The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-05-09
CHAPTER TX.
The Glass Button.

NItlH SltOl-Ol lht N'bA tA'iNA iHNNN
him. the encounter seemed 10 De spain
accidental. But before ne could speak,
a second man appeared in the door
way. and this man appeared to be Joh-
ing with a third. behind him. As the
second man crossed the threshold De
Spain saw SanduNky'S high-yoiced
little fighting crouy, Logan, who now
made way, as he stepped within To the
right OF the open door, for the swing
ing shoulders and rolling stride of
Gale Morgan.
Morgan. cylng De Spain with inso~
lence, rs WAS his wont, closed the door
behind him with a bang. Then he
backed his powerful frame Significant
ly against 1t.
\ blind man could have seen the
completeness of the snare. An uuplcas-
ant feeling flashed across DE SPANS
perception. Ii was only for the i'm
measurable part of Il sccond-While
uncertainty was resolving itself into II
rapid certainty. When Gale Morgan
stepped iatO the room on the heels
of his two CalabasaS friends. De Spain
would have sold for less than n cup
of coffee all his chances for life. Nov-
ertheleSs, before Morgan had set his
back fairly against the door and the
trap was sprung, De Spain had
mapped his fight.
He did not retreat from where he
halted at the instant Sandusky entered.
His n slender chance was To hug to
the men that mea to kill him. Nor
gan, the nearest, he esteemed the least
dangerous of the three; but to think
to escape both ~Sandusky and Logan
mt close quarters was, he knew. more
thar ought To be hoped for.
While Morgan was closing the door,
De Spain smiled ut his visitors THAT
isn't necessary. Morgan-Im not ready
to run" Morgan only continued to
stare at him. 81 need hardly ask"
added De Spain, whether you fellows
have business with me?"
He looked to Sandusky for a reply
1t was Logan who answered In shrill
falsetto: mo. We don't happen To
have business that | know of. A
friend of ours may have Il little, may
be! :" Logan. lifting his shoulders with
his laugh, looked toward his compan.
ions for an answer To his joke.
De SPANS smile appeared unrutlled
you'll help him transact it, | sup
poser
Logan, looking again toward San
dusky, grinned: 'IIe won't need any
help"
"Who is your friend?" demanded De
Spain good-naturedly. Logan's glance
misled him; it did o refer to San
dusky. And even as he asked the ques.
ton De Spain heard through the half.
open window at the end of the bal
the sound Of hOofs. Hoping against
hope for Lefever. the interruption
cheered him. 1t certainly did not seen
that his situation could be made worse
"Well," answered Logan. talking
again to his gallery of c%ronies, "we'vt
got two or three friends that want t
see you. They're waiting outside Il
see what you'll look like In about five
minutes-ain't they, Gale?"
Someone was moving within the real
room. De Spain felt hope In every
football he heard. and the mention o,
battle. Before Gale, with an oath
could blurt out his answer, De Spair
had resolved to fight where he stood
taking Logan first and Morgan as h,
should jump In between the two. L
was at the best a hopeless ventur,
against ~Sandusky's first shot. which
De Spain knew was almost sure t,
reach a vital spot. But desperate mel
cannot be choosers.
There's no time for seeing me Tx,
the present" declared De Spain, ign0r
Ing Morgan and addressing his word
to Logan. Bring your friends in
What are you complaining about, Nor
gon?" he asked, resenting the stream
OF abuse that Gale hurled at him when
ever he could get a word in. 81 ha,
my turn at you with a rifle the othe
day. You've got your turn now. An,
l call 1t a pretty soft one, too-don'
you, Sandusky?" he demanded sud
denly Of the big fellow.
Sandusky alone through the talk ha,
kept an unbroken silence. He wa
eating up De Spain with his eyes, an,
De Spain not only ached to hear hin
speak, but was resolved to make him
Sandusky had stood motionless fron
the instant he entered the room. Hi
eyes rested intently on De Spain, an,
at his side the long fingers of his RICH
hand beat a soft tattoo against hi
pistol holster. De SPANS question
seemed to arouse him. whats you
nameY he demanded bluntly. Hi
voice was heavy and his deafness wa
reflected in the strained tone.
"It's on the butt of my gun, Sar
dusky."
whats that he says" demande,
the man known as the butcher. askin
the question Of Logan, but withou
taking his eyes of his shifty prey.
Logan raised his voice to repeat tn
words and to add a ribald comment.
"You make q good deal Of noise,
mdttered Sandusky. speaking again t