The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-05-02

Mercedes Tough, 10 set free. but he
N9s too strong for her.
"Now you change your mind In a
hurry or M make you nr raised
hts voice, Give that KIDS arm a
tNis, o. two." Then he continued 10
The sirl I'm show you who's boss
hcrc"
Shorty more than obcyed Bucks
order Rasllio let out a succession of
ahrioks. a. the brute twisted his arm
anh the tender bonet were almost
swapping.
stop" Mercedes cried 40 loudly
that her voice carried Go kildare, Who
was stu some distance down the
road Stop" she called out again.
Maybe youn listen 20 reason
now" Buck srumhled.
he caught her hy the wrist as he
spoke and drew her closer 20 him.
Mercedes beat his face with her free
hand. Hut his Jaw waa lmperyious
to her light blows With feline fe-
roeity she haired her nails then. and
ripped hts cheeks until they were
Smcared with blood. Bodino ala not
release her. however.
You fiEhtin' wildcat. no mum.
BLEED thru gri,ted teeth. IN kiss you
u Il kills me-"
Try as hard a. she might. Mer-
eedes could not hold him OFT Ills
cruel, senxuous mouth drew close 10
her own. To add to her horror. Ra-
siiio shrieked again and again. She
rcdoubled her efforts TO get free. Bo-
dine pinioned her arms against her
hips She felt something sharp rip
ping her sleeve. IL was Bucks re-
volver Automatically her finEtrs
CLOSED upon II. With wrench, she
pulled Il out OF the holster. Bodine
felt tho gun-harrei boring into his
stomach. his face grew white.
Get back" Mercedes EaAped. I'm
seguida' Al momento, OF you die
hcrei"
Buck backed away. He knew she
meant what she said Ills rifle stood
in the corner he retreated toward
u. The way 10 the door between the
two rooms was clear now. Mercedes
ran TO IL and flung IL open.
shorty sat on the bed beside Ba-
alto. the childs arms atill held In his
big hands A smoky wall lamp re-
Ycalcd him In all Of his uKilnexa. but
u he saw the girl. no did not show il.
His grip on the child did not relax
either. Mercedes cried out for him
10 let so ot her brother: abe raised
her gun 70 compel him. But fear
such as sho could never inspire in
him held shorty in lis grasp. He had
caught sight Of Blaze pcorlnE thru
the open window.
Mercedes saw only the man and
child In front OK her. shoriya rigid.
i,y turned with Incredible swif,ness
70 most violent action. He dropped
his arm and brought Il up with a
SUN in his hand so quickly that Il
surpassed belief.
But Kildare had been more rapid
than he. shorty's gun came up. and
up. and up. as Mercedes watched
speilbound. II seemed that IL was
pointing az her. Her fingers twt,ched
and her own gun harkcd.
Kildare saw the play. the Girl at
The door. her gun raised. shorty's
pistol leapinE into action: the frantic
child struggling 10 throw of the iron
hand ON his arm. But more poignant
than anything else was tn. glitter in
Shorty's eyes. Blaze knew nc was the
mans target, not the Girl. Ills gun
was in his hand A tightening OF the
lips and his automatic spat forth It's
deadly message.
He saw Mercedes gun fash. The
report Of II mnothercd his own. Only
a split-second OF time. that words fail
10 express. had interviewed between
the two shots. SO ciosc had they been
that neither the sIrl nor Bodlne in
the next room realized two guns had
spoken.
Buck rushed 10 where the girl
stood staring opcnmoufhcd al the
man on the bed. For n second. Il,
seemed, shorty hung poised IN the
air. Ills face was set. an uncarthly
light in his eyes And then. with q
thud. he crashed 10 the floor dead.
Kildare had not waited for a sec.
ond look. lie drew away from the
window and picked up tho empty
shell from his gun. He threw IL into
the creek. Why he did this was not
plain TO him AZ the time. In some