Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-07-21

renee, ana you are ONeT tH0Ic VI
yours" He winked haro as his eyes
were ~assailed by the tobacco smoke,
and he coughed little, stepping
gently into the room. He took up the
sixth and vacant chair by the back
INC placed 1t before him as II he
were about to deliver a lecture; and
his eyes having become adjusted to
the fog Of the smoke. he deliberate
ly looked at each of the five men In
| turn, trying, 1t would seem, to recall
whether he had aver seen them BE-
fore.
They were staring at him as If
their eyes would fall out Of their
heads. so still that you would hardly
believe they were breathing. He
Strengthened the chair in front of
him.
~ come" he said, "by agreement
with your principals to close up a lit
tie proft.sharing investment that was
embarked upon a few months ago.
and l am pleased to see that your
principals have been as true to their
word thus far as / have been to mine.
The agreement-and | take you all as
witnesses of what / am going to say
provided that after our last business
meeting previously to the last invest
ment. we would never again seek to
see one another on the forfeit OF our
lives. The profits are to be divided
equally, share and share alike, and |
take 1t that the men here present are
ali duly qualified and authorized to
act as agents with full power?"
They fidgeted In their seats and
grunted their replies in the afflrma-
tive.
81 have the profits here under my
coat" he went on, but 1t will be nee
essary first-as a mere formally, you
understand, a meaningless formality
to ascertain whether you have all
been supplied with the password
agreed upon. l will ask that each OF
you withdraw with me or a moment
in order to get this little matter of
our hands"
The ~dooropener was nearest to
him, and when the two removed
themselves a few feet from the circle
and put their heads together, Long
wood felt his life slipping away from
him, although 1t was a blessing that
neither of them had the voice Of a
baby, and hat Longwood had all his
life been fortunate for his over-acute
sense Of hearing. He could make
out In the challenge of the stranger
the single word, Sign" and in the
response Of the door-op,ner the two
words ask" and lob" and it oc-
Cured to him hen that the caprice
of the hideous hazard was playing
directly into his hands.
Could this be the challenge and the
nimble password that had caused the
walrus man to pilot him into this
black diverticulum of danger? A
challenge and a response that had
been thrust upon hin. by accident for
better or worse?
Did you sign with the Tropic Dawn?
Why do you ask? Have you got a
job?
He would try the Issue in any event,
while commencing his soul to Its
maker. Try it he did and make good.
But the game was not yet begun.
II will state 1t right and fair" con-
tinued the stranger. resuming his
lectorial attitude at the back Of the
chair. Right and fair. We are to
place the profits On the table and
count them out, share aid share alike,
in five shares, and no man ia to lay
his hands on any part Of them until
they are all counted and divided SO
that each can see hat no man Is get
ting more than his share and no man
less. If any mar lays his hands on
them before the count is made he is
to suffer the penalty agreed on by the
principals in the speculation, for |
take it for granted that l am doing
business with men who have power to
act"
He thrust one of his hands into the
front Of the storm coat, drew out a
wallet Of leather as big as a hat, and
placed 1t on the table.
81 may say" he added, as If 1t were
a bare afterthought, that the total
amount Of the profits was a hundred
thousand dollars"
The words we're not uttered when
the door-opener jumped up, kicked
his chair behind him. and clap1ed his
left hand on the wallet.
You're a liar, mfster!" he roared.
You're a thieving liar of the eternal
fires! 1t wasn't no hundred thousand.
it wasn't! 1t wasn't no such thing!
If you want to know how much 1t was
for a betting proposition, 1t was two
hundred thousand, and not a centime
less! Amt / right, mem"
Their knives were at the strangers
throat like a semi-circular collar of
%glittering spikes, the points directed
inward. He looked them round and
smiled at them as you smile at chill
dren that are angry at something
they do not understand.
"If 1 had a baseball bat l would
beat you with it," he calmly chided
with an indulgent little laugh. do
you think that ! don't know how to
count money? Take down your knives
Inc let us get to work and count the
money!"
They all fell back, but nobody
seemed to have observed what was
done, at first, between the door,
opener and the stranger What they
saw and heard a moment afterwards
was the door-opener's knife singing
past the head of the stranger. and
the strangers head tipping like a
shuttle from one side to the other,
while the hammer of the forty-eight