Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-27
CHAPTER ONE


Com on little joel"
Seven up an stop.
Lay you six to five!'
Change them dice!'
"Oh. you natural!"
Crap 'em bones!"
Easy six"
Faded Let EN- gallopl"
These cheerful sounds-and others
-came from Silent Madden's crap
cellar in the heart of San Francisco
Chinatown.
1t was around midnight. and Mad
den, watching the crowd around the
big pool table, had n comfortable
feeling that this was a specially good
evening for the house. He prided
himself. since he had reformed on
running u straight shooting" joint.
and II was we'll patronized by those
who lived in the queer winding streets
leading from the ferry.
Tonight. the cold thick fog which
blew up from the bay thru the mar
row alleys. drove both the yellow
mon and the white scurrying indoors,
and Madden's underground room was
packed About forty men crowded
around the green topped table. jost-
ling. showing and occasionally curs-
ing each other in their eagerness.
The room was overheated and
stale with the mixed odors of cheap
tobacco and humanity. but it's bare
rcd Chinese cotton prints. This ar
ilstic touch was supplied by Sients
duughtcr-a young woman OF luNur-
ious tastes far above her station
hance her underworld name OF silky
Moll"
Beat 1t out. Jim. and get some
ctts'" called Madden to his cutter.
But. just as he was about to take
tho mans place. his attention was
drawn to group OF young fellows
who had slipped quietly into tho
room. and now stood idly lined up
nrninst the wall as II waiting for
FnmcfhiuE. but wearing that blank
,Npr-ssiou youth knows how to as
sumo 50 carly In the underworld.
Rolling his cigar TO the corner Of
hi7 mouth. Madden strode across tho
room and spoke to their leader:
Come on. Al. and give the shoot
cd q bot'" he cried. slappIng him on
the shoulder.
The sallow- faced Young man called
Al moved " quid Of tobacco uneasily
from one check to the other, and
eyed his pals In shif,y-cyed fashion.
sail right. SILENT" he mumblcd.
81 got me roll but a fellow can watch
sometime, can't hc2"
sure he cam" the gambler flash
81 hack-"outsidc." Come on. get
out and give a player chance, And
there's too many OF you birds Just
lying around without knowing what
you're waiting for. seer don't like
what I'm hearing lately"
'Huh amt h.arin' uothin' sorce
yuh turned rcformcrl" pipcd n mock
ing voice. and Madden reached out n
powerful arm. and pulled into view n
little undcrsizcd fellow with tho eyes
Of a rat.
"Iou!" he roarcd. Amt told
you ycFrs to keep out OF this joint7
Amt | told you l was thru and quits
with your kind Beat 1t quick be-
fore tho cops come looking for you
here and pinch YOU, or I'll have Kelly
throw you OUT"
lay off me, ye big stiff" saueal-
Cd tho rat. ~ he skunk conveniently
near the door, out OF the big mans
grasp II amt done you nothin'-
not oven II you did let an old Chink
talk religion to yuh an make yuh
doublcCrpss yer fricnds-Saw'-Yu
don't have TO bust me onC!-t blew
In 20 hand yuh n word from Black
Ntkc-ho's across In Loocy FunE's
catIu' his supper an wants TO see
yuh'"
Maddcn's gray eyes swept the lit
tie group. 5000 that's ~ Wei.
DurEln. YOU go TO silva and YOU
put u straight TO him that I used to
give him orders. and ! amt taking
any from him now II there's any
walking he'll do IT, Now. don't wait
for mo to hand you onel =. And as