The Raymer enterprise., 1918-01-31
CHAPTER xxi.-contlnued.
--16-.

WIZ sbu WILL anu tiihe Auts
"Surest thing on enrth"-with
prompt aequiescence. And then: rs
1t as bad as you thought 1t was going
to be, JohnT
"Its about as bad as II Gun be-" was
the sober reply, and with that Smith
went In to welt for his interview with
the Timanyoni's best-beloved jurlst.
At nine O'Clock, or few minutes
before the hour, David Klnzlc, at his
desk In the Brewster City National.
telephoned message that presently
brought Colonel Dexter Baldwin to the
private room In the bank known to
nervous debtors as "the sweatbox."
"Slt down. Dexter" said the banker
shortly; "sit down a minute while l
look at my mail"
1t was one OF David Kinzie's small
subtleties to make q man sit Idly thus,
on one pretext or another; 1t rarely
failed to put the incomer at u disad-
vantage. and on the present occasion
It worked like charm. Baldwin had
let bis cigar 60 out and had chewed
the end of II into pulp before Kinzie
swung around In his chair and
launched out abruptly.
"You and | have always been pretty
good friends, Dexter" he began, "and
have called You down here this
morning to prove to you that l am
still your friend. Where Is your man
Smith,"
Baldwin shook his head. II don't
know" he answered. II haven't seen
him since last evening"
"Has he run away, thenr
The Missouri colonel squared HIM
self doggedly In the supplant debtors
chair. which was the one Kinzie had
placed for him. "What are you driv-
ing at, DaveT" he demanded.
"We1l tackle your end Of It first"
said the banker curtly. "Do you know
that you and your crowd have come to
the bottom Of the bag on that dam
propositionY"
"No. l don't"
"Well, you have. You've got Just
one more day to live"
The Mlssourian fell back upon his
native phrase.
II reckon you'll have to show me.
Dave" asserted Baldwin stoutly. "But
90 on. You've got your gun loaded:
what are you aiming It at?''
"Just this: I told you weeks ago
that the other people were carrying
too many big guns for you. l don't
want to see you killed OF. Dexter"
I'm no quitter; you ought to know
that. Dave" was the blunt rejoinder.
II know; but there are times when
II is simply foolhardy to hold on. The
compromise proposition that ] put up
to you people while back still holds
good. But today is the last day, Dex-
ter. You must accept II now, II you
are going to accept It at ALL"
"And If we refuse?"
you'll go to smash, the whole kit
Of you. As I've said, this Is the last
call"
BY this time Baldwln's cigar was a
hopeless wreck.
you've got something up your
sleeve, Dave: what is itf" he inquired.
The banker pursed his lips and the
bristllng mustache assumed Its most
aggressive angle.
"There are a number Of things. but
the one which concerns you most. just
now. is this: we've got Smiths record,
at last. He is an outlaw. with a price
on his head. We've dug out the whole
story. He is a defaulting bank cash
Ter. and before he ran away, he tried
to kill his president"
Baldwin was frownlng heavily.
"who told you all thlsf Was 1t this
Miss Rlchlander over at the Hophra
House.
mo; II was her father. sent one
Of my young men out to the Topaz
to look him up."
"And you have telegraphed to the
chief Of police, or the sheriff, or who
ever It Is that wants Smith"
"Not yet. I wanted to give you one
more chance. Dexter. Business comes
first. The Brewster City National Is
bank. not a detective agency. You
20 and find Smith and fire him; tell
him he is down and out; get rid Of
him. once for all. Then come back
here and we'll fix up that compromise
with Stanton"
Baldwin found a match and tried to
relight the dead cigar. But 1t was
chewed past redemption.
Lets get 1t plumb straight, Dave"
he pleaded. In the quiet tone Of one
who will leave no peace-keeping stone
unturned. "You say you've got John
dead to rights. Smith Is mighty COM
mon name. / shouldn't wonder II
there were half a million r so John
Smiths-taking the country over. How
do you know you've got the right
one7'
Ellis middle name Is Montague
snapped the banker. "and the man
who Is wanted called himself j. Mon
tague Smith, But we can identify
him positively. Mr.. Richlander's
daughter can tell rs II he is the right
Smith, and she probably will II the po-
lice ask her to-"
Baldwin may have had his own
opinion about that, but II 80. he kept
Il to himself and spoke feehngly Of