New Ulm review., 1913-06-11

tered the room, carrying trayload Of
thick railroad crockery.
We've brought your breakfast to
you." explained Slower. Wed like you
to eat alone till after the race" Still
Bill began to whittle what appeared to
be blood-rare piece Of flesh, while
Willie awkwardly arranged the dishes.
"You want me to eat % we'll - sleep
here?"
Exactly"
"oh, l can't do thatl I'm sorry.
but
Don't make us insist" Willie looked
up from his tray. and Glass raised Q
moist hand and said:
Don't make 'em insist"
With fascinated stare Speed drew
nearer to Slower and examined the
meat bone.
"Why-why. that's raw!" he ex-
claimed.
"Does look rar'." agreed the fore
man.
Then take it out and build a fire
under it. I'll consent to eat here, but I
won't turn cannibal, even to please
YOU"
I'm sorry" Slower did not inter-
rupt his carving.
Your diet amt been right" ex-
planned Willie. "You amt wild enough
to suit u.s."
rs this q joker"
1--WE amt never joked with you yit,
have WEI"
mo. But"
"This breakfast goes as she lays!"
Glass broke abruptly into smothered
merriment. When laugh nowadays
It's a funny Joke" he giggled.
That grown men could be so stupid
was unbelievable, and Wally, seeing
himself the object Of senseless
prank, was reused to anger.
Lawrence. get my coat" said he.
'I've been bullied enough; I'm going
up to the house, When Stoyef only
continued whiting methodically, he
burst out: stop honing that shin.
bone! II you like it you can eat it!
I'm going now to swallow stack OF
hot cakes with maple syrup!"
''Mr. Speed Willie impaled him
with steady glare, you'll eat what
we tell you to, and nothin' else! II
we say grass grass it'll be. You're
goin' to beat one Skinner If 1t takes
a human life. And If that life hap
pens to be yours, you got nobody but
yourself to blame"
Indeed"
you heard me! I've been set to
ride herd on you daytimes, the other
boys II guard you nights. We been
double-crossed once-it won't happen
again"
"You intend to make me eat this
disgusting stuff, whether want to or
not?" Even yet the youth could not
convince himself that this was other
than joke.
NO" Willie shook his head. 1--WE
Just aim to make you want to eat it. +"
Then Larry Glass made his fatal
mistake.
Say, why don't you let Mr.. Speed
buy you new photograph. and cali
The race off?" he inquired
.otover. stricken dumb, paused, knife
ln hand; Willie stared as If bereft OF
motion. Then the former spoke SLOW
ly. Looks like we'd ought to smoke
up this fat party, Will"
Willie nodded, and Glass realized
that the little mans steel-blue eyes
we're riveted balefully upon him.
1--WE had hunch 1t would come to
that" the near-sighted one replied.
Every time look at him see a
bleedin' bullet hole in his abominable
region, about here" He laid finger
upon his stomach, and Glass felt q
darting pain at precisely the same
spot.
That's where you hit the gambler
at Ogden" he heard Stover say-it
might have been from a great distance
but l aim for the bridge of the
nose."
THE belly amt so sudden as the
eye-socket, but it's more lingerin.
and a heap painfuller," explained the
gun man, and Speed was moved to
sympathy.
Larry only wanted to please you-
eh, Larry?" he said, nervously, but
Glass made no reply. His distended
orbs were frozen upon Willie. 1t was
doubtful if he even heard.
Our honor amt for sale," Still Bill
declared. ...
Here Berkeley Fresno spoke. "Ot
course not. And you mustn't think
that Speed is trying to get out of the
race. He wants to run! And if any.
thing happened to prevent his running
he'd be broken-hearted, know he
would"
Willie's hypnotic eye left the train
er's abdomen and travelled slowly tc
Speed.
What could happen?" questioned
he.
"N.nothing that know Of"
"You don't aim to leave?"
certainly not"
"Oh. you fellows take it too seri !
ously," Fresno offered carelessly. "He |