Evening star., 1923-09-08
Continued from Yesterdays starr

me-no-use-you-t Better sig
nal-quits." Hawkins gasped.
Once the full Significance Of the
thing came to him. Pete felt himself
torn between mad impulse tc
charge the murder house and more
his friend. a glance at the wound
and he knew life or death hung In
the balance, and that time was every
thing. Frantically he sprang to his
feet and raised both arms in the air
as evidence of surrender.
A loud voice sounded from the open
doorway "All right. We'll come and
get va; hoist 'em high. no dirty w...41.
We got va covered"
Keep standing" the vo Sc ordered,
where's Hawkins: ,.,et up. Haw.
kins, or we'll 81 t~sot yer burglar
friend"
He's don. for. you dirty assassins.
He iits ne~',ly dead shoot me, .s, IL YOU
ur<Ick" Pete half shouted and half
pleaded the words.
Apparently satisfied. two men with
rifles in arms came forward. followed
closely by two others.
Damn fools to put up fight" the
man in front grunted as he indica ted
the packs. and Hawkins gun. still
in the the mnrrs fdr sbnrn hsnd PETE
knew the types. for he had seen gum
men, thugs and gangsters aplenty in
San Francisco, Only the clothes. he
observed. gave them a different out
now confronted him.
Quick, this mans dying. For
GODS sake get him into the house"
he pleaded. lowering his arms and
bending over the prostrate figure
The leader, with sly. rat-llke ex.
preston. kicked Pete's pack vicious
ly. HELL" he muttered. bet ne
n drnn Tn Irt ttlt. In
Then tuSntng to Pete, he thrust his
suS m enac cingly at him and contin-
hed: Don't get in hurry. YOU. We
know what We're doing. all right;
bucks on the hoof and this birds
worth about that much dead. And
when 1t comes to that part OF 1t
you killed him-see?"
nessed Hawkins iifeblood ooze.
curse was surely on his head
bitterness grippea his soul. The gun
identity; like evil genii they looked.
end an insane impulse to spring upon
them swept over him!
But the very insanity of the I'M
pulse brought cunning with 1t, as
Pete turned to the gunner and
spoke quickly.
Rats" he began. know what
you've done? You've nearly killed
the man that cached the s50,0o0 1
stole; Here's the only living man
ed at the prcstrate form on the
snow and went on. Let me dress
his wounds. I'll get the pot, and
swift it with you. Quick, he's going
fast"
Alguin. he of the rat face. al"
the gangsters called him. stepped
close IL to Pete, Pete IF yer lying" he he
numbering this man. and fixin' the
hole in him won't make him live
either. If yer talkin' straight the
deal sounds fair enough. Bring the
Gopher in. fellows. no hurry any
how. Bull can't get here for hours
yet"
Hurry then. for Gods sake hurry"
Pete shouted as he grabbal his
pack and rushed wildly for the cabin
"Bcd-quick." he ordered on gain
Ing an entrance. Frantically he tore
medicine kit that Smead had in
cluded in his list of supplies. Then
he made for the bed upon which
Hawkins was laid by the four men
who carried him In.
Only the subconscious mind OF
the one-time medical student seemed
functioning as Pete hung over the
PROSTATE body of his friend and
probed deep into the left lung for
the ssassins bullet.
Even the huddled group of gang
aters, some nervous and restless in
the presence of their crime. marveled
at the phenomenal skill with which
he worked.
Alguin alone, as he played an
electric flash at Pete's command.
seemed interested, for mercenary
reasons only.
At the end of an hour Pete
strafghtened and breathed heavily.
Cant see what you frisk safes
for. when you can do that" Alguin
spoke for the frst TIME.
If Pete heard him, he made no
sign. as tenlerly he looked again
under the eyelids of the helpless
Hawkins. I've done all a human
can" he muttered God only can
do the rest, ami God doesn't seem
to be working" Then he sank to
his knees beside the bed.
know. but when he again opened
his eyes. kerosene lights were burn
ing in another room. and a fire was
cracking somewhere in an open
hearth. He was not in one-room
shack, he noticed. but rather in one
room of combination of three or
four. Pete, however. paid little at
tention to the room. as he hung
breathlessly over the form of his
patient, observing his breathing and
pulse beats. At length, convinced
that he had done all that lay within
his power for the wounded man, he
slumped again to his knees by the
bed.
Presently he heard some one brush
through the door and approach the
bedside. but he did not look up as
his throbbing head had again sought
refuge between his folded arms. A
strange voice reused him.
i've brought you some supper Mr..
Alden, and some clean bandages and
water You are a splendid surgeon"
Pete rubbed his eyes in astonish-
ment. A woman or Girl he could
not be sure in the dim light, stood
beside him.
Am / crazy, or am I sightseeing
again on the barbary coast?" he
laspcd through his teeth. What eff
feet the bitter insinuation had. he
could not see. and would not IL he
could. He was in a gangsters den.
only one kind of a woman could be
answer. but the woman had left,
leaving a small tray of food a pitch
err OF hot water and a small roll
of clean white strips on an empty
soap box by the bedside.
The sight of the bandages caused
the operation of a few hours before
TO flash back through Petes mini.
seemed. some one who knew just
what he wanted. He remembered
her family. He could not be sure
his brain could not be trusted. First
stupefied with whisky, eating only
once in twenty-four hours, witness
ing himself rlacarded as thief;
invited to freedom by man of his
own heart. only, so 1t seemed to be
the cause of that same friends now
far too much for one human being
no endure 1t was little wonder he