The Benson signal., 1917-08-11


falsetto: "No. We don't happen to
have business that I know Of. A
friend of ours may have a little, may
bew Logan, lifting his shoulders with
his laugh, looked toward his compan-
ions for an answer to his joke.
De Spain's smile appeared unruff1ed:
you'll help him transact it, I sup
pose?"
Logan, looking again toward San
dusky, grinned: 'He won't need any
help"
"Who is your friend?" demanded De
Spain good-naturedly. Logan's glance
misled him; it did not refer to San.
dusky. And even as he asked the ques-
ton De Spain heard through the half
open window at the end of the bar
the sound Of hoofs. Hoping against
hope for Lefever, the interruption
cheered him. 1t certainly did not seem
that his situation could be made worse.
"Well," answered Logan, talking
again to his gallery Of cronies, "we've
got two or three friends that want to
see you. They're waiting outside to
see what you'll look like in about five
minutes-ain't they, Gale?"
Someone was moving within the rear
room. De Spain felt hope in every
football he heard, and the mention of
MOrgan's name cleared his plan of
battle. Before Gale, with an oath,
could blurt out his answer, De Spain
| hod 70 Gn1 -
taking Logan first and Morgan as he
should jump in between the two. 1t
was at the best a hopeless venture
against Sandusky's first shot, which
| De Spain knew was almost sure to
reach vital spot. But desperate men
cannot be choosers.
There's no time for seeing me like
the present." declared De Spain, ignor-
ing Morgan and addressing his words
to Logan. "Bring your friends in.
| What are you complaining about, Nor
gon?' he asked, resenting the stream
of abuse that Gale hurled at him when
ever he could get a word in. 81 had
my turn at you with a rifle the other
| day. You've got your turn now. And
l call 1t a pretty soft one, too-dont
you, Sandusky?" he demanded sud.
denly of the big fellow.
Sandusky alone through the talk had
| kept an unbrOken silence. He was
eating up De Spain with his eyes, and
De Spain not only ached to hear him
speak, but was resolved to make him.
Sandusky had stood motionleSs from
the instant he entered the room. His
eyes rested intently on De Spain, and
at his side the long fingers of his right
hand beat soft tattoo against his
pistol holster. De Spain's question
seemed to arouse him. "What's your
name" he demanded bluntly. His
voice was heavy and his deafness was
reflected in the strained tone.
"It's on the butt of my gun, San.
dusky."
"What's that he says?" demanded
the man known as the butcher, asking
the question Of Logan, but without
taking his eyes off his shifty prey.
Logan raised his voice to repeat the
words and to add ribald comment.
'You make a good deal of noise"
muttered Sandusky, speaking again to
De Spain.
| "That ought not to bother you
much, Sandusky," shouted De Spain,
trying to win a smile from his taci.
turn antagonist.
''His noise won't bother anybody
much longer" put in Logan, whose re-
| forts Ovnrf7owod of ovoru ;p+oruo1 DIT
there was no smile even limited at in
the uncOmprOmising vigilance of San.
duSky'S expreSsionless face. De Spain
discounted the next few minutes far
enough to feel that Sanduskys first
shot would mean death to him, even if
he could return it.
"Fll tell you, De Spain," continued
Logan, "we're going to have a drink
with you. Then we're going to prepare
you for going back where you come
from-with nice flowers"
II guess you thought you could come
out here and run over everybody in the
Spanish Sinks" interposed Morgan,
with every oath he could summon to
load his words.
keep out, Morgan" exclaimed Lo.
gan testify. "I'll do this talking
De Spain continued to banter. Seen
tlemen," he said, addressing the three
together and realizing that every mo-
ment wasted before the shooting added
grain of hope, II am ready to drink
| when you are"
"He's ready to drink, Tom," roared
Morgan in the deaf mans ear.
"1'm ready" announced Sandusky in
hollow voice.