Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1915-08-27


Monroe stared at him irresolutely
second, then moved decisively to the
door. Outside the men waited eagerly,
their brows still lowering, their faces
dark and sulIen, yet expectant.
Men" cried the oil king, a 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, hurriedly
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 Paynes
room-Payne, whose delinquence was
the cause of all this.
w.
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 Of
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 Monroes an
nouncement of his inability to get Los
Angeles on the wire. He knew that
laugh might be turned in either d.
rection. He took 1t up instantly, a
wild yell of hatred and defiance burst
ing from his throat He grinned to
himself as the workmen caught that
yell up and lunged toward the man
who seemed hooking them.
Then he whirIed back, staggering
slightly, but quickly righting himself
from the blow that had tossed him
round lightly. He pressed his handf
to the place where the blow had fallen
staring at them in establishment as
they came away, a red sticky smear
upon them.
And then the rage that he had sc
cunningly controlled leaped up anc
overwhelmed him. He had been shot
had been shot by the same man who
had knocked him down and then dis
charged him from the place without
even giving him opportunity to get nil
pay check. And for what? Because
he refused longer to tolerate the vile
food that was served him.
With little whimpers Of anger shril
ling from his brawny throat, more like
an animal OF the African jungle thar
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 upol
the pair within.
1.-TWO men-and gun, boys" HI
acclaimed shrilly. Let EN- 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 leaden messenger which wa
sent from the office toward him. Il
a few moments he reappeared with
rifle, waving it triumphantly above hi
head, exultantly shrilling a defanc
toward the two in command
In command no longer. For tw
men and a gun had been offset by thi
crowd and rifle.
Quickly Brown Joe made out iron
where the fire came, carefully plug
ging away at the aperture, disturbin
and at the same time drawing the fir
of Grady. And always did his lip
move in careful count, slow smil
distorting his face evilly as he reaI
lied the supply of bullets must be gel
ting low.
"There's a big timber round tn
, other side of the shack, " he suggested
Ellis fire is getting weak now. &c
that timber and make a rush at tn
door. I'll keep his aim wild with tn
! rifle"
without hint of disobedience the
] fell into the suggestion. Mobilize the
had been led into this affair and nov
! all the wild, unthinking ungovenabl
impulse of mob spirit was upon then
Swiftly Grady discharged his revo
yer in their midst. One man fell an
, they stared at him wonderingb
brutishly panied that such a thin
, should happen. Brown Joe saw tn
hesitancy and let out a wild whoop G
;. exultation.
Fl got him-winged him"
You're a dirty, brown liar" thur
i dered back Grady from the cabin.
p,,t hir rntnrt uas drnmnnd h,r Il,