Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-04

But once more his weakness tricked
him. When the determined stride had
brought him fairly opposite Biggs' door,
q man stepped out Of the sidewalk group
and calmly pushed him to a stand with
the fiat Of his hand. It was Rufford. and
he was saying quite coolly: Hold up g
minute. pardner; I'm going to cut your
heart out and feed it to that pup o.
Schleisinger's that's follerin' you. He
looks mighty hungry
With reason assuring him that the gam
bier was merely making grandstand
play for the benefit of the barroom crowd
wedging itself in Biggs' doorway, Lidger-
woods lips went dry, and he knew that
the haunting terror was slipping its hui
initiating mask over his face. But before
he could say or do any fear-prompted
thing a diversion came At the hating
moment a small man, red haired and
with his cap pulled down over his eyes,
had separated himself from the group OF
loungers on the Celestial porch to make
a swift detour through the hotel bar
around the rear of Biggs and so to the
street and the sidewalk in front. AS once
before, and under somewhat less hazard
Gus conditions, he came up behind Ruf-
ford, and again the gambler felt the
pressure Of cold metal against his spine.
Is
he said, gently. and the crowd on Biggs
doorstep roared it's appreciation OF the
joke. Then: Keep your hands right
where they are and sidestep out o Mr..
Lidgerwoods way--that's business And
when the superintendent had gone on:
That's all for the present, Bart. After
get a little more time and amt so
DANCED busy I'll borrow another pair O.
clamps from Hepburn and take you back
to Copah.. So long,"
By all the laws Of angelic procedure
Judson should have been promptly shot
In the back when he turned and walked
swiftly down the avenue to overtake the
superintendent. But for once the on
lockers were disappointed. Rufford was
calmly relighting his cigar, and when he
had sufficiently cursed the barroom auu,-
ence for not being game enough to stop
the interference, he kicked .Schle:singer Is
dog. and turned his back upon Biggs and
its company.
It was a bit Of common human per-
verseness that kept Lidgerwood from
thanking Judson when the engineer over
took him at the corner of the plaza. Up
permost in his thoughts at the moment
was the keen sense of humiliation a: ising
upon the conviction that the plucky little
man had surprised his secret and would
despise him accordingly. Hence his first
thority.
go back to Schleisinger and have him
swear YOU in as a deputy constable" he
directed, tersely. when you are sworn
in come down here and serve this" and
he gave Judson the warrant for Hallock' S
arrest.
The engineer glanced at the name in
the body of the warrant and nodded.
so you've made up your mind?' he
said.
Underwood was frowning abstractedly
up at the windows of Hallock's Office in
the headquarters building.
II don't know he said. half hesitant-
ly. But he is implicated in that muir
derous business of last night-that we
both know-and now he is back here. Nc.
Closkey told you that, didn't hep
Judson nodded again, and Lidgerwood
went on, irresistibly impelled TO justify
his own action.
cit would be something worse than folly
to leave him at liberty when we are on
the ragged edge OF a fight. Arrest him
wherever you can find him, and take him
over to Copah on the first train that
serves. He'll have to clear himself, II he
can; that's all.
When Judson, with his huge cowboy
pistol sagging at his hip, had turned
back to do the first part of his errand.
Underwood went on around the Crow
Nest and presented himself at the door
of the Nadia. Happily, for his purpose,
he found only Mrs. Brewster and Judge