Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-02-23

Then the woman in her burst
through instructive fear, and with her
eyes blazing black in her white face
she lifted parted quivering lips and
kissed him.
Gale left the patio, and Bedding fol
lowed closely at his heels. They went
through the sitting-roOm. Outside
upon the porch sat the rangers, Mr..
Gale, and Thorne. Dick went into his
room without speaking.
"Shore sometimes comm off" said
Ladd. sharply and he sat up with his
keen eyes narrowing.
Bedding. spoke a few words; and,
remembering an impression he had
wished to make upon Mr.. Gale, he
made them strong.
Better stop that boy" he cOnclud-
ed, looking at Mr.. Gale. Hell do
some mischief. He's wilder'n HI"
just Their Dick came out of his door.
Richard, where are you goingY'
asked his father.
I'm going to beat a dog"
Then Dick strobe off the porch.
Hold onl" Ladd's voice would
have stopped almost any man. "Dick,
you WASN'T agoin' without meY'
Eyes, | was. But I'm thoughtless
just now, Laddy."
"Shore you was. Wait a minute,
Dick. I'm a sick man, but at that no
body can pull any stunts round here
without me-"
He hobbled along the porch and
went into his room. Jim Lash knocked
the ashes out of his pipe, and, hum
ming his dance tune, he followed
Ladd. In a moment the rangers ap-
peared, and both were packing guns.
"Where will we find these Chases?'
asked Dick of Bedding.
They've got a place down the road
adjoining the inn. They call 1t their
there sure. I don't know about the
old nan But his office is now just
across the way"
They passed several houses, turned
a corner into the main street, and
stopped at a wide, low adobe struc-
TURF. Liz DluCG was u man, anu hNCh
ed only a bar to make it a saloon. A
large table near a window was sur
rounded by a noisy, smoking, drinking
circle of card-players.
Point out this Radford Chase to
me- said Gale.
"There! The Zig fellow with the
red face. His eyes stick out a little.
Seel He's dropped his cards and his
face isn't red any more"
Dick strobe across the room. His
heavy boot shot up, and with a crash
the table split, and glasses, cards, chips
flew everywhere. AS they ratified
down and the chairs of the dumfound-
ed players began to slide Dick called
out: my name is Gale. I'm looking
for Mr.. Radford Chase"
A tall, heavy-shouldered fellow rose,
boldly enough, even swaggeringly and
glowered at Gale.
"I'm Radford Chase" he said. His
voice betrayed the holiness of his &C
ton.
1t was over in a few moments. The
tables and chairs were tumbled into a
heap; a pool table had been showed
aside; a lamp lay shattered, with oil
running dark upon the floor. Ladd
leaned against a post with a smoking
gun in his hand. A Mexican crouched
close to the wall moaning over a bro
ken arm. In the far corner upheld
by comrades another wounded Mexi-
can cried out in pain. These two had
attempted to draw weapons upon Gale,
and Ladd had crippled them.
In the center of the room lay Rad
ford Chase, a limp, torn, hulking,
bloody figure. He was not seriously
injured. But he was helpless, a mis-
cradle beaten wretch, who knew his
condition and felt the eyes upon him.
He sobbed and moaned and howled.
But no one offered to help him to his
feet.
Backed against the door of the hall
stood Ben Chase, for once stripped of
all authority and confidence and cour-
g Dick Gale confronted him. He
shook a huge gloved fist in Chase's
face.
"Your gray hairs ave you this time.
But keep out of my way! And when
that son of yours comes to, tell him
every time l meet him I'll add some
more to what he got today!"