The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-11-15
CHAPTER xxi.-continued.


VIII you walt and take mel"
sBurest thing on earth"-with
prompt acquiescence. And then: rs
H. as bad as you thought 1t was going
10 be, Johnr'
"It's about az bad as It can be-" was
tho sober reply. and with that Smith
went In to wait for his interview with
the Tmanyoni's best-beloved jurist.
At nine o'clock. or a few minutes
before the hour. David Kinzie, at his
desk In the Brewster City National,
telephoned a message that presently
brought Colonel Dexter Baldwin TO the
private room In the bank known to
nervous debtors rs "the sweatbox."
"Slt down. Dexter" said the banker
shortly: "sit down a minute while
iook at my mall"
II was one of David Kinzie's small
subtieties to make n man sit idly thus.
on one pretext or another; it rarely
failed to put the incomer at a dlsad-
vantage, and on the present occasion
II worked like a charm. Baldwin had
let his cignr go out and had chewed
the end Of It into n pulp before Kinzie
swung around In his chair and
launched out abruptly.
You and have always been pretty
good friends, Dexter" he began. "and
I have called you down here this
morning to prove to you that I am
still your friend. Where is your man
SmithT
Baldwin shook his head. ~ don't
know" he answered. II haven't seen
him since last evening"
HAS he run away, thenf"
The Missouri colonel squared him
self doggedly In the suppliant debtors
chair. which was the one Kinzie had
placed for him. "What are you driv-
Ing at, Dave2" he demanded.
"We1l tackle your end Of It first"
said the banker curtly. "Do you know
that you and your crowd have come to
the bottom Of the bag on that dam
propos,tionf"
"No, I don't"
"Well. you have. You've got Just
one more day to live"
The Missourian fell back upon his
native phrase.
81 reckon you'll have to show me,
Dave" asserted Baldwin stoutly. 'But
go on. You've got your gun loaded !:
what arc you aiming 1t att"
~Iust this: told you weeks ago
that the other people were carrying
too many big guns for you. i don't
want to see you killed off, Dexter"
srm no gutter; You ought to know
that, Dave" was the blunt rejoinder.
II know but there are times when
it Ia simply foolhardy to hold on. The
compromise proposition that ] put up
to you people while back still holds
good. But today is the last day, Dex-
ter. You must accept 1t now. IL you
are going to accept 1t at all"
"And II we refusef"
"Yeuu go to smash, the whole kit
Of you As I've said. this is the last
call"
BY this time Baldwin's cigar was a
hopeless wreck.
"Yon've got something up your
sleeve, Dave: what is it?" he inquired.
The banker pnrsed his lips and the
bristling mustache assumed Its most
aggressive angle.
'.rhere are a number of things, but
the one which concerns you most, just
now, is this: we've got Smiths record.
at last. He is an outlaw, with price
on his head. We've dug out the whole
story. He Is a defaulting bank cash.
Ter, and before he ran away, he tried
to KILL his president"
Baldwin was frowning heavily.
"who told you all thisf Was It this
Miss HIGHLANDER over at the Hophra
House.
mo; It was her father. sent one
of my young men out to the Topaz
to look him up"
"And you have telegraphed to the
chief of police. or the sheriff, or who
ever 1t is that wants SMITH"
"Not yet. wanted to give You one
more chance, Dexter. Business comes
first. The Brewster City National Is
bank, not detective agency. You
20 and find Smith and fire him; tell
him he Is down and out; get rid OF
him, once for all. Then come back
here end well fix up that compromise
with Stanton"
Baldwin found a match and tried to
relight the dead cigar. But 1t was
chewcd past redemption.
Lets get It plumb straight, Dave
ne pleaded, In the quiet tone Of ore
who will leave no peace-keeping stone
unturned. "You say you've got John
dead to rights. Smith Is a mighty com
mon name. shouldn't wonder II
there were half q million r SO join
Smiths--taking the country over. How
DO you know you've got the righ
one7"
Ellis middle name is Montague
snapped the banker. "and the mar
who Is wanted called himself y. Mon
tague Smith But we can identify
him positively. Mr.. Rlclilander'i
daughter can tell us II he is the righ