The Bossier banner., 1918-01-31

II W.
Like a Bullock Which Had Been Pole.
axed, the Man Went to the Floor.
man at whom they ragged did not give
an inch. He leaned forward slightly,
his weight resting on the balls OF his
feet, alert to the finger tips.
"Next," he taunted.
Then the mate got busy. He hustled
his stevedoFes forward in front of the
miners and shook his fistsin their faces
as he stormed up and down. If they
wanted trouble, by Jove! it was wait
ing for 'em, he swore in apoplectic
fury. The Hannah was q river boat
and not dive Of wharf rats!
The man with the suitcase did not
wait to hear out his TRADE. He fol-
lowed the purser to his stateroom.
dropped his baggage beside the BERTH
and joined the Kusiak group on the
upper deck.
They greeted him eagerly, little
effusively, as if they were anxious to
prove themselves on good terms with
| him.
"What was the matter?" asked Self
| ridge. "How did the trouble start2'
| The big man shrugged his shoulders.
"It didn't start, Some CT the outfit
thought they were looking for a row,
! but they balked on the job when Tre-
lawney got his"
Gordon, as he watched from d little
distance, corrected earlier Impressions
This man had passed the thirties. He
had the thick neck and solid trunk OF
middle life, but he carried himself sc
superbly that his whole bearing denied
that years could touch his splendid
physique.
Strong had stepped to the wharf
to talk with an old acquaintance, but
when the boat threw out a warning
signal he made hurried goodby ant
came on board He rejoined Elliot.
"Well, what d'you think of him
Was right?''
The young man had already guessed
who this imperious stranger was. !"
never saw anybody get away with :
hard job as easily as he did that one
You could see with half an eye tina
those fellows meant fight. They wer'
all primed for it-and he bluffed then
out"
'Bluffed them-huh! was where
could see just what happened. Cobb,
Macdonald wasn't even looking at Ire
lawney, but you bet he saw him start
That suitcase travelled like streak o
tight You'd a thought it weighe
about two pounds. That amt all, el
ther. Mac used his brains. Guess wha
I was in that grip"
'The usual thing, suppose"
you've got another guess-packe
I In among his socks and underwear wa
g about twenty pounds Of ore samples
;. The purser told me. It was that quart
that put Trelawney to sleep so tho
+ ough that he'd just begun to wake u
/, when passed minute ago."
/ The young man turned his eye
:. again upon the big Canadian Scot
e man. He was talking with Mrs. Ma
lory, who was leaning back luxur
). ously in a steamer chair she ha
l. brought aboard at st. Michaers.
l, would have been hard to conceive
k contrast greater than the one betwee
this pampered heiress of the ages an
d the modern business berserk WI
d looked down into her mocking eye
He was the embodiment of the dom
d nant male-efficient to the last inch I
his straight six feet What he wante
e he had always taken, by the she'
(. strength that was in him. Back Of h
'e smiling insolence lay silken for
n. to match his own. She too had TAKE
d what she wanted from life, but 81
s. had won it by indirection. Manifest
" she was Of those women who concel'
a that charm and beauty are tools
le bend men to their wills.
d The dusky young woman with Il
$. magazine was the first Of those on Il
ID upper deck to retire for the night. 81
n aitted so quietly that Gordon did n
y notice until she had gone. Mrs. Sc
ridge and her friends disappeared wi
j. their men folks. calling gay go'
;" nights to one another as they left.
Macdonald and Mrs. Mallory talke
n After a time she too vanished.
lie The big promoter leaned against q
le deck rail, where he was Joined by Sc
t. ridge. For q long time they talked
l. ;ow voices. The little man had most
A. saw. His chief listened, but occasto
le ,lly interrupted to ask Il sharp, lncisi
question.
,c Elliot, sitting farther forward wi