Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-06-18

shops and the Laurel creek bridge be-
Ing unsafe for this big mogul." He
looked Pennington over with frank adj
miratlon. you're certainly on the
job, Colonel. III say that much for
you"
you've stolen my engine" Penning-
ton almost screamed. 'Tll have the
law on you for grand larceny"
"Tut-tut! You don't know who
stole your engine. For all you know.
your own engine crew may have run
II down here"
"T'll attend to you, sir" Pennington
replied, and he turned to enter Mayor
Poundstone's little fllvver.
mot tonight, Mt least" Bryce re-
,orted gently. "Havlng gone this far,
! would be poor general to permit
you to escape now with the news Of
your discovery. You'd be down here
In an hour with a couple of hundred
members Of your mill crew and give
us the rush. You will oblige me, Colo
mel Pennington, by remaining exactly
where you are until give you permits
sion to depart"
And IL refuse"
"Then l shall manhandle you, truss
you up like fowl in the tonneau Of
your car, and gag you"
To Bryce's infinite surprise the Colo
mel smiled. "Oh, very well !" he re-
piled. II guess you've got the bulge
on me, young man. Do you mind II !
sit In the warm cab of my own en-
CINE? l came away in such hurry
] quite forgot my overcoat."
mot ut all. III sit up there and
keep you company"
Half an hour passed An automo-
bile came slowly up Water street and
paused half block away, evidently
accommodating the situation. Instant
ly the Colonel thrust his head out the
CAB window.
"Sexton!" he shouted. "Cardlgan's
cutting in n crossing He's holding
me here against my will. Get the mill
crew together and phone for Rondeau
and his woods-crew. Send the switch
engine and couple of flats up for
them. Phone Poundstone. Tell him
to have the. chief of police"
Bryce Carligan's great hand closed
over the Colonel's neck, while down
Water street dark streak that was
Buck Ogilvy sped toward the automo-
bile intending to climb in and make
Pennington's manager a prisoner asc.
He was too late, however. Sexton
swung his car and departed at full
speed down Water street, leaving the
disappointed Buck to return painting
to the scene of operations.
Bryce Cardigan released his hold on
Pennington's neck. "You win, Colo
nel," he announced. "No good can
come of holding you here any longer.
Into your car and on your way"
THANK you, young man." the Colo
mel answered. and there was Il metal
lie ring In his voice He looked at
his watch in the glare Of torch.
"Plenty of time" he murmured. Cur
few shall not ring tonight Quite
deliberately he climbed into the
mayors late source of woe and
| breeZed away.
Colonel Pennington did not at once
return to his home however. Instead
he drove up to the business center Of
the town. The streets were deserted,
but one saloon-the Sawdust Pile
was still open.
Pennington strobe through the bar
and into the back room, where num-
Der of poker games were in progress.
For moment he stood, his cold,
ophidian glance circling the room un-
til It came TO rest on no less per-
sonage than the Black MInorca, an
individual with whom the reader has
already had some slight acquaintance
II will be recalled that the Black
Minorca led the futile rush against
Bryce Cardigan that day in Penning-
toms woods.
The Colonel approached the table
where the Black Mnorca sat thumb
ing the edges of his cards, and
touched the cholo on the shoulder
The Black Minorca turned, and Pen
nington nodded to him to follow;
whereupon the latter cashed in his
chips and joined his employer on the
sidewalk. Here o whispered CONVEX
sation ensued, and at its conclusion
the Black Minorca nodded vigorously
"Sure p he assured the Colonel. "Tll
fix 'em good and plenty"
Together Pennington and the Black
Minorca entered the automobile and
proceeded swiftly to the Laguna
Grande Lumber company's mill office.
From locker the Colonel produced a
repeating rife and three boxes of
cartridges, which he handed to the
choo, who departed without further
ado into the night.
Twenty minutes later, from the top
of lumber pile in Cardigan's driving
yard, Bryce Cardigan saw the fash of
d rifle and felt Il sudden sting on his
left forearm. He leaped around in
front of the cowcatcher to gain the
shelter Of the engine and another bull
let struck at his feet and ricocheted
off into the hight. 1t was followed by
fusilade. the bullets kicking up the
freshly disturbed earth among the
workers and sending them scurrying
to various points Of safety. In an in
slant the crossing was deserted, and
work had been stopped, while from
the top of the adjacent lumber pile