The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-06-02
FLOWING ( Il
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drew Il swift glance from the deS-
perado.
Gray was upon the point of
laughing himself over the table
when he witnessed peculiar tVns-
formation in his assalant. The
mans expression altered with almost
comic suddenness, he covered his
weapon and took n backward step
Gray, too, had cause for astonish-
ment. for the elderly E'En was rIpv-
ing slowly toward the disturber1 his
overc oat, meanwhile. hanging leo e.
ly from his left shoulder, like a
mantle.
That he had been recognized was
plain, for the armed man cried. agi-
tatedly: "Look out. Tom. l don't
want any truck with you"
The deliberate advance continues;
in harsh voice Tom answered: II
don't allow anybody to interfere
with me when I'm eating!" For
every step he shuffled forward Che
man before him fell back cor
responding distance.
<Akdlu lHc newcomer tuSVCu pui ~
warning and Gray too, added his
voice saying: leave him to me,
old man. This is'~my quarrel" AS
he spoke he moved around the end Of
the table, but the mantled figure
Halted him with an imperious jerk
of the head. Without in the slight
est diverting his steady gaze, Tom
snapped:
Hands off. stranger! won't have
you buttin' in either. don't allow
anybody to interfere with me when
I'm eating"
Brief as had been the whole epi-
sode, already passersby had halted
staring faces were glued to the front
windows Of the cafe. Well they
might stare at those two tense fig
ures, one advancing, the other re-
treating as if to the measures of
some slow dance.
But the tempo changed abruptly
The desperado's back brought up
against the swinging kitchen door;
it gave to his weight and decision
was born of that instant. with a
cry he flung himself backward! the
spring door snapped to and swal-
lowed him up with the speed Of a
! camera shutter: then followed the
sound of his heavy rushing foot
steps.
He'll" exclaimed the old man. 81
had his buttons counted" With the
words he let fall his ovcrcoat, and
there, beneath it, Gray beheld what
he had more than half suspected,
what indeed was ample cause for
the quarrelsome strangers appre-
hension. Held close to the owners
body was what in tue nelegant tjar-
gon of the west is known as a 'tiog
leg. The weapon, a frontier Colts
of heavy caliber, was full cooked
under the, old mans thumb; the
hand holding it was as steady as the
blazing eyes abov<
The street door burst open, a
noisy crowd poured into the room.
volley of excited questions was
raised. Amid the confusion, Gray
heard his own name shouted. and
found himself SC. upon by two agi-
tated friends, Mallow and Stoner.
Mallow dragged him toward the
door. .
Gee, Governor! You gave us a
rug We've been coming since
; noon."
1T was only by the grace of God"
Stoner declared, that we heard you
were out here and why you'd kome.
We managed to get a phond- call
through to Jackson, but it was"
Jackson didn't get you, did
he ~ Mallow inquired anxiously.
! "Get to me: No. Nor l to him"
Gray spoke impatiently. "What is
this all about?"
Simply this, Governor: JaEsons
we'll is 'set-up'! For Nelson. We
nearly dropped dead when we found
out that Parker kid had laid YOU
against it. Why didn't you tell
usA?"
What are you saying? l don't"
"Thcs wells phony. Dry as a
pretzel.'
"1n what way? l saw the oil"
'1ll say you did, Mallow chuck
led. olive oil, too; right out of old
Mamma Earth. Cheap lease at
seventy-five thousand Ell? It's like
this; the pipe line of the Atlantic
runs across Jackson.s lease, and one
dark and. stormy night he tapped it.
1t wasn't hard thing to do; just
took little care and some cleging.
Now ne runs the oil in. pumps it out
and sells it back to them. He's a
regular subsidiary of the great and
only Atlantic Petroleum Company.
1t cant last long, of course, but
oh. what well to hand Nelson.
What laugh it would have been!"
Gray clamped heavy hand upon
the speakers shoulder; harshly he
inquired. "Do you mean to say that
Miss Parker deliberately"
"She don't know anything about
| it,"
You said she laid me- againstk j."
mo, no! l merely tipped her to it
because she's one of Nelson's
brokers'"
Il told you my fight. with Nelson
was to be fair and square,"
Continued in, Our Next Issufl
Dry Cleaning, Pressing,