The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-02-24


A PLEASANT EVENING
BRAD Steelman sat hunchcd before
a firc Of pinon knots. head dropped
low between his high, narrow Shout.
ders.
Three tsps on the window brought
his head IN with Jerk. Its lax
fingers orept 60 the butt OF Gotta
revolver. lie waited. listening.
Tho taps were repeated.
Steelman sidied to the door and
opened Il cautiously. A man pushed
IN and closed tho door. lie looked
st tho shccpman and he laughed
shortly In an ugly. Jeering way.
Scared. nrady'
- The host molstencd hts lips. what
q. Dugg--
"Dont ask me- said the big man
ecornfuliy. you always had about
a. much sand In your eTaw as a rab-
bit"
ibid you conc here to make
trouble. pugr-
-No. | came 20 collect a bIii.-
"Sof Didn't know l owed you any
money right now. How much Is ltf''
Stcclnan. al tho leader OF the
gang. was USED 20 levies upon his
purse when his followers had gone
broke. lie judged that he would
have 10 let Dobic have about twenty.
five dollars now.
a thousand dollars
Brad shot a quick. sdde,orr look
at him -Whs's wrong now. Dugg''
The ex-foreman OF the u bar Lazy II
took his time to answer. he en-
toyed the suspense under which hts
ally was held. why. reckon
nothin' a-taiL Only that this mo'nin'
put match TO about a coupla
hundred thousand dollars beiongtn'
to Crawford. Sanders and Hart"
Eagerly steeiman elutched his
ram You did Il. Them
Didn't say ia do iiy- snapped
poble irritaely. "Dya ever know
me rue back on . hargain-'
~ Never"
~whars mora you newer WIN. I
drcd the chaparral above Bear
Canon The wind was right Inside
OF twenfy-four hours the Jackpo, 10
cations viii go up In smoke. Der.
rtcks. pumps. shacks. an OF: the
whole csboodle's doomed sure as I'm
. foot high
Tho face Of the ssAer man hooked
more wolfish than ever. He rubbed
his hands together. washing one
ever tho other 20 that each In turn
was massaged. -Hef's beIisi I'm
sure glad to hear H. Fire got good
start. you sayr-
Il tell you the vhcis ccntryn 70
~ Ike POWDER
II Steeiman had not yune ren-h~d
MaiapI from . visit TO one Of his
sheep camps he would have known.
What everybody else m town knew
~ this tina. that the range for
my mfiao va In danger and thas
hundreds Of volunteers were out
fighting tAs msnacA
He eye gfsfmsd IN net wear
Dournin' mona II 4 dces rust that
Tn tsiffn' you what i,u do
oeeis fnsisfsd dramatically.
shorty with your-
He WA an hs wamS IA n
who he want iookin'. He was
anddfm' his horss In the brush.
nun't mnks any breaks to him.
1hcrty's got . soft SPOT In him
oans enough. but with queer no
0onA. Sons time I'm liable to have
to-" DobIe left his sentence sus-
Dended IN AIR. but ste.fmau. looking
Into hts bleak eyes. knew vha, the
nan meant
WHATS wrung visA I'm nov.
Dux7
wen hss bssa wrong ever ssnes
\ had to bump Off Tim Harrfgan.
nfks about . fair break As II I
had . chance to let the old han get
10 a gun No. I'm not 50 awful sure
sf Shorty"
Better wAs1h him II you - him
make any false moves"
Dobie watched him with Q hunting,
scornful eye. -whatT I dor
The other mans gaze fell. why,
you got TO protect yourself. Dug.
amt your
How
Tho narrvw shoulders lffted. For
. moment the small black eyes met
those OF the big man
Whatever way seems bert 10 you,
Dug" murrnurcd Steeinan evasiveiy.
Doll. slapped his dusty hat against
his thigh. He laughed. without
nirth or geniafity. III you don't
beat Old Nick. Brad wonder was
you ever out an out straightforward
- iffe