St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-05-06


The companions Of the poet rushed
forward to protest at the manhandllng
Of their leader. Those in the rear
damned the front ones close to Clay
and his captive. The COW puncher
gently but strongly pushed them back.
Don't get on the prod" he advised
in his genial drawl 1.-THE poet he's got
an important engagement right now"
A kind of scuffle developed. The pro-
pr1etor increased 1t by his hysterical
efforts to prevent any trouble. Men
I joined themselves to the noisy group
OF which Clay was the smiling center.
The excitement increased. Distant
corners Of the room became the refuge
OF the women. Some one struck at the
COW puncher over the heads Of those
about him. The mass Of closely packed
human beings showed convulsive &C
tivity. 1t became suddenly the most
popular indoor sport at the Sea Siren
to Stay this barbarian from the desert
who had interfered with the amuse-
>ments Of Bohemia.
But Clay took lot Of Staying. In
the rough-and-tuInble life Of the out
door West he had learned how to look
out for his own hand. The copper
hair Of his strong lean head rose above
the tangle Of the melee like the bro
midic Helmet Of Navarro. A reckless
light Of mirth dubbed In his dare
devil eyes. The very number Of the
opponents who interfered with each
other trying to get at him was guar
antce Of safety. The blows showered
at him lacked steam and were badly
timed as to distance. z-=-.. F..
The pack rolled across the room,
tipped over a table, and deluged an
artist and his affinity with hot choco-
late before they could escape from the
avalanche. Chairs went over like
ninepins. Stands collapsed. Men ,grunt-
ed and shouted advice. Girls screamed.
The Sea Siren was being wrecked by q
cyclone from the bad lands.
Arms threshed wildly to and fro. The
local point Of their destination was the
figure at the center OF the disturbance.
Most Of the blows found other marks.
Four or five men could have demol-
ished Clay. Fifteen or twenty found It
a tough job because they interfered
with each other at every turn They
were packed too close for hard hitting.
Clay was not fighting but wrestling.
He used his arms to push with rather
than to strike blows that counted.
The Arizonan could not afterward
remember at exactly what stage Of the
proceedings the face of Jerry Durand
impiEged itself on his consciousness.
Once, when the swirl OF the crowd
flung him close to tae door, he caught
a glimpse Of it, tight-lipped and wolf
eyed, turned to him with relentless
malice. The gang leader was taking
no part In the fight.
The crowd parted. Out Of the pack
pair of strong arms and lean broad
shoulders plowed a way for some-
what damaged face that still carried
a debonair smile. With pantherish
litheness the Ar1zonan ducked
swinging blow. A moment, and ne was
outside taking the three steps that led
to the street.
Into his laborlng lungs he drew de-
liciously the soft breath of the night.
It cooled the fever Of his hammered
face, was like an icy bath to his hot
body. A little dizzy from the blows
that had been rained on him, he stood
for q moment uncertain which way to
go.
Then again he became aware Of
Durand. The man was not alone. He
had with him hulking rufflan whose
heavy, hunched shoulders told Of
strength. There was hint Of the
gorilla in the way the long arms hung
straight from the shoulders as he
leaned forward. Both Of the men were
watching the COW puncher as steadily
as alley cats do house finch.
"H-rs going to pop In about three
seconds" announced Clay to himself.
Silently, without lifting their eyes
from their victim for an instant, the
two men moved apart to take him on
both sides. He chung to the wall. fore
Ing 1rontal attack The laughter had
gone out OF his eyes now. They had
hardened to pinpoints. This time u
was no amateur horseplay. He was
fighting for his life No need to tell
Clay Lindsay that the New York
cangster meant to leave him as good
as dead.
The men rushed him. He fought
back with clean, hard blows. Jerry
bored in like wild bull. Clay caught
him off his balance, using short arm
Jolt which had back Of 1t oil that
enty-three years of clean outdoors
Arizona could give The gangster nlt
the pavement hard.
He got up furious and charged again.
The Arlzonan, busy with the otnef
man, tried to sidestep. An uppercut
Jared him to the heel. In that instant
of time before his knees began 10
sag beneath him his brain flashed the
news that Durand had struck him on
the chin with brass knuckies. he
crumpled up and went down, stiA awe
to what was going on, but unable 70
move in his own defense. Weakly no
tried to protect his face and SIDES
from the kicks Of a heavy boot Then
he floated balloon-hke In space ana
vanished into Inconsistencies
CLAY drifted back to world III