The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-04-19

You've waited one day too long to
collect for your strawberry, De Spain, p"
cried Logan shrilly. you've turned
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 it, you're going
to try to get me- smiled De Spain.
No" beloved Morgan, 'it means
we have got you"
you are fOoling yourself, Harvey"
De Spain addressed the warning to Lo-
gan. "And you, too, Sandusky," he
added.
Wen 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.
Il 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 a cut-gIass button. He was
face to face with taking a mans life
or surrendering his own, and he knew
the life must be taken in such a way
as instantly to disable it's possessor.
These men had chosen their time and
place. There was nothing for it but
to meet them. Sassoon was stepping
toward him, though very doubtfully.
De Spain laughed again, dryly this
time. go 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 tt?'
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 it only to cover the
spring he made at that instant into
Sandusky's middle. Catlike though it
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, a 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. One
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
gun, tore into De SPANS foot. San
dusky, convulsed by the frightful
shock, staggered against De SPANS |
arm, the latter dancing tight against |
him. Logan, alive to the trick but |
caught behind his partner, fired over
Sandusky's right shoulder at De |
SPANS head, fiattened sidewise against |
the gasping outlaws breast. Hugging |
his shield, De Spain threw his second |
shot over SanGusky's left shoulder into |.
Logan's face. Logan, sinking to the
floor. never moved again. Supporting
with extraordinary strength the IN
wieldy bulk of the dying butcher, De
Spain managed to steady him as buff
fer against Morgan's fire until he could
send a slug over Sandusky's head at
the instant the latter collapsed. Nor
gan fell against the bar.
Sandusky's weight dragged De Spain
down. For an instant the four men
sprawled in heap. Sassoon, who had
not yet got an effective shot across at
his agile enemy, dropping his revolver
lodged under the rail to close. De
Spain. struggling to free himself from
the dying man, saw, through a mist,
the greenish eyes and the thirsty knife.
He fired from the floor. The bullet
shook without stopping his enemy, and
De Spain, partly caught under San
lusky's body, thought, as SassOOn came
IN, the game was up. With an effort
born of desperation, he dragged him
self from under the twitching giant.
freed his. revolver, rolled away, and.
With his sight swimming, swung the
Gun at SassoOn's stomach. He meant
% kill him. The bullet whirled the
man to one side and he
dropped, but pulled himself, full Of
light. to his knees and, knife in hand,
,anted forward. De Spain, rolling has
lily from him. staggered to his feet,
md, running in as SassOon tried to
itrike, beat him senseless with the {
,utt of his gun.
His own eyes were streaming blood. {
lis head was Keeling and he was s
but he remembered those 1
# the gang waiting outside. He still 6
ould see dimly the window at the
nd of the bar Dashing his fingers {
through the red stream on his fore l
ead. he ran for the window, smashed I
Trough the sash into the patio and I
ound Sassoon's horse trembling at the
usillade. Catching the lines and the f