The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-12-01


There are no Coronida titles.
You have known II all along, and
| know it-now. have 1t straight
from the bureau of statistics. The
nearest boundary OF the old Span
ish grant is Latigo Peak, ten miles
south OF Chigringo. The depart
ment knows this and is prepared
to prove it. And in the very begin
ming you and your associates were
warned that you could not acquire
homestead or other rights in the
Niquoia."
Let it go!" snapped the gray
eyed king of the pack. We've got
to get out alive and we're going to
get out alive. What's your price?"
II have answered that question
once, but I'll make it little
palmer IL you wish. 1t is beyond
your reach; If you should turn
your money-coining soul into cash
you couldn't pay it this time, Mr..
Cartwright.
That's guff-boy-talk - play
ranting! You want something's
1t that damned Massingale bust
ness again."
81 was coming to that" caid
Brouillard quietly. "You must
notify your associates that the
Little Susan deal is off. There
will be a closed meeting of the di-
rectors here in this room tomor-
row evening at 8 o'clock, and"
"Who calls it," interrupted the
tyrant.
"The president.
president nothing!" was the
snorting comment.
Brouillard shook his head.
you are stubbornly hard to
convince, Mr.. Cartwright, but I'll
try one more time. You will come
here tomorrow evening, with your
confederates In the deal, prepared
to take the money you have
actually spent in betterments and
prepared to release the stock. II
you fail to do SO you will get
nothing. Is that explicit
enough"
Mr.. Cartwright sat back in his
chair. Zone little wire word to
Washington fixes you for good and
ALL" he said. "If I say the word
you'll stay on your job just as long
as it will take another man to get
here to supersede YOU"
Buillard laughed.
81 have asked you to do GER
tain thing tomorrow night. II you
don't do 1t the Spotlight will
print, on the following morning,
letter from the foreman of land
statistics. When that letter is
printed everybody in Mirapolis
will know that you and your &C
completes are plain swindlers,
amenable to the criminal law,
and from that moment there will
never be another real-estate
transfer in Niquola valley"
The promoter rose slowly out
of his chair.
"Brouillard," he grated husk-
lily, docs this mean that you're
breaking with us, once for all?"
"Tt means more than that; 1t
means that / am ashamed to ad-
NIT that there was ever anything
to break"
"Then I'll take a hand!' snarl-
ed the tyrant at bay. I'll spend
a million dollars, II have to
blacklisting you from one end of
this country to the other! I'll fix
1t SO you'll never build anything
bigger than hog-pen again as
long as you live! I'll publish
your record wherever there Is a
to print III" He pound
ed on the desk with his fist-"Ill
do it-money can do it! More
than that, you'll never get a smell
of that Chigringo mine-you nor
Dave Massingale!
When he had regained a meas
ure of self-control. Mr.. Cort-
wright went out, slamming the
door heavily as he disappeared.
For a time after the promoters
Broillard sat at his desk
writing steadily. When the last
Of the memorandum sheets was
filed he found his hat and street
coat and left the office. Ten min
utes later he had penetrated to
the dusty den on the second floor
of the Spotlight office where
Harlan was grinding copy for his
paper.
The Spotlight went to press at
three o'clock. Long before the sun
had shown itself above the eastern
the news spread from
Iip to lip, and by sunrise the geyser
was retching and vomiting, belch-
Ing debris of cries and maledictions
and pouring excited and, riotous1
crowds into Chigringo Avenue. j
Most naturally, the Spotlight
office was the first point OF attack,
and Harlan suffered loss, though 1t
was inconsiderable. At the batter
ing down of the doors the angry
mob found itself confronting the
Young Reclamation Service Chief
and four members Of his staff, all
armed. Brouillard spoke briefly
and to the point.
ct am the man who wrote that
article you've been reading, and
Mr.. Harlan printed 1t as a matter
of news. If you have anything to
say to me you know where to find
me. Now, move on and let Mr..
Harlan's property alone or some
body will get hurt"
Nobody stayed to press the argyll
ment at the moment. An early
mob is proverbially inco-
herent and incohesive; and, be-
sides, loaded Winchesters in the
hands Of five determined men are
apt to have an eloquence which Is
more or less convincing.
But with the opening OF business
the geyser spouted again. The ex-
changes were mobbed, the bank
losed-"Temporar;ly." the pla-
card notice said.