Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-15
y CHAPTER XXI 4
The Sunset Gun

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 man up unless you've got the
drop on him, Brouillard," he said sig
nificantly. 1--WE got you covered from
my pocket; I've had you covered that
way ever since you began to buck and
rear on me a couple of months ago.
One little wire word to Washington
fixes you for good and all. If l say the
word, you'll stay on your job just as
long as it 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 I'M
armed mans chance Is wrong. | 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 coroner's jury and
coffin. How long would it take you to
get action in the Washington matter,
do you think?"
'1've told you; you have just about
week longer to live, at the farthest."
81 can better that" was the cool
reply. II have asked you to DO GER
tain thing tomorrow night. If you don't
do it, 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-
ment there will never be another real
estate transfer In the Niquoia valley"
The promoter rose slowly out Of his
chair and stood leaning heavily with
his fat hands, palms downward, on the
flat-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?"
'Tt means more than that; it means
that have reached a 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 hole if 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. 81 am
all sorts of moral coward, | suppose;
I've proved that often enough in the
past few months, God knows. But I'm
not the other kind, Mr.. Cartwright"
'Then I'll take a hand!" snarled the
tyrant at bay. '1ll spend million dol
lars, if | have to, blacklisting you from
one end of this country to the otheri
I'll fix it so you11 never build any
thing bigger than hog pen again as
long as you live! I'll publish your rec
ord wherever there is newspaper to
print it," He pounded on the desk
with his fst-"Pll do it-money can
do it! More than that, you'll never get
smell of that Chigringo mine-you
nor Dave Massingale!"
Brouillard tossed the paper-knife in
to half-opened drawer and squared
himself at the plotting pad.
That is your challenge, is it?" he
said CURLY. $50 be it. Start your
machinery. You will doubtless get
me, not because you have money, but
because for a time / was weak enough
and wicked enough to climb down and
stand on your level. But If you don't
hurry, Mr. Cartwright, I'll get you first.
Are you going? One thing more-and
It's a kindness; get your son out of
town before this Massingale matter
comes up for adjustment. 1t will be
safer"
is that all you have to say?"
Pretty nearly all, except to tell you
that your time is growing short, and
you and those who are in with you had
better begin to set your houses in or
der. If you'll come over here at eight
O'Clock tomorrow night prepared to do
the square thing by David Massingale,
I'll withhold the publication Of that
letter which will stamp you and your
associates as criminals before the law;
but that is the only concession / shall
make"
You've got to make at least one
more!" stormed the outgoing magnate.
You don't have to set any dates or
anything of that kind for your damned
drowning act!"
In justice to a good many people
who are measurabIy innocent, I shall
have to do that very thing" returned
the engineer firmly "The notice will
appear in tomorrow's Spotlight"