The Jasper news., 1917-03-08

one trick too many on the sinks, young |
fellow. If the man that put your mark |
on you amt in this room, you'll never
get him."
(which means, take 1t, you're going
to try to get me-" smiled De Spain.
NO." beloved Morgan, ut means
we have got you."
'You are fooling yourself, Harvey"
De Spain addressed the warning to Lo-
gan. "And you, too, Sandusky," he
added.
"We1l take care Of that" grinned
Logan. Sandusky kept silence.
You are jumping into another mans
fight" protested De Spain steadily.
"Sassoon's fight is our fight" inter-
rupted Morgan.
II advise you," said De Spain once
more, looking with the words at San
dusky and his crony, ''to keep out of
It,"
"Sandusky," yelled Logan to his
partner, "he advises me and you to
keep out Of this fight" he shrilly
laughed.
Sure" assented Sandusky, but with
no variation In tone and his eyes on
De Spain.
Logan, with an oath, leaned over the
bar toward Sassoon, and pointed con-
temptuously toward the end Of the
bar. "Shike !" he cried, "step through
the rail and take that mans gum"
De Spain, looking from one to the
other of the four faces confronting
him, laughed for the first time. But
he was looking without seeing what
he seemed to look at. In reality, he
saw only cut-glass button. He was
face to face with taking mans life
or surrendering his own, and he knew
the life must be taken in such a way
rs instantly to disable its possessor.
These men had chosen their time and
place. There was nothing for it but
to meet thom. Sassoon was stepping
toward him, though very doubtfully.
De Spain laughed again, dryly this
time. $50 slow, Sassoon," he said.
"That gun is loaded"
IF you want terms, hand over your
gun to Sassoon," cried Logan.
"Not till it's empty" returned De
Spain<'Do you want to try taking it7"
he demanded of Logan, his cheeks
burning a little darker.
Logan never answered the question.
1t was not meant to be answered. For
De Spain asked 1t only to cover the
spring he made at that instant into
Sandusky's middle. Catlike though 1t
was, the feint did not take the big fell
low unprepared. He had heard once,
when or where he could not tell, but
he had never forgotten the hint, that
De Spain, boxer, was as quick with
his feet as with his hands. The out
law whirled. Both men shot from the
hip; the reports cracked together. ene
bullet, grazing the fancy button,
smashed through the gaudy waistcoat
, the other, as De Spain's free hand
struck at the muZzle of the big mans
t gun, tore into De Spain's foot. San.
h, dusky, convulsed by the frightful
= shock, staggered against De Spain'i
arm, the latter dancing tight against
y him. Logan, alive to the trick bu
d caught behind his partner, fired ovel
e Sandusky's right shoulder at D.
p Spain's head flattened sidewise agains
s the gasping outlaws breast. HugginI
n his shield, De Spain threw his secont
d shot over SanGusky's left shoulder int,
}. Eogan's face. Logan, sinking to, tn,
r floor, never moved again. Supporting
s. with extraordinary strength the un
] wleldy bulk of the dying butcher, d,
Spain managed to steady him as buf
n fer against Morgan's fire until he coul,
!, send slug over Sandusky's head a
@ the instant the latter collapsed. Nor
+ gan fell against the bar.
l. Sandusky's weight dragged De Spail
q down. For an instant the four me
j. sprawled In heap. Sassoon, who ha
d not yet got an effective shot across a
8 his agile enemy, dropping his revolver
IS lodged under the rail to close. d
It Spain, struggling to free himself fror
g the dying man, saw, through mis-
the greenish eyes and the thirsty knife
% He fred from the floor. The bulle
~ shook without stopping his enemy, an
d De Spain, partly caught under Sar