The Snowflake herald., 1923-03-30

are r he demanded. VINO appointed
you censor to any mans speech?'
"a mans speech don't have to be
censored, Plimsoll. An I reckon you
know who l am"
"You come here looking for trouble
with me?"
II never hunt trouble, Jim. If
can't help buttin' into 1t. like man
might ride into rattlesnake In the
mesquite, aim To handle it. Eff ]
ever got into real trouble. an 1t re-
sembled you, I'd make you climb so
fast, PliinsOll. you'd wish you had
horns on your knees an eyebrows"
Plimsoll forced laugh. Fair
warning. Sandy. never raise fuss
with two-gun man. 1t amt healthy.
You've got me wrong in this matter"
''Glad to hear it. Then there won't
be no argument. Game open|'
"Wide. An little hundred-prOof
stuff to take the alkali out of your
throats. How about it?'
II don't drink when I'm playin'. ]
aim to break the bank ternight. I'm
feelin' lucky Brought my mascot
erlong"
Meaning Sam here?"
All three laughed for a mutual
clearance of the situation. Sandy had
said what he wanted and knew that
Plimsoll interpreted it correctly.
! They went into the back room ami
cably PlimsOll left them and went
back to table near the door, where
his chair was turned down at a game
of draw. He started talking in low
tone to q man seated next TO him.
The first interest of their entrance
soon died out Sim Hahn, the dealer
at faro, went on imperturbably sliding
card after card out of the case, and
the players shifted their chips about
the layout or nervously shuffied them
between the fingers of one hand
Sam nudged Sandy, speaking out
Of the corner of his mouth words that
no one else could catch. "gTIle he.nhre
I PlimSOlfs talkin' TO is Butch Par
sons. He's the killer Brady hired over
to the MBarM to chase off the
nesters."
Sandy said nothing. did not move.
AS the play began he turned and
looked at the killer who had been
named Butch" after he had shot
two heads of families that had pre-
empted land on the range that Brady
claimed as part Of his holding What
ever the justice of that claim, it was
generally understood that Butch had
killed in cold blood, Bradys political
pull smothering prosecution and in
quiry. Butch had hawkish nose and
outcurving chin. He was practically
bald. Reddish eyebrows struggled
sparsely above pale blue eyes. the
color of cheap graniteware He
packed a gun, we'll back of him. AS
he sat at the game Meeting Sandy's
lightly passing gaze. Butch sent out
puff of smoke from his half-finished
cigar. The pale eyes pointed the
action. 1t might have been chat
lenge, even d covert insult Sandy ig-
nored 1t, devoting his attention to the
caSe-keeper.
In twenty minutes Sam borrowed
stack from Sandy's steadily accu-
mulating winnings and departed for
the craps table. He wanted Quicker
action than faro gave him. Luck
tiirted with him, never entirely de-
serting him. And Sandy won until
the news of his luck spread through
the room. The gamblers began to get
the hunch that the Three Star man
was going to break the bank.
Sandy did not have many chips In
front of him, but there were five
small Oblongs of blue, markers repre-
senting five hundred dollars apiece It
mad come down to the last turn of
the deal again. Every player and on
locker knew what the three cards
were-a queen, five and deuce. If
the order of the three cards were
named correctly the bank would pay
four to one. If Sandy staked all on
his call he would win over ten thou
sand dollars. Plimsoll would have to
open his safe. Hahn did not have
that amount In his cash drawer
PlimsOll himself was looking on
Butch Parsons stood beside him for y
second and then strolled into the
front room. Another man followed
him.
SANDY showed the markers across
the board, followed by his chips. An.
parentiy aimlessly, he hitched at his |
belt and the two Colts with their tied |
down holsters swung little to the |
front, their handles just touching his
hips.
Deuce -queen-five. I'm bettin'."
he said. "An' deal 'em slow" His /
voice drawied and his eyes lifted 70
Hahn's and rested there.
Hahn had been mechanically chew
ing gum most of the evening. Now
his cheek muscles bulged more plainlv
and the end of his tongue showed :
for second between his lips. His
right hand dropped and he drew ont .
deuce. Eyes shifted from Sandy to
PlimSOlI. to Hahn TJttIn h,