Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-06-09

of them was "Sllm" Jim Collins, the
other Gorilla Dave. AS yet they had
not seer him He did not look ut them
but at his host. There was a question
in his mind he wanted solved. The
clubman's gaze passed over both the
newcomers without the least sign OF
recognition.
"T didn't know what this joint was
like or I'd never have brought you"
apologized Clarendon. "a friend of
mine told me about it. He's got a
queer fancy If he likes this frazzled
dive"
Clay acquitted Bromfeld of con-
spiracy. He must have been tailed
here by Durand's men. His host had
nothing to do with it. What for?
They could not openly attack him.
"Slim' Jim's eyes fell on him. He
nudged Dave. Both of them, standing
near the entrance, watched Lindsay
steadily.
Some one outside the door raised
the cry. 1.-THE bulls are comm"
Instantly the room leaped to fren-
zied excitement. Men dived for the
doors, bets forgotten and chips scat
tered yer the floor. Chairs were
smashed rs they charged over them.
tables overturned. The unwary were
trodden underfoot.
Bromfield went into a panic. Why
had he been fool enough to trust
Durand? No doubt the fellow would
ruin him as willingly as he would
Lindsay. The raid was fifteen min
utes ahead of schedule time. The
ward politician had betrayed him. He
felt sure of 1t. All the carefully pre-
pared plans agreed upon he %jettisoned
promptly. His sole thought was to
save himself, not to trap his rival.
Lindsay caught him by the arm.
Let's try the back room"
He followed Clay, Durand's gang
men at his heels.
The lights went out.
The westerner tried the window. 1t
was heavily barred outside. He turned
to search for a door.
Brought up by the partition, Brom-
field was whimpering with fear as he
too CROPPED for a way of escape. A
pale moOn shone through the window
upon his evening clothes.
In the dim light Clay knew that
tragedy impended. "Slim" Jim had
his automatic out.
1--WE got you good" the chauffeur
snarled.
The gun cracked. Bromfield bleated
In frenzied terror as Clay dashed for
ward. A chair swung round in q
sweeping arc. AS it descended the
splitting of the gun slashed through the
darkness a second time.
"Slim" Jim went down, rolled over.
lay like a log.
Some one dived for Lindsay and
drove him against the wall, pinning
him by the waist. A second figure
the first and caught the cattle
mans wrist.
Then the lights flashed on again.
Clay saw that the man who had flung
him against the partition was Gorilla
Dave. A plain-clothes man with a
star had twisted his wrist and was
clinging to 1t. Bromfield was nowhere
to be seen, but an open door to the
left showed that he had found at least
a temporary escape.
A policeman came forward and
stopped over the figure of the pros,
trate man.
"Some ones croaked a guy" ne said.
Gorilla Dave spoke up quickly. "This
fellow did it. With a chair. / seer
him."
There was a moment before Lindsay
answered quietly. "He shot twice,
The gun must be lying under him
where he fell"
Already men had crowded forward
to the scene of the tragedy, moved by
the morbid curiosity a crowd has In
such sights. Two policemen pushed
them back and turned the still body
eel No revolver was to be seen
anybody know who this Isl" one of
the officers asked.
"Collins-'Slim' Jim," answered big
Dave.
well. he's got his this time" the
policeman said. "Skull smashed"
Clay's heart sank. In that noise of
struggling men and crashing furniture
very likely the sound of the shots had
been muff1ed. The revolver gone, false
testimony against him, proof that he
had threatened Collins available, Clay
knew that he was in desperate straits.
"There was another guy here with
him in them glad rags" volunteered
n of the gamblers captured in the
raid.
"Who was he?" asked the plain
clothes mar of his prisoner.
Clay was silent. He was thinking
rapidly. His enemies had him trapped
at last with the help of circumstance.
Why bring Bromfield into it? 1t would
mean trouble and worry for Beatrice.
Better speak un young fellow, me
lad" advised the detective. SIT won't
help you any to be sulky. You're up
against the electric chair sure"