Catoctin clarion., 1923-06-14

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craw."
"Thnk Plimll show? asked Sam.
scot tor quit" said Sandy. THAT
bunch of jumpers he got togetherll
spill the beans unless he makes some
play. Let's take a pasear an look at
Casey's workings"
Patrick Casey had run in a tunnel
from the face Of his discovery It's
mouth had been closed by timbers At
ting closely into the frame of the hori-
zontal shaft, forming, not so much a
door, as a barricade, that had been
firmly spiked to heavy timbers. This
had been recently dsmantled and then
replaced. as recent marks on the
weathered lumber showed. Sandy
looked at these places closely, frown-
ing as he gave his verdict.
'Some one monkeyin' with this In.
side of the last month";" he announced.
Like as not it was that bunch of East.
erners. They'd figger the camp was
abandoned an consider themselves
justified as philanthropists into bu'stin'
open anything that looked good-like
this tunnel. Yes sir" Sandy went on,
warming to his own theory, at wudn't
surprise me If this warn't the mine
they sampled which Plimsoll finds out
! Is the real stuff an clamps on"
"Well," said Mormon "we'll have a
! chance to ask him in a minute. He's
comm up with that crowd of his
rangin' erlong an their ha'r liftin'."
The three partners met the jumpers,
now headed by Plimsoll, on the border
Of the claims. The gamblers face was
livid. "You four-fushers get of this
ground" he clustered. you're claim
ing to represent Molly Casey's rights
after you've kidnapped the girl and
sent her out Of the state 1t won't get
you anywhere or anything. I've got a
half interest in these claims and I've
plenty of witnesses to prove It,"
81 don't believe yore witnesses are
half as vallyble as they might have
/ been before politics shifted in Herefod
county" said Sandy you amt got a
written contract an it w'udn't do you
a mite of good If you had, fur as I'm
concerned. Because I've been duly an
legally app'inted guardeen to Casey's
daughter Molly an I'm here to repre-
sent her interests, likewise mine I've
got my guardianship papers right with
me-"
"A HI Of lot of good they'll do
you In this camp" sneered Plimsoll.
"Representin' her interests. I'll say
you are, an your own along with
EN-" A laugh from his followers
heartened him. ''If the camp ever
hears the yarn of your running off
with the girl and now, with her tucked
away, coming back to clean up, I've a
notion they'd show you four-fushers
whers you've sat in to the wrong
game. Why :"
Something in Sandy's face stopped
| him. 1t became suddenly devoid Of all
expression, became a thing of stone
out of which blaZed two gray eyes and
voice issued from lips that barely
moved.
i've got notion, tOo Plimsoll. A
notion that 1t 'ud be good days work
to shoot you TO- foul-mouthed, lynn,
stealin' crook You've called me q
! fO'-fusher twice, an the on'y way to
! prove a fo-fiusher is to call fo' a show
down. I'm doin' It,"
The words came cold and even,
backed by a grim earnestness that i'm
| printed itself on the lesser manhood
Of the jumpers as a finger leaves In
! print In clay. They shifted back Q
| Ittla from p1fn,cnll nj ont oc
they might have moved from a man
marked by pestilence. He stood trying
to outface Sandy, to keep his eyes
! steady.
you pack yore gun under yore coat
flap" said Sandy. II don't know how
/ quick you can draw but 1 aim to find
I out"
He handed one of his own guns to
Mormon announcing his action lest
Plimsoll might mistake 1t.
! Nov, then" he went on, II once
told you looked to you to stop any
! gossip about Molly Casey. Same time
Butch Parsons an Sim Hahn got huht.
You don't seem able to sabe plain talk
an I'm tired Of talkin' to you, Jim
Plimsoll. Me, I'm goin' to roll me a
cigarette. Any time you want to you
can draw. I'm givin' you the aidge on
me. If you don't take that aidge, Jim
Plimsoll, I'm givin' you till sun-up ter
morrer mornin' to git plumb out Of
/ camp. An to keep driftin'."
Deliberately Sandy took tobacco
~ nnolyot Of
his shirt, his fingers functioning auto
matically, precisely, his eyes never
shifting from Plimsoll's face, measur-
ing by feel the amount Of tobacco
shaken into the little trough of brown
paper.
The group gazed at him fascinated.
Plimsolls face beaded with tiny drops
of sweat. his hands moved slowly up
ward toward his coat lapels, touched
| them as Sandy twisted the end Of the
cigarette, stayed there, shaking slight
ly with what might have been eager
ness-or paralysis. For the look In the
steel-gray eyes of Sandy Bourke, half
mocking, all confident, spurred the
doubts that surged through the gam
+ bler's schance-calculating mind, while
/ he knew that every atom Of hesitation
| lessened his chances.
His own hands were close to his
chest. His right had but few inches
to dart, to drag the automatic from its
smooth holster Sandy's hands were
high above his belt, rolling the ciga-
rette. They had four times as far to
I. 90 Hou,nrnr plimcnll InnW thnt lf