Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-29
The Strategy
Of Shorty
By REX BEACH.
Copyright by Otis l. WOOD

claim above by the fusillade. He pre-
sented the rcpugnant possibility OF q
reinforcement, SO Shorty swung about,
unwelcome over the mans head. while
his second stirred up discouraging
puff Of pine needles about his legs.
The newcomer stopped with set brakes
and, all inquisitiveness satisfied, fed
silently back up trail. while Shorty re-
sumed his cooperage on the cabin.
Singleness Of purpose will work Won
ders. As the wilkins brothers vanished
limpingly among the trees. vowing
vengeance Of fearful type, the little
man grinned after them in rare salts
faction
Having stormed the cabin, he I'M
wrapped the blue letter and. wiping
the powder stains from his fingers, re-
read It, SO for he was exactly ON
schedule, but he had not planned b.
yond recovery of the claim. The
| problem was still complex. The wo-
men needed money. not an idle placer
mine, but quick money-"eats' money
| for all he knew.
As the days passed worry preyed
| upon Shorty. 1t was not fear Of the
| wilkins return. but that letter staring
ut him reproachfully from its shrine
over the table.
He produced his strong box, bak-
| ing powder can. and estimated his
cleanups.
Thunder an mud! Here I've grub
bed dirt like steam drudger an there
amt enough to buy the girl a stack OF
white chips" he said aloud.
On the seventh night he inspected
the pile. 1t was pitifully small. and
despite his bodily WEAKNESS his disap-
pointment found vent in unspeakable
| oratory He read the letter. rs was his
nightly custom, and fell dejectedly into
| his bunk. AS miner he was not sue.
cess. ...
Some men sleep sluggishly In lethal
coma which requires bodily violence to
break: others, accustomed to tho
alarms Of life in the open, maintain
tenseness Of certain nerves which
mere unfamiliar presence will disturb.
In this class Shorty had considered
| himself, but tonight his exhaustion and
encouragement dulled him, and so 1t
was that he awoke suddenly to find
himself lighting with desperation. It
was too late, however. He had been
pinned to his couch as he lay and now
in his struggles felt the heavy weight
and writhng muscles Of large man
| E~I 0nG Nhnof niln
hot breath beat into his face.
Its the big Wilkins" he thought,
land the others is waitin' 'longside for
the finish"
He fought till the blood thrummed
dizzily in his ears and the breath
wheezed from him, but amid cracking
joints his arms were noosed by his
sides, and u moment later he lay pant
ing within the coils Of RATA.
Then speech frothed out Of him, and
he roared imprecations at the tribe Of
Wilkins. rich in imagery and marvellous
in western word structure. The object
of his obloquy worked impassively and
with marvellous dexter1ty for one
reared east Of the Missouri: then, his
task completed, struck a match, light
ing the shelf lamp.
AS the darkness fed, instead Of the
bulky awkwardness Of the Junior VIII
kins, Shorty beheld the silhouette Of a
tall. clean waisted, wide shouldered
man with the long black hair Of IN In
dian. He turned and the light gleam-
ed yellowly on the sallow, sinister face
Of Black Bart, the road agent.
The sounds from the prisoner ceas-
ed sharply, and he lay rigid. following
the others movements with blazing
glances.
my turn tonight, chr the outlaw
spoke sneeringly. Shorty nodded.
1--WE been on your trail for two
months, you little hunchback."
Blood rushed to the dwarf's face till
It grew black and congested, then
faded until he lay white and silent,
shaking in the rigors Of suppressed
hate.
Nobody ever took shot at me and
got Off with 1t, but l might have let
you go If you hadn't killed the Kid.
Ibid he die? Tell me! Tell me!
Twas his first Job, and he got so rat.
tied he let you plug him. The papers
don't say what becomes of him, but I
want to know. Quick He shook the
dwarf
It was not fright that silenced the
little man, but binding, speeches.
rage. Never had such an insult gone
uneaten. Bart had gibed at his de-
formlty, had gouged roughly Mt his
one most painful spot-and that I'M
Justly, too, for no one back in Cali
fornia carried less of bunch than
Shorty's. Nobody had flrmer, cleaner
muscles than his, albeit the legs be-
meath were odd. Speech refused him.
Instead, he spat viciously, spat unerr-
ingly ut his captor. and sentence
shot forth with IT:
II amt no humpback"
At the act Barts excitement froze
and he glided to the table where the
great haspknife lay. He tested the point
with his thumb-an unpleasant sight
"I'n knife you for thatr' said he.
AS he picked up the weapon, how
ever, his eye caught the blue letter
hanging above. 1t lighted on the sig
nature, and, being man OF some cul.
ture. It's contents became quickly alb
sorbed. He snatched at It, and Mt this
sacrilege Shorty writhed insanely. find
ing his voice at last.
Take your nasty hands ofrn that
letter. he yelled.
| &c. I,SA nr1r