Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-12-20
CHAPTER XIX.
II Happens in Books.


[ j. said that men remember many
Il things when death is imminent, and FOL
DAYS and days something had been dying
hard in Stephen OMara's breast. His step
was slow that afternoon when he drew
anart 10 take up his position alone upon a
bit of higher ground, his shoulders heavy
and dropping, yet his brain was feverishly
active.
They came slowly nj first Wicker
sham'S loes-thudding heavily. one by one,
INTO the mderpinnines Of the bridge. slid
ing free or lodging cross current. as the
ease might be. then in a thicker and thicker
tide that ground and up ended and settled
with the weight Of the coffee colored flood
behind il. In the beginning the handful of
men wlo had put those timberS into place
set themselves doggedly to save their com
pleted structure until the man who had
worked with them shoulder to shoulder
through the night called them with n nod
back To the hank. Obedientlv then they
collected in u small knot behind him, muir
murouS. cntiurallv ~rrmbling.
The coming &c Wickcr-ham'~ men was
not thing of DEGREES. They poured into
view through the brush fringe nj the north
edge Of the marsh and halted. hut only for
an instant.
'Who I. vorr friend ~ The time when
Won need n friend IIarriean. that's me "
Aud there came q lull in the valley ut Thir-
t. Mile. broken only by a heavy breathing
and the crunch Of logs iamming beneath
the bridge and the ugly swirl Of backed up
water.
And then Tarrigan stood forth. Long
arms dangling. palms back. almost to his
knees. that red headed one minced forward
on the balls of his feet. Harrigan was re-
decming a promise mar Y weeks overdue. II
was spring. and Harric ! had come back
I'm here he spoke t. hat bowed head.
"if YOU are afthcr carin' 10 welcome me-"
Give been exporting YOU H%arrigan."
Again tha, startling mildness.
There j. little wonder that ii deceived
the rivermen. Listening. watching 0Mara'S
slack form. even Fat Joe's face burned.
even Archie Understands dared flash in
triumph. And Harrigan's went savaqely
exultant.
"You talked out loud to me once" he
tainted. as it 80 difficult Won find il now
to speak up % | can heart
Would YOU promise to listen to argu-
ment. IIarrigan'"
Notification tore at the others lips until
friend and enemy marveled ut what Steve
took in silence.
"Ycu have begun many things in this
country" the obscene TRADE ended. "You
came out of these woods with rags on your
back and started at bein' a gentleman when
we were only bhoys. You've made q
gr-reat success nv it with the ladies. wen
grant YOU that. But You should have
stuck to your soft and lily white pastime.
for when yoa aimed to turn this river into
IA gentleman'S proposition You started
something too big for Your to finish. I'm
taking il off your hands now. Can't YOU
even talk bark like a mane"
MAYBE You're right, Harrigan.' Steve
said slowly. "You may bel do not hnow.
| have started biz things and LETT them
unfinished. But YOU are wrong Tor the
rest of il. Harrigan. for | am go.Hg-to-
finish-your'
Like a blast Of wrath OMara lifted and
struck him. Harrigan's hands had not left
his hips before he met the ground and
he was hack on his feet like a bounding
han. only 10 go down again before the
smashing impact at those blows. Caution
he tried To use in rising and they searched
ont his face. his chin and drove him hither
and yon. Open fighting was not the nver
sstyle Of fighting, and he closed this time
and wrapped his gorilla arms about this
fury who fought him with lightning strokes
10 keep him off. His greater weight Ger
bore them both. lie broke away, and his
lhobuailed boots flashing out bit the flesh