Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-01-18

sSd xvi
CARDS Ialu 1 couI1n-u-
Get me hanged. | know; you sure
tried hard enough" Ward puffed hard
at his cigarette, and the lips that held
1t trembled a little. Otherwise he SEEM
ed perfectly cool and calm.
Say, Ward, them lawyers lied to
you"
"0h, cut it out, Buck. I've seen you
wriggle through a snake hole before.
l believe you're my friend just the way
you've always BEEN"
'That's right, Ward, and I car prove
It."
Ward snorted. "You proved 1t, old
timer, when you laid up there behind
q rock with your sights on this shack,
ready to get me when l came out. I
sabe now how it happened Jim Nc
CURE was found face down in the
spring behind his shack with a bullet
hole in his back that time. You were
his friend too!'
Ward, +"
"Shut up! l just wanted to see IL
you'd changed any in the last seven
years. You haven't, unless it's for the
worse. You've got to the end of the
trail, old timer. When you went lay
ing for me you fixed yourself a-plenty.
Do you want to know what I'm going
to do to your"
Ward, you wouldn't dare shoot me!
With the record you've got you
wouldn't stand"
"Who gave it to me, huh? oh, I
heap sabe; you've left word with your
pardners that you were coming up here
to arrest me single handed. They will
give the alarm If you don't show up,
and I'll go on the dodge and get caught
and" Ward threw away his ciga-
rette and took a step toward his cap
tive, a step so ominous that Buck
squirmed in his bonds.
well, you can rest easy on n point.
I'm not going to shoot you" Ward
stood still and watched the light of
hope flare in the eyes of his enemy.
I'm going to wash the dishes and take
a shave, and then I'm going to take
you out somewhere and hang YOU"
my God, Ward! You-yOU-,"
81 told you seven years ago." went on
Ward steadily, that I'd see you hung
before l was through with you. Re-
member? By rights you ought to hang
by the heels over a slow fire. You're
about as low a specimen of humanity
as | ever saw or heard of. You know
what you did for me, Buck. And you
know what l told you would happen.
Well. it's going to come off according
to the program.
81 did think of running you in and
giving you q taste of hell yourself.
But, as usual, you've gone and tangled
up a couple of fellows that never did
me any particular harm and l don't
want to hand them anything If | can
help it. So I'll just string you up
after awhile, when l get around to it
and leave a note saying who you are
and that you're the head push in this
rustling business and that you helped
spend the money that Hardup bank
lost awhile back and that you're one of
the gazabos-'
"You can't prove it! You"
81 don't have to prove it. The au.
thorities will do all that when they get
the tip I'll give them. And you, being
hung up on a limb somewhere, can't
very well give your pardners the dou-
BILE cross. So they'll have a fighting
chance to make their getaway.
"Now, I'm through talking to you.
What l say goes. You can talk II you
want to, Buck, but I'm going to carve
a steak out of you every time-you open
your mouth" He pulled Bucks W
knife out of it's sheath and laid it con-
venient to his hand, and he looked as
if he would do any cruel thing he
threatened.
Ito Be Continued.)