Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-12-26
day, I'm thinking we'll have bit 81

4 scrmmage.'
Monroe stared at him i1resclutely a
second, then moved decisively to the
door. Outside the men waited eagerly,
their brows still lowering. their faces
dark and su]len, yet expectaut.
Men" cried the oil king. . slight
tremor in his voice despite the effort
made at control. I've just tried the
phone and it's out OF Or
A hoarse laugh that had nothing Of
mirth in it halted him. Then he
leaped back into the Office, hurricdly
tossing the bolts into place. as the
laugh grew into = roar, roar Of such
menace as even he had never heard
before. A roar and then wild, in.
sane rush forward.
Came the crack OF revolver. He
shuddered at the sound. Never be.
fore had he heard the sound Of gun
in fields within his dominion. He
looked around to see Pat Grady,
chuckling silently to himself. as he
squinted through the aperture beside
the cupboard which concealed the win.
dow. his right hand firmly gripping
the revolver he had found in Payne's
room-Payne. whose delinQuence was
the cause of all this.
~.
Brown Joe laughed aloud as he
stuck the pliers in the waistband OF
his trousers and clambered laborious.
ly down the telegraph pole. Above
him dangled the wires to the city. the
wires along which the message 0!
Monroe was futilely seeking way.
: He had seen his opportunity for re.
venge when, peering furtively through,
the mess hall window he saw there
was no chance for the promised sup
per.
Quick thinking had 1t been that led
him to the phone wires, thinking in.
spired within his cunning brain by the
master of evil himself. And now he
would go back and complete the work
As he rushed toward the group
about the office door he caught the
laugh that greeted Monroe's an
nounccment Of his inability to get Los
Angeles on the wire. He knew that
laugh might be turned in either d.
| rection He took it up instantly, a
wild yell of hatred and defiance burst
ing from his throat. He grinncd tc
himself as the workmen caught that
yell up and l,nged toward the MAI
who seemed mockjng them.
Then he whirled back, staggering
slightly. but quickly righting himself
from the blow that had tossed hin
round lightly. Hc pressed his hands
to the place where the blow had fallen
staring at them in astOnishment Al
they came away, a red sticky smca1
upon them.
And then the rage that he had 81
cuDningly controlled )eaped M ant
overwhelmed him. Ile had heen shot
had bcen shot by the same man WIN
had Knocked him down and then dis
charged him from tho place withou
oven giving him opportunity 10 get hi
pay check. And for what" Because
he refused longer to tolerate the viii
food that was served him.
With little whimpers of anger shril
ling from his brawDy throat, more lik'
an animal of the African Jungle tina,
human being was he as he gathered
the men together behind the mes;
hall, planning with them how to cap
ture the office and take revenge upoI
the pair within.
1.-TWO men-and a gun. boys" HI
declaimed shril1y. Let 'em use VI
that bunch Of cartridges and the!
won't amount to two whoops Draw
their fire while -
He did not finish. turning and duck
ing the leadeD messenger which wa:
sent from the Office toward him. II
a few moments he reappcared with ;
| rifle, waving it triumpbantly above hi:
head, exultantly shrilling defiance
toward the two in command.
In command no longer. For twt
men and a gun had been Offset by thi:
crowd and rife.
Quickly Brown Joe made out from
where the fire came, carefully plug
! slng away at the aperture, disturbing
and at the same time drawing the fire
Of Grady. And always did his lips
move in careful count, slow smile
distorting his face evilly as he real
lied the supply OF bullets must be get
ting low.
There's big timber round the
other side Of the. shack" he suggested
His fire is getting weak now. Get
that timber and make a rush at the
door. III keep his aim wild with the
rifle"
Without hint of disobedience they
fell into the suggestion. Moblike they
had been led into this affair and now
all the wild, unthinking, ungovernable
impulse of mob spirit was upon them
Swiftly Grady discharged his revol
yer in their midst. One man fell and
they stared at him wonderingly,
brutishly panied that such a thing
should happen. Brown Joe saw the
hesitancy and let out wild whoop OF
e1ultation.
Il got him-winged him.
You're a dirty, brown liar" thun'
dered back Grsdy'from the cabin.
But his retort was drowned by this