The Delta independent., 1916-05-05
CHAPTER xxi
The Sunset Gun

Mr. Cartwright sat back in his chair.
and once more Brouillard saw in the
sandy-gray eyes the look which had
been in the sons eyes when the dere-
lict fought for freedom to finish killing
Stephen Massingale.
Its pretty dangerous thing to try
to hold a man up unless you've got the
drop on him. Brouillard," he said sig
nificantly. I've got you covered from
my pocket: I've had you covered that
way ever since you began to buck and
rear on me q couple of months ago.
One little wire word to Washington
fixes you for good and all. II say the
word, you'll stay on your job Just as
long as 1t will take another man to get
here to supersede you"
Brouillard laughed.
THE pocket drop is never very safe.
Mr.. Cartwright. You are likely to lose
too much time feeling for the proper
range. Then, too. you can never be
sure that you won't miss. Also. your
assumption that I'm taking an un-
armed mans chance Is wrong. l can
kill you before you can pull the trig-
ger of the pocket gun you speak Of
kill you SO dead that you won't need
anything but a coroner's jury and a
coffin. How long would it take you to
get action in the Washington matter,
do you Think"
I've told you; you have Just about
a week longer to live, at the fartbest."
II can better that" was the cool
reply. Il have asked you to do a GER
tain thing tomorrow night. II you don't
do 1t, the Spotlight will print, on the
following morning, that letter ! spoke
of-the letter from my friend in the
bureau of land statistics. When that
letter is printed everybody in Mirapo-
lis will know that you and your accom-
plices are plain swindlers. amenable to
the criminal law. and from that mo
nent there will never be another real
estate transfer in the Niquoia valley"
Tie promoter rose slowly out of his
chair and stood leaning heavily with
his fat hands, palms downward. on the
Hat-topped desk. His cheeks were
pulled out and the bitten mustaches
bristled like the whiskers of gray old
leader of the timber wolves.
"Brouillard." he grated huskily.
does this mean that you're breaking
with us, once for all?"
1T means more than that; 1t means
that have reached point at which
am ashamed to admit that there was
ever anything to break"
Then listen: You've helped this
thing along as much as. or more than,
anybody else in this town; and there
are men right here in Mirapolis--
plenty of 'em--who will kill you like a
rat in a hole II you go back on them
as you are threatening to. Don't you
know that?"
The younger man was balancing the
paper cutter across his finger.
That is the least OF my worries. -
he answered. speaking slowly. Il am
all sorts of a moral coward. suppose
I've proved that often enough in the
past few months. God knows. Put I'm
not the other kind. Mr.. Cartwright"
Then I'll take hana!" srarled the
tyrant at bay. "I'll spead a million dol
lars. II have to. blacklisting you from
one end OF this country to the other
I'll hx II so you1l never build any
thing bigger than a hog pen again a
long as you live! I'll publish your rec
} ord wherever there IL newspaper II
print I'll" He pounded on the desI
with hts. nst-"I'll do it--money car
do It More than that. top'II never &c