Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-07-17
CHAPTER XIV.

choppy walk of the man out OF a
long saddle. Being both uncertain and
quick, he was a man TO slip a train
easily. He travelled around the block
and disappeared among the many open
doors that blazed along Hill street
Less alert trailers than the two be-
hind him would have been at fault;
but when he entered the place he was
looking for, Kennedy was so close
that Du Sang could have spoken to
him had he turned around.
Kennedy passed directly ahead. A
moment later Whispering Smith put
his head inside the door of the joint
Du Sang had entered. withdrew st.
and. rejOining his companions. spoke
in an undertOne: a negro dive; he's
lying low. Now we will keep our reg
ular order. It's a half basement. with
bar on the left; crap games at the
table behind the screen on the right
Kennedy. will YOU take the rear end of
the bar? II covers the whole room
and the back door. George. pass in
ahead OF me and step Just TO the left
OF the slot machine: you've got the
front door there and everything be
hind the screen, and I can get close TO
Du Sang. Look for a thinnish. yellow
faced man with a brown hat and
brown shirt-and pink eyes-shoot-
ing craps under this window III shoot
craps with him. Is your heart pump
ing. George2 Never mind. this is
easy, Farrell. you're first"
The dive. badly lighted and venti-
lated. was counted tough among tough
places. White men and colored mixed
before the bar and about the tables.
When Smith steTbeE around the
screen and into the fare Of the hang
ing lamps. Du Sang stood in the small
corner below the screened street win
dow. McCloud. though vitality inter
ested in looking az the man that had
come 20 town 10 Kill him. felt his at
tentiOn continually wandering back
TO Whispering Smith. The clatter Of
the rolling dice. the cultural jargon
OF me negro gamblers. the drift of
men TO and from the bar. and the
clouds OF tobacco smoke made a hazy
background for the stoop-shouldered
man with his gray hat and shabby
coat, dust-covered and travel-stained.
lndustriously licking the broken wrap
per OF a cheap cigar and rolling il
fondly under his forefinger. he was
making his way unostentatiously to
ward Du Sang. Thirty-odd men were
in the saloon. but only two knew what
the storm center moving slowly
across the room might develop. Ken
nedy, seeing everything and talking
pleasantly with one OF the barkeepers.
his closest teeth cleaning 20 feet
away. stood at the end OF the bar slid
ing an empty glass between his hands
Whispering Smith pushed past the on
lockers 90 get 10 the end OF the table
where Du Sang was shooting. He
made no EFFORT TO attract Du Sanr's
attention, and when the latter looked
mp he could have pulled the gray hat
from the head OF the man whose
brown eyes were mildly fixed on Du
Sang's dice; they were lying Just i'm
front OF Smith. Looking indiffcrently
az the intruder. Du Sang reached for
the dice. just ahead OF his right hand.
Whispering Smiths right hand. the
fnger-tips extended on the table
rested In front OF them: IL might have
been through accident. or IL might
have been through design. In his LEFT
hand Smith held the broken cisar. and
without looking at Du Sang be passed
the wrapper again over the tip Of his
tongue and slowly across his lips.
Du Sang now looked sharply at him.
and Smith looked at his cigar. Others
were playing around the semi-circuIar
tablet might mean nothing. Do
Sang waited Smith lifted his right
hand from the table and felt in his
waistcoat for a match. Du Sang. how
ever, made no effort TO take up the
dice. He watched Whispering Smith
scratch a match on the table, and.
either because IL failed to light or
through design, IL was scratched the
second time on the table. marking a
cross between the two dice
The meanest negro in the Joint
would not have stood that. yet Du
Sang hesitated. Whispering Smlth.
mildly surprised. looked up Hello,
Pearline! You shooting here?" He
pushed the dice back toward the out
law. Shoot again!"
Du Sang, scowling. snapped the
dice and threw badly.
Up jump the devil. is It? Shoot
again!" And. pushing back the dice.
Smith moved closer to Dc Sang. The
two men touched arms Du Sang.
threatened in a way wholly new 10
him, waited like a snake braved by a
mysterious enemy. His eyes biinked
like badgers. He caught up the
dice and threw. rs that the best YOU
can dog" asked Smith. See here!"
He took up the dice Shoot with met"
Smith threw the dice up the table to-
ward Du Sang. Once he threw craps,
but, reaching directly in front of Du
Sang, he picked the dice up and threw
eleven. Shoot with me- Du Sang"
What's your game ?" snapped Du
Sang, with an oath.
What do you care, if I've got the
eoin2 III throw you for $40 gold
pieces"
Du Sang's eyes glittered. Unable TO
understand the reason for the affront,
he stood like a cat waiting to spring.
This is my game" he snarled.
Then play IT,"
Look here. what do you want?" he
~ sI.,.sI