Cheyenne record., 1913-12-11

AhoI cCSldllC young 8entleman
wrenched his gaze away from the blue
eyes of Miss Blake to see his trainer
signaling him from afar.
What is 1t, Lawrence"
Got to see you."
Presently"
NIX! l got to see you nowi"
Glass ruddy face was blotched. and
he seemed to rest in the grip of some
blighting malady. Beneath his arm
he carried tight-rolled bundle. Sens
ing something important back Of this
unusual demeanor,' Speed excused
himself and followed Larry, who did
not trust to speech until they were
alone in the gymnasium with the
doors closed. Then he unrolled the
bundle he carried, spread it upon the
floor, and stepped into its exact CEN
ter.
Are you standing on my prayer
rug?" demanded his companion, an
grily.
II am! And from this on I'm goin'
to make it work itself to death. She
said a feller couldn't get hurt If he
stood on it and said Allah Well.
I'm goin' to wear 1t out"
Whats wrong?"
DO you know what's goin' to hap
pen to me If Covington don't get here
and beat this cook?"
Happen to you?"
Yes, me! These outlaws have put
1t up to me to win this bet for them"
We'll. Covington can beat any
body"
But Covington isn't here yet"
mot yet. but" The young man
smiled. You're not frightened, are
you?"
Scared to death, that's ALL" ac-
knowledged the other. Then when his
employer laughed openly, he broke
out at whitehead. Joke, eh? Well,
you'd better have a good laugh while
you can, because Humpy Joe's finish
will be ten-course dinner to what
you'll get If Covington misses his
| train"
How easily frightened you are!"
Yes? Well, any time people start
shooting shots I'm too big for this
earth. The hole in a gun looks as big
as a gas-tank to me-"
But nobody is going to shoot you!"
exclaimed the mystifed college man.
"They amt, hey? missed the
Golden Stairs by lip not half an
hour ago." With feverish intensity he
told his narrow escape from destruc.
ton, the memory bringing a sweat Of
! agony to his brow. And the worst
Of 1t is." he concluded. I'm marked
with guns. I've always been that
way"
Tut! tut! Don't alarm yourself. II
Covington shouldn't come. the race
will be declared Off"
mo chance" announced the train
er, with utter conviction. These
thugs have made 1t pay or play. and
the bets are down."
you know l can't rum"
III he don't come. you'll have to-"
absurd! I shall be indisposed."
"If you mean you'll get sick, or
| sprain an ankle, or break leg, or
kill yourself, guess again. I'm re-
| sponsible for you now. Something
may go wrong with me, but nothin'
is goin' to happen to you. My only
chance to make a live of it is to get
some one TO outrun this cook. You're
the only chance I've got, If Culver
don't show, and the first law of na-
ture amt never been repealed"
"Self-protection, eh?"
Exactly" Glass coughed thrice
without result, stepped off the prayer
rug. rolled it up tightly: then, hug
ging 1t beneath his arm, went on:
THAT four-eyed guy slipped me a
whole lot of feed-box information.
Why. he's a killer, Wally! And he's
got cash-register to tally his dead"
"Notches on his gun-handle. sup
poser"
$50 many that 1t looks like his wife
had used it to hang pictures with. 1
tell you, he's the most deceitful rum
my ever seen. What's more, he's got
the homicide habit, and the habit has
got its eye on me-" Glass was in
deadly earnest. and his alarm con-