Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-04-22


way he did it. All the tiends av hell II
be at me this night to Stipend what be
give ne-and I'm afraid"
He broke off. mumbling and chatter
ing like man in the grip of a great
terror. In his agany Of body and
spirit, Dolores could have wept for
| Don Juan Cafetero, for in that SUI
preme moment the derelict's soul was
| bare, -evealing something pure and
sweet and human, for all his degrade
ton How did Jack Webster know?
wondered Dolores. And why did he
so confidently give an order to this
human fiotsam and expect it to be
obeyed? And why did Don Juan
Cafetero come whining to her for
strength to help him obey it?
"That wouldn't be playing the
game,' she told him. 81 can't help
you deceive him. You are the first of
your breed"
Don't say It," he cried. Didn't
he tell me wanst?"
Then make the fight, Don-Mr.
| Cafferty." She lowered her voice.
|
and guard him. He needs a faithful
friend so badly, now that Mr.. Geary
| is away" She patted the grimy hand
and left him staring at the ground.
Presently he sighed, quivered horribly,
and shambled out of the patio on to
| the firing-line. And when he reported
to Jack Webster at nine o'clock next
morning. he was sober, shaking hor-
ribly and on the verge of dellrium
tremens, but tightly clasped in his
right hand he held that five-dollar
piece. Dolores, who had made it her
business to be present at the inter
view, heard John Stuart Webster say
heartily:
THE finest thing about a terrible
fight, friend Cafferty, is that If it is
worthwhile battle, the spoils Of vic
tory are exceedingly sweet. You are
now about to enjoy one fourth Of the
said spoils-a large jolt of aguard-
ientel You must have 1t to steady
your nerves. Go to the nearest can
tina and buy one drink; then come
back with the change. By that time
1 shall have breakfasted and you and
will then go shopping. At noon you
shall have another drink; at four
O'Clock another; and just before re-
firing you shall have the fourth and
last for this day. Remember, CAT
ferty: one jolt-no more-and then
back here with the exact change"
AS Don Juan scurried for salvation,
Webster turned to Dolores. HE'LL fail
me now, but that will not be his fault
but mine. I've set him too great a
task in his present condition. Never
theless. to use colloquial expression,
1 have the Cafferty goat-and I'm go
ing to keep It,"
Webster went Immediately to his
room, called for pen and paper, and
proceeded at once to do that which he
had never done before-to wit, pre-
pare his last will and testament. In
a few brief paragraphs he made a
Photographic will and split his bank
roll equally between the two human
beings he cared for mOst-Billy Geary
and Dolores Ruey. "Bill's a gambler
like me-" he ruminated; $50 I'll play !
safe. The girl is a conservative, and |
after Bill's wad is gone, he'd be boiled |
in oil before he'd prejudice hers"
Having made his will, Webster
made a copy of it. The copy he placed |
in an envelope marked: "For Jack. |
Not to be opened until after my |
death" This envelope he then enclosed |
in a larger one and mailed to Billy at
Gale de Concordia No. 10.
Having made his few simple pre-
parations for death, Mr.. Webster next |
burrowed in his trunk, brought forth
his big army-type automatic pistol
and secured it in a holster under his
arm, for he deemed it unwise and pro-
yocative Of curiosity to appear in i'm
maculate ducks that bulged at the
right hip. Next he filed two spare
clips with cartridges and slipped them
into his pocket, thus completing his
few simple preparations for life.
He glanced out the window at the
sun. There would still be an hour Of
daylight; so he descended to the lobby,
called carriage and took a short
drive.
Returning to the hotel he dismissed
the carriage, climbed the three short
steps to the entrance and was passing
through the revolving portal, when
from his rear some one gave the /:
loor a violent shove, with the result
hat the turnstile partition behind him
,ollided with his back with sufficient
'orce to throw him against the parh-
ion in front. Instantly the door
leased to pivot, with Webster locked
realty in the triangular space be-
ween the two sections Of the revolt
ing door and the jamb.
He turned and beheld in the sec
ion behind him an officer Of the
army. This Individual, S
deserving he was under Webster's
crutiny, scowled and peremptorily c
aotioned TO Webster to proceed I
-bicf, the latter did with such VIC | O