The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-09-01

she flashed at him saucily as he turned
to go.
Clay was already busy with the door.
Darkness engulfed him as he closed
the trapdoor overhead. His exploring
feet found each tread of the ladder
with the utmost caution. Near the
foot of 1t he stopped to listen for any
sound that might serve to guide him.
None came. The passage was as
noiseless as 1t was dark.
Again he had that sense Of cold
finger-tips making a keyboard of his
spine. But he trod down the panic
and set his win to carry on. He
crept forward along the passage. Ev-
cry step or two he stopped to listen,
nerves keyed to an acute tension.
A flight Of stairs brought him to
what he knew must be the second
floor. To him there fioated a murmur
Of sounds. He soft-footed 1t closer,
reached the door, and dropped noise
lessly to a knee. A key was in the
lock on the outside. With infinite
precaurIon Against rafting he turne-
II, slid 1t out. and dropped 1t in his
coat pocket. His eye fastened to the
opening.
Three men were sitting round a
table. They were making bluff at
playing cards, but their attention was
focused on door that evidently led
into another room. Two automatic
revolyers were on the table close to
the hands Of their owners. A black
jack lay in front OF the third man.
Clay recognized him as Gorilla Dave.
The other two were strangers to him.
Something evil in the watchfulness
Of the three chilled momentarily his
veins. These fellows were the gun
men of New York he had read about
paid assassins whose business 1t was
to frame innocent men for the peniten-
tiary or kill them in cold blood. They
were of the underworld, without con-
science and without honor.
A soft step sounded In the corridor
behind the man at the keyhole. He
had not time to crawl away nor even to
rise before man stumbled against
him.
Clay had one big advantage over
his opponent. He had been given
an instant of warning. His right
arm went up around the neck
Of his foe and frightened there. His
left hand turned the doorknob. Next
moment the two men crashed into the
room together, the Westerner rising
to his feet as they came, with the body
Of the other lying across his back from
hip to shoulder.
Gorilla Dave leaped to his feet The
ether two gunner, caught at disad-
vantage few feet from the table,
dlved for their automatlcs. They were
too late. Clay swung his body down.
ward from the waist with q quick,
strong jerk. The man on his back
shot heels over head as though he
had been hurled from catapult,
crashed face up on the table. and
dragged IT over with him In his for
ward plunge to the wall.
speak, Llndsay's gun was out.
Easy now" His voice was a gentle
drawl that carried menace. Lem
me be boss of the rodeo while. No,
Gorilla, wouldn't play with that club
II l was you. I'm Slre h-l-a-mile
on this gunstuff. Drop it" The last
two words came sharp and crisp, for
the big thug had telegraphed an I'M
intentional warning Of his purpose to
dive ut the man behind the thirty
eight.
Gorilla Dawes fingers opened and
the blackjack dropped from his hand
to the floor.
For the love o. Mike, who Is this
guy?" demanded one of the other men.
I'm the fifth member of our little
party" explained Clay
"Wot tell do yOuse mean2 And
what's the big idea in most KILN the
chiefY
The man who had been flung across
the table turned over and groaned.
Clay would have known that face
among a thousand. 1t belonged to Jer.
ry Durand.
II came in at the wrong door and
without announcin' myself" said the
cnttleman, almost lazily, the unhurried
Incidence Of his manner not shaken.
"YOu see wanted to he on time so as
not to keep you waitin'. I'm Clay
Lindsay"
The more laxative of the gunner
from the East side flashed one look
at the two automatlcs lying on the
floor beside the overturned table. They
might as well have been in Brazil for
all the good they were to him.
Move over to the other side of the
room, Gorilla, and join yore two
friends" suggested the master OF cere-
monies. "And don't make any mis-
take. If you do you won't have time
to be sorry for 1t. I'll ce'tainiy shoot
to KILL"
The bg.shouldered thug shuffied
over. Clay stepped sideways, watch
ing the three gunner every foot of the
way, kicked the automatlcs into the
open, and took possession Of them.
He felt safer with the reyolvers in his
coat pocket, for they had been within
reach of Durand, and that member
of tho nm ,-t,, mac ehn nI,,..., - -