The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-10-17
s'The Tanning of
Red Butte Western
By Francis Lnde Copyright 1910 by Charles scrbners Sons
NEXT WEEK THE IDYL FIRES BY EATON

the LOOKOUT.
-Judson stayed, and stumbled
round the table, losing his money
and dribbling foolishness. Twice
he made the wavering circuit of
the oval table, and when he finally
gripped an empty chair, IL was the
one nearest to Rufford on the
right, and diagonally opposite to
the dealer.
What followed seemed to have
no connecting sequence for the
other players. Too restless to lose
more than one bet In the place he
had chosen, Judson tried to rise,
tangled his feet in the chair and
fell down, laughing uproariously.
When he struggled to the perpen-
dicular again, after two or three
Intellectual attempts, he was fairly
behind Rufford's stool.
One man who CHANGED to be
looking, saw the lookout start and
stiffen rigidly in his place, star
ing straight ahead into vacancy. A
moment later the entire circle of
witnesses saw him take a revolver
from the holster on his hip and
lay 1t upon the table. with another
from his breast pocket OF his coat
to keep 1t company. Then his
hands went quickly behind him,
and they all heard the click of
handouts.
Judson backed quickly out thru
the bar room, drawing his prison.
err backward after him; and a mo-
ment later Angels was properly
Electrified by the sight of Rufford,
the Red Desert terror, marching
sullen, down to the Crows Nest,
with fiery-headed little man at
his elbow, the little man swinging
the weapon which had been made
to simulate the cold muzzle OF a
revolver when he had pressed it
into Rufford's back at the gam
bling table.
1t was nothing more formidable
than a short, thick "S"-wrench, of
the kind used by locomotive en-
giners in tightening the nuts of
the piston-rod packing glands.
CHAPTER v.
Flemister and Others
The loosely spectacular arrest
Of Barton Rufford, with its APP
peal to the grim humor of the
desert, was responsible for a brief
lull In the storm of antagonism
evoked by Lidgerwood's attempt to
bring order out of the chos
relgning in his small kingdom.
On the Saturday in the week Of
surcease, Flemister came in on the
noon train from the west and it
was McClosky who ushered him
into the superintendent's office.
LidgerwQod looked up and saw a
small man wearing the khaki of
the engineers, with a soft felt hat
to match.
What can l do for you, Mr..
Flemister?" Lidgerwood asked.
Nothing-nothing on top Of
earth; it's the other way around.
l came to do something for you
or, rather for one of your subor-
dinates. Hallock tells me that the
ghost of the old Mesa Building
and Loan association still refuses
to be laid, and he intimates that
some Of the survivors are trying
to make it unpleasant for him by
accusing him to YOU"
Yes" said Lidgerwood.
There Is only one explanation
to be made" said the excluding
and loan president, brazenly. "A
few of us who were the officers
of the company were the heaviest
losers, and We felt that We were
entitled to the scraps and leav-
Iings."
I'm other words, you looted the
treasury among you," said Lidger-
wood, coldly. How far was Hal
lock implicated"
He was not implicated at all
save in a clerical way"
"You mean he did not share in
the distribution of the money!"
"He did not"
Then 1t is only fair that you
should set him straight with the
Iothers, Mr.. Flemister."
"I'll think about It," returned
the mine-owner, shortly; but Lid
gerwood was not to be put off so
easily.
you must think of 1t to some
good purpose" he insisted.
You're not threatening me,
are you, Mr.. Lidgerwood?"
"Oh, no; there is no OCCASION for
threats. But II you don't make
me that statement, fully exonerat-
Ing Mr.. Hallock. / shall feel at
liberty to make one of my own
embodying what you have Just
told me. And IL l am compelled
to do this, you must not blame me
II | am not able to place the mat
ter in the most favorable light
for YOU"
A few days later Lidgerwood
set out for Copah in his private
car. Leaving late In the after
noon. he had an appointment with
Leckhard OF the main line, timed
for an early hour the following
morning. Entering the car, Lid
gerwood went at once to his desk,
and promptly became deaf and
blind to everything but his work.
1t was close to midnight when,
looking up from his work at the
final slowing of the wheels, he
saw the masthead lights of the