Evening star., 1923-09-11
Ccontinued from Yesterdays Starr

The two gangsters came back into the
room dragging straw mattresses behind
them. Pete, seeing that Butler was ap-
parentiy through talking, went again to
MS room. For fully Ave minutes he
sazed intently toward the mountains.
The light did not reappear. Whatever
The significance, he knew it did not
neckon him TO come to it. That some-
Ihing favorable was brewing in the hills
from whence 1t came he had no doubt,
put just what his part in what was 10
happen would be ne could not imagine.
Pete had nroflted much by his short
talk with Butler the escaped convict.
as Pete had SCI him down to be. He
was undoubtedly from San Francisco.
Judging hy his reference TO the place.
Pete mused-probably one of the
many criminals who seem to be sat
iSned to live in crime, so long as they
escape its consequence. until by some
freak chance they cross the path of
woman who fans into a frenzy their
desire to live. and eXaggerates the
chances of capture. Butler and Tam
meant something to each other, of
that Pete felt certain. He had seen
what the influence of good woman
had done for men before. In some it
had awakened slumbering conscience.
lltting them from paths of degeneracy
to useful lives. But in these men the
soul of life had always been there--it
mad only slept Butler Garret was
different. STEPPED in Shiny, wllful
crime. he had long ago lost the spark
OF manhood, If he had ever had il.
Tamarack Sue then must have mere
iy infiamed the animal passion withip
him that craved life. and exaggerated
the chances of losing it. This, surely,
accounted for his suspicious of Haw-
klns, and some one exceedingly clever
knew how to use this suspicion.
As he went over the details of his
conclusions. Pete paused at the door
ana looked once more at Butler, as
though to confirm his Judgment.
While Alguin and his companions ar
ranged mattresses for the night Bull
Ter kept his seat, nervously stacking
and restocking little piles of poker
chips. Seeing Pete in the doorway,
he reached for new package of play
ing cards and, as though to demon
strate his unconcern, he broke it open
and laid out a hand of solitaire. Pete
observed how Buffers greasy fingers,
some nearly black from fixing the
wood fire behind him. smudged the
glossy white of the cards.
The mind of man is his greatest
ally when serious danger seems near,
and now as Pete gazed at tSe cards
mite. formed itself as though by
magic. Striding rapidly forward, he
asked permission to go to the wash
room. AS he passed he noticed how
Garret sat directly in front of the
fire and always seemed cold. He OBJ
served that he had even had his mat
tresS laid out as close to the fire as
the table would permit. He stumbled
slightly over this mattress as he
crossed the room. AS he returned he
retraced his steps carefully, and this
time stumbling heavily over the mat
tress, plunged headlong into the ta-
BILE. The. impact sent the table crash
ing over almost to the burning edge
of the logs and in the general confu-
sion that followed Pete worked fast.
Deity he snatched several playing
cards from the floor and jammed them
deep into his pocket; others he pitched
into the fire. All this required but
the work of a second. Regaining his
feet he found himself looking into
the muZzle of three revolvers as he
stammered an apology.
'Ya might not meant it, but don't
do it again. Better go get locked up
now" Butler emphasized his words
by waving his gun toward Pete's
door.
Elated at his initial success, Pete
entered his room and heard the heavy
lock close behind him, He listened a
moment, and heard one of the gang
sters drag a mattress to the door.
They were certainly taking no
chances. Pete unused, as he shifted the
box that held the lamp to the bed
side, and cautiously pulled a card
from his pocket. Even with his nak-
ed eye he could make out the print
Of Buffers thumb. He counted the
cards. and found he had five of them!
Two he hid carefully in his boot top,