Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-06-23

The large brown hand OF the west
erner closed over his.
"I'm talkin' to you, Mr.. Bromfield.
It's not polite for you to start phon-
ing, not even to the police, whilst
we're still engaged in conversation.
Don't you try to interfere with me,
said the man who paid the telephone
bill. "Tll not submit to such an In
dignity"
I'm not the only one that inter
feres. You fixed up quite an entertain
ment for me the other night, didn't
you? Wouldn't you kinda call that
interferin' some? 1 sure ought to comb
yore hair for it."
Bromfield made a hasty decision to
get out. He started for the door.
Clay travelled in that direction too.
They arrived simultaneously. Claren-
don backed away. The Arizonan
locked the door and pocketed the key.
His host grew weakly violent. From
WhitfOrd he had heard a story about
two men in a locked room that lie
not reassure him now. One of the
men had been this cattleman. The
other-well, he had suffered. LET me
out! I'll not stand this! You can't
bully me !" he cried shriHy.
Don't pull yore picket-pin, Brom-
field" advised Lindsay. 1--WE elected
myself boss of the rodeO. What l say
goes. You'll save yorese'f a heap of
worry if you make up yore mind to
that right away"
"What do you want? What are you
trying to do? I'm not a barroom
brawler like Durand. 1 don't intend
to fight with you"
"You've ~ce'tainly relieved my mind"
murmured Clay lazily. whats yore
own notion of what 1 ought to do to
you, Bromfield? You invited me out
as a friend and led me into a trap aft
er you had fixed it up. Wouldn't a
frst-class thrashin' with a h~awsswhip
be about right?"
Bromfield turned pale. give got q
weak heart" he faltered.
an say you have" agreed Clay.
ITS pumpin' water in place of blood
right now, I'll bet. Did you ever have
a real honest-to-G-d lickin' when you
was a boy"
The New Yorker knew he was help
less before this clear-eyed, supple ath-
lete who walked like a god from
Olympus. One can't lap up half a
dozen highballs a day for an indie
terminate number of years without get
ting fabby. nor can he spend himself
in feeble designations and have re-
serves of strength to call upon when
needed. The tongue went dry in his
mouth. He began to swallow his Ad-
ANS apple.
Lets look at this thing from all
Sides" went on Clay ch%eerfully. "If
we decide by a majority of the voting
stock-and I'm carryin' enough prox-
les so that I've got control-that you'd
ought to have a whalin', why, o
course. there's nothin' to it but get
to business and make a thorough job"
Maybe l didn't do right about Mad
DOCKS"
mo meobe about that. You acted
like a yellow hound"
"Im sorry. 1 apologize"
81 don't reckon l can use apologies.
l might make a bargain with you"
"Ill be glad to make any reasonable
bargain"
How'd this do? I'll vote my stock
and proxies in the Bromfield Punish
ment company, Limited, against the
whalin', and you vote yore stock and
proxies in the Bird Cage company to
return the present board and direc-
torate."
"That's coercion"
"Well, so it is"
1.-The law"
ibid you go hire a lawyer for an
opinion before you paid Durand to do
me up?"
you've got no right to hold me a
prisoner here to help Whitford."
"All right, I won't. I'll finish my
business with you and when Pm
through, you can go to the annual
meetin'-if you feel up to travelin'
that far"
"I1l give you a thousand dollars to
let me alone"
1udl u De d LHOuSdHQ anu lily you
had given me, wouldn't it?" returned
Lindsay gayly.
Tears of vexation stood in Brom-
fields eyes. "All right. Let me go.
I'll be fair to Whitford and arrange
q deal with him."
sect the stockholders who're with
you on the phone and tell 'em to vote
their stock as Whitford thinks best.
Get Whitford and tell him the fights
Off"
IF I do, will you let me go?"
"1f you don't we'll return to the
previous questionable annual meet
ing of the Bromfield Punishment com
pany, Limited"
Bromfield got busy with the tele-
phone.
When he had finished, Clay strolled
over to a bookcase, cast his eyes over
the shelves and took out q hooIy To