Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-22
CHAPTER XIX
The Russian Pays

was vaoter which he had procured from
n wo;shboring rivulet. Briefly mad a
the ne bis forehead about the size OF n
lump az do,iar and his disheveled appear
silSs' ave evidence Of an active part In
the ss%bet;s Wi,et;; happened'" asked Peter
.,,u,,y starting up US memory came
back ant 70 Bricrly %i didn't answer at once.
DHers, % drink this. l don't think
,o,'re badly hurt .,
"u.SSo lust dazed Bit, muttered
p,tsr and let Briefly minister to him
for a moment. uo.o ton manv for
49," Rrierly explained. I'VE made n
~, a,,,,v good fight Of it at that, put they
I,id I,isd rs by sheer weight OF numbers'
ynnrs y isn't the only bruised mead,
.soneb avb Yakimov got his early IN the
.a.ms-and jacob. And gee out tnnt
. a 'beaut' you handed flynn-rlght
" ,t tbe solar plexus with your heel. Inc
.aavats--wasn't ~ it? / saw frenchy
sr,i That in n dive In Bordeaux
irscion ri Flynn won't be doin much agl-
tatin' for a while--oScep' III n'' ''o"'
mick ...o," oslod Peter.
~ hauled you into the push as sooi
4. got a chance---in he coniuSion- on
and gradually got you PACK IN nere.
But [ think they're lookln lor US so
we'd better get a move oh 'o'n do
you're fit enough
npeat IL I reckon. Haven't seen
him." upu;or,r TN
- o, I'll try to make II uD
IA YOU for this
lyon needn't bother. I'm for you.
.You can't let lot Of roughnecks put
Il over on you like this :,
"No-I can't can't muttered
Peter.
~ wish we had bunch of the boys
7 VA, with over in France down here.
There's a few up in Mays Landing
who'd clean this lot up in no time
"I wish we had them" Peter
srairbtened with some difficulty and
rose to a sitting posture as the thought
came to him. "I've got to get to the
phone, Briefly"
"No. l wouldn't advise that--not
here. Those roughnecks are between US
and the office-in the Office, too, l
reckon, by this time. 1t wouldn't be
safe. Who were you goin' to phone
to-"
Mays Landing-the Sheriff. I'm
roing to see this thing through"
"Righto! And I'm with you to
fare.ye- well. But it's got to be man.
aged different. They'll beat you to
death II you show up now. 1t was
Yakmov that shot Mt you. He's after
you. You were armed. It's a wonder
you didn't shoot him down." And
then, with some hesitation, Say, Mr..
Nichols, you amt really the Grand
Duke Peter, are you?'
Peter SMILED. whats left of him
am. This man Yakimov is an agent
Of Trotzky."
Briefly whistled softly between his
teeth. Il reckon they want to get you,
don't they"
Peter nodded. But they won't-not
yet"
They held brief council Of war and
in moment on hands and knees were
making their way through the under
brush in the general direction of Black
Rock. Behind them they heard rough
laughter and an occasional outburst of
song which proclaimed that new sup
plies Of whisky had been uncarthed and
that the anarchy which Yakimov so
u
while, Peter managed to get to his feet
and moved on at a greater speed. He
had only been stunned by Shad's blow
"A part of the force Of which he had
caught on his arm. The arm was still
numb and his head thumped, but as he
went on In the cool mir his brain cleared
and be found it possible to plan with
some some dehniteness. Briefly knew the
sherif at Mays Landing. There was
morning his friends would rather do
tnan 10 be sworn in as deputies for q
Ioo like this. He had thought 1t q
wonder that Peter hadn't called the
Sheriff in before.
~ thought l could manage the stu
suon alone, Brierly," said Peter
quTletiy' but It's got the best of me-"
lhe way was long to Black Rock-at
.east eight miles by tho way they took
ana 1t was almost 6 o'clock when they
reached McGuire's. They knew that
WIN the "hivver" in the possession of
ue outlaws it was quite possible that
some OF the ringeaders of the disturb
auce might have preceded them, and so
they Kept under cover until near the
souSe, when they quickly emerged from
Inc pushes and made their way to the
intchen door, entering without knock
Ln AN unpleasant surprise awaited them
ueie' Tor IN the kitchen, securely gagged
cnI pound to chair, they found Nc
'Ilre valet, Stryker.
~ LOOK only moment to release the
@ man ana to get the gag out of his
no;ut, y;utH, Wheh he began sputtcring and
house. oA INTO INC
Hawk - Hawk Kanpedvm tbe
sNiazed Peter made out.
ana after staring at the man Z, n
moment of bewildcrment. Peter draw
t w.. MS revolver and dashed tbrouph
sIs oT mouse, keyed up at once TO nrw
SSeIs SIN'u[e, re- the eager Brerly at his
IN ''I H. ihey went up the stairs and
Wh WI ,ne door of MCGuire's own room
A. ttc w Ihcy stood for n moment aphast
Sne disorder and havoc before them
.apers and books were scattered
ovyMhere upon the floor, chairs were
w0Unt'urhed' w0n and the door of the safe
hn, alar' AT first he saw no one
bsSrS" "neh feter entered the room he
tSs St - a q sound from the corner beyond
sasn '"U1s' a a sound halfway between a
his om "n,1 d groqn, and there he found
uhidlp'oyer' Jonathan X. McGuire,
t"De9 trTs"e9 up on the floor. bound and
bEISSsed like his valet and Guite % ns
aWpttsS' "itsS' 1t was evident that the lone
Bnt 'i 70 terror had come to Black Rock |
eneI eHI :, II he was dismaycd and fright !
mural seemed that, Mcclure was un- /
was IiftSd "nu Whcn he was released he
Into nLt.d to his feet and n chair
moUohlrh Whlrh he sank speechless for n
'D,rnt no Na OF rehabilitation. There was
had ATeu T TO question him as to what
sVisoInoa Inoappened in this room, for the
Dose pHces n OF Hawks visit and its MIR
pose Were nll Too nuiL. Niiu W Pul-