Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-08-18
"Im goin' through"

| Jerry SOOu. Say, listen got d
bunch mebbe it's bum steer, but you
can't be sure till you try it. Why
don't you get in through the roof In
stead O. the Window"
"Can get in that way2"
"Surest think you know-if the trap
door amt latched. Say, stick around
outside my room half sec, will you p
The cattleman waited in the dark
ness Of the passage. If his enemies
were trying to ambush him in the
house next door the girls plan might
save him, He would have a chance
at least to get them Unexpectedly in
the rear.
It could have been scarcely more
than two minutes later that the young
| woman joined him. They padded soft
ly along the corridor till they came to
a flight Of stairs running up. The
girl led the way, taking the treads
without noise in her stockinged feet.
Clay followed with the utmost caution.
She took him toward the rear to a
ladder which ended at dormer half
door leading to the roof. Clay fumbled
| with his fingers, found a hook, I'M
fastened it, and pushed open the trap.
He looked up into a starlit night and
a moment later stepped out upon the
roof. Presently the slim figure Of the
girl stood beside him.
They moved across to a low wall,
| climbed it and came to the dormer
door of the next house. Clay knelt
and lifted it an inch or two very slow
| ly. He lowered it again and rose.
"rm heap obliged to you, Miss"
he said In a low voice. You're a
game little gentleman"
She nodded. "My name Is Annie
Millikan."
"Mine is Clay Lindsay. want to
come and thank you proper some day."
II take tickets at Heath's Palace
Of Wonders two blocks down." she
whispered. "Look out for yourself.
Don't let 'em get you. Give 'em a
chance, and that gang would croak you
sure. You will be careful, won't your"
81 never threw down on myself yet"
The girls flippancy broke out again.
|
is and I'll send you a salad bowl"
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
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 will 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
floor. To him there f1oated a murmur
of sounds. He soft-footed it closer,
reached the door, and dropped noise
lessly to knee. A key was in the
lock on the outside. With infinite
precaution against rafting he turned
it, slid it out, and dropped it in his
coat pocket. His eye fastened to the
opening.
Three men were sitting round
table. They were making a bluff at
playing cards, but their attention was
focused On door that evidently led
| %fo
revolvers 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 it 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 Uc1OT6 uldU SLuIuDleQ 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
other two gunner, caught at disad-
vantage a few feet from the table,
dived for their automatics. They were
too late. Clay swung his body down.
ward from the waist with a quick,
strong jerk. The man on his back
shot heels over head as though he
had oeen hurled from catapult,
crashed face up on the table, and
dragged it over with him In his for
! ward plunge to the wall.
Before any one else could move or
sneak Iindsay's gun was ont