cut above his temple. beneath his eyes
were sagglng folds. while the flicker at
his mouth corners betrayed the high
nervous pitch to which he was keyed.
Il Il have come for the last net, Nc
i Namara. Now we'll have It out man
to man."
i The politician shrugged his shoulders.
"Y0u have the drop on me. am I'M
armed" AT which the miners face
lighted tiercely, and he chuckled.
"Ah. that's almost too good to be
true. have dreamed about such n
thing, and ! have been hungry to feel
your throat since the FIRST timc saw
you. It's grown on me till shooting
wouldn't satisfy me. Ever had the
i feeling? Well, I'm going to choke the
life out of you with my bare hands,"
i Mcnamara squared himself
Il wouldn't advise you to try 1t. ]
have lived longer than you, and I was
never beaten, but know the feeling
you speak about I have it now"
His eyes roved rapidly up and down
the Others form, noting the lean thigh.
and close drawn belt, which lent thu
appearance Of sparseness, belied Onl.
by the neck and shoulders. He hat
beaten better men, and he reasoned
that il it came to physical test IL
!, these cramped quarters his own grea
weight would more than Offset any su
perior agility the miner might possess
The longer he looked the more h,
yielded to his hatred of the man befor,
him and the more cruelty he longed t,
satisfy it.
Take Off your coat said Glenister
J ''Now turn around. All right! jus
: wanted to see il you We're lying abou
your gun"
Y al'll kill you" cried Mcnamara.
Glenister laid his six shooter upon tn
safe and slipped off his own wet gan
] mept. The difference was more mark
81 ed now and the advantage NOR
] strongly with the receiver. Thoug
4 they had avoided allusion to 1t, eac