St. Tammany farmer., 1922-07-15

| "At Maddock's.''
"Who did itY'~
| "De guy he was to gun"
"Lindsay?"
'eDat's de fellow"
| "Did the bulls get Lindsay7'
"Pinched him right on de spot"
''Gun Slim did he?"
"Nope. Knocked him cold Wit q
chair. Cracked his skull"
rs he dead?'' s.s@z
Hell never be deader Dave grabbed
this sucker Lindsay and yelled that he
done it. The bulls pinched him like /
! said right there"
"Did it happen in the dark?"
"Sure as you're foot high. My Job
was dousin' the glims, and l done II
right"
"What about 'SlimY Was he shoot.
ing when he got it7''
| The other man shook his head. "*rhis
Lindsay man claims he was. / talked
wit bull afterward Dey didn't find
no gun on Slim The bull saws there
| was no gun-pluy."
"AVhat became Of Sims gunT'
Search me-"
Durand slammed big fist exultant-
| fy down on the desk. "Better than the
way l planned it. If the guns gone,
I'll frame Lindsay for the chair. It's
Salt creek for his"
He lost no time in getting into touch
with Gorilla Dave, who was under ar
rest at the station house. From him
he learned the story of the killing Of
Collins. One whispered detail Of 1t
filled him with malicious glee.
'The boob! He'll go to the death
chair sure If can frame him. We're
lucky Bromfleld ran back into the lit
tie room. Up in front dozen guys,
might have seen the whole play even in
the dark
Durand spent the night strengthen
ing the web he had spun to destroy his
enemy. He passed to and fro among
those who had been arrested in the
raid and he arranged the testimony of
some of them to suit his case. More
than one of the men caught In the drag
net Of the police was willing to see the
affray from the proper angle in ex-
change for protection from prosecu-
ton.
After breakfast Durand went to the
Tombs, where Clay had been trans
ferred at daybreak.
"You needn't bring the fellow here"
he told the warden. ''I'll 20 right to
his cage and see him. I wantta have
talk with him.
Between two guards Clay climbed
the iron steps to an upper tier Of cages
at the Tombs. He was put into a cell
which held two beds, one above the
other, as in the cabin of an ocean liner.
BY the side Of the hunks was narrow
space just long enough for man to
take two steps in the same direction.
An unshaven head was lifted in the
lower bunk to see why the sleep of its
owner was being disturbed.
"Tve brought you cell mate, Shiny"
explained one Of the guards. "You
want to be civil to him. He's just
croaked friend Of yours"
"For de love o'1Gawd. Who. did he
croak7"
"'slim' Jim Collins. Cracked him
one on the bean and that was a-plenty.
Hope you'll enjoy each others society,
gents, The guard closed the door and
departed.
.'Is that right7 Did youse do up
'Slim,' or was he kiddin' mef"
II don't reckon We'll discuss that
subject" said Clay blandly, but with a
note Of finality in his voice.
"No offense boss. It's an honor to
have so distinguished gent for cell
pal. For that matter amt no cheap
rat myself. Dey pinched me for shown
de queer. I'd ought to get fifteen
years." he said proudly.
This drew grin from Lindsay,
though not exactly merry one. III
you're anxious for a long term you can
have some of mine, y he told the coun.
terfeiter.
.'Maybe you'll go up Salt creek
said Shiny hopefully.
Afraid the allusion might not be un-
derstood, he thoughtfully explained
that this was the underworld term Tor
the electric chair.
Clay made no further comment. he
found the theme gruesome one.
"Anyhow, I'm glad dey didn't put no
holster nor damper getter wit me. I'm
partickler who meet. De whole pro-
flesh is gettln run down at de heel.
Tm dead sick Of rats who can't do
nothln' but lift pokes,""c concluded the
occupant Of the lower berth with dis
gust.
Though Clay's nerves were OF the
best he did very little sleeping that
night. He was in grave situation.
Even IL he had fair field his plight
would. be serious enough. But he
guessed that during the long hours OF
darkness Durand was busy weaving g
net OF false evidence from which he
could scarcely disentangle HIMSELF.
Unless Bromfield came forward at
once as a witness for him, his case
would be hopeless and Clay suspected
that the clubman would prove only a
broken reed as support. The fellow
was selfish to the core. He had not
in the telling western phrase, the CUTS
| to 90 through. He would take the line
Of least resistance.
Beatrice was In his thoughts great
+ aaal What would she think OF him