Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-11-02
w of his friends asserted itself.

4
the bally show would have been over,
| and I'd have had to advertise again.
Only Peterson was in the dining
room when Hugh came down. He had
| examined the stairs on his way, but
! he could see nothing unusual which
would account for the thing which had
whiZZed past his head and changed sui
lenly against the wall. Nor was there
any sign of the cobra by the curtained
| door: merely Peterson standing in
sunny room behind a bubbling coffee
| machine
He turned politely toward his host,
! and paused in dismay. Good heavens,
Mr.. Peterson, is your neck hurting
! your"
1T is" answered Peterson grimly.
I "A nuisance, having stiff neck.
| Makes every one laugh, and one gets
no sympathy. Bad thing-laughter
-. At times, anyway"
| Curiosity is a great deal worse,
! Captain DrummOnd 1t was touch and
go whether l killed you last night"
II think | might say the same" re-
turned Drummond
eyes and no." said Peterson. From
| tho moment you left the bottom of the
stairs, l had your life in the palm of
my hand Had | chosen to take it,
my young friend, l should not have
had this stiff neck"
Hugh returned to his breakfast I'M
concernedly.
"Granted, laddie, granted. But had
not been of such a kindly and for
bearing nature, you wouldn't have
had it, either" He looked at Peter
son critically "Im inclined to think
it's a great pity l didn't break your
neck while l was about it." Hugh
sighed and drank some coffee. 81 see
that | shall have to do it some day,
and probably Lakington's as we'll. :. i. :.
BY the way, how is our Henry?
trust his jaw is not unduly incon-
veniencing him."
Peterson, with his coffee cup in his
hand, was staring down the drive.
your car is little early, Captain
Drummond," he said at length "HOw-
ever, perhaps it can wait two or three
minutes while we get matters perfect
~ clear / should dislike you not
knowing where you stand" He turned
round and faced the soldier "You
have deliberately, against my advice,
elected to fight me and the interests
! represent. SO be it, From now OH
the gloves are off. You embarked on
this course from a spirit of adventure,
at the instigation of the girl next
door She, poor little fool, is con-
cerned over that drunken waster-her
father. She asked you to help her
you agreed, and, amazing though it
may seem, up to now you have scored
certain measure of success. | adj
nit it, and l admire you for it.
apologize now for having played the
fool with you last night; you're the
type of man whom one should kill out
right-Or leave alone"
He set down his coffee cup and care
fully shipped the end off a cigar.
"YOu are also the type of man who
will continue on the path he has start
ed You are completely in the dark;
you have no idea whatever what you
are up against" He smiled grimly,
and turned abruptly on Hugh. You
fool-you stupid young fool. Do you
really imagine that you can beat me?"
The soldier rose and stood in front
of him.
Il have few remarks of my own to
might consider the interview closed. l
ask nothing better than that the gloves
should be off-though with your filthy
methods of fighting, anything you
touch will get very dirty. AS you
say | am completely in the dark as to
your plans; but l have pretty shrewd
idea what I'm up against. Men who
can employ thumbscrew on a poor
defenseless brute seem to me to be
several degrees worse than an aborigi-
nal cannibal, and therefore if I put
you down as one of the lowest types
of degraded criminal l shall not be
very wide of the mark There's no
good you snarling at me, you swine;
it does everybody good to hear some
home truths-and don't forget it was
you who pulled off the gloves
Drummond lit a cigarette; then his
merciless eyes fixed themselves again
on Peterson.
There is only one thing more" he
continued ''You have kindly warned
me of my danger; let me give you a
word of advice in my turn I'm going
to fight you; If l can, I'm going to
beat you. Anything that may happen
to me is part of the game. But if
anything happens to Miss Benton dur
ing the course of operations, then, as
surely as there is a God above, Peter
son, I'll get at you somehow and MUIR
der you with my own hands,"
For a few moments there was 81