Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-31
CHAPTER xv.,x

CHAPTER xx's
A Test.
Du Sang had the sidewise gait Of
volt, and crossed the street with the
,ehoppy walk Of the man out Of q
long saddle. Being both uncertain and
quick. he was q man to slip q trail
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 ut fault;
but when he entered the place he was
hooking tor. Kennedy was 30 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 1t,
and. rejoining his companions, spoke
In IN nndertone: "A negro dive: he's
lying low. Now we will keep cur reg
ular order. It's a endorsement, with
. bar on the left: crap games at the
table bahind the screen ON the right.
Kennedy, will yon take the rear end of
the bar? 1t 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 can get close to
Du Sang. Look for thinnish, yellow
faced man with brown hat and q
brown shtrt-and pink eyes-shoot-
ing craps under this window. I'll shoot
craps with him. Is your heart pump
Ding. George! Never mind, this is
easy! Farrell, you're frst!"
: The dive. badly lighted and venti-
a1ted. was counted tough among tough
places. White men and co}ored mixed
before the bar and about the tables.
When Smith stepped around the
screen and into the fare Of the hang
Ing hanps. Du Sang stood in the small
corner below the screened street WIN
dow. NcCloud, though vitality inter
ested In looking At the man that had
come to town to kill him, felt his at
tention continually wandering back
TO Whispering Smith. The chatter Of
tho rolling dice, the cultural jargon
OF the negro gamblers, the drift Of
men to and from the bar, and the
clouds Of tobacco smoke made hazy
Background for the stoopshouldered
man with his gray hat and shabby
coat dust-covered and travel-stained.
Industriously licking the broken wrap
per of . cheap cigar and rolling It
tondiy under his foreanger. 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
pedy. seeing everything and talking
pleasantly with one OF the barkeepers.
his close-set teeth cleaning 20 feet
away. stood at the end Of the bar slid
ang an empty glass between his hands.
Whispering Smith pushed past the on
lockers to get to the end OF the table
whore Dn Sang was shooting. He
made no effort to attract Du Sang's
attention, and when the latter looked
up he could have pulled the gray hat
from the head of the man whose
orown eyes we're mildly fixed on Du
'Sang's dice: they were lying just in
front Of Smith. Looking indifferently
vt the intruder, Du Sang reached for
the dice: Just ahead Of his right hand,
Whispering Smiths right hand, the
dnger-tips extended on the table,
EeAe.u in front Of them; 1t might have
been through accident, or it might
have been through design. In his left
hand Smith held the broken cigar, and
without looking at Du Sang he 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-circular
tablet might mean nothing. Du
Sang waited. Smith lifted his right
hand from the table and felt in his
waistcoat for match. Du Sang. how
ever. made no effort to take up The
dice. He watched Whispering Smith
scratch q match on the table, and,
either because 1t failed to light or
through design. 1t was scratched the
second time on the table, marking q
cross between the two dice.
! The meanest negro In the Joint
would not have stood that. yet Du
Sang hesitated. Whispering Smith.
mildly surprised, looked up. Hello,
Pearline! You shooting here?" He
pushed the dice back toward the out
law. "Shoot again!"
J Du Sang. scowling. snapped the
dice and threw badly.
up jump tb devil, u.s. It? Shoot
again!" And. pushing back the dice,
Smith moved closer to Du Sang. The
two men touched arms. Du Sang.
threatened In . way wholly new to
him, waited like . snake braved by q
mysterious enemy. His eyes blinked
like q badgers. He caught up the
dice and threw. Els that the best you
can DOR asked Smith. "see here!"
He took up the dice. "Shoot with mel"
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 gamei" snapped Du
Sang. with an oath.
What DO you care. II I've got the
coin? III throw you for $40 gold
pieces"
Du saug's eyes glittered. Unable IN