The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-03-08


Clarendon Bromfield began to weak
en-. He and Clay were the only tive
men In the room In evening clothes
His questing eye fell on tough, SCARED
faces that offered his fears no re.
assurance. Any one or nil of them
might be agents of Durand
He showed all Of his chips out. put
ting half Of them on number eight and
the rest on seventeen. His object was
to lose his stack Immediately and be
free to go. To his annoyance the
whirling ball dropped into the pocket
labeled eight.
Lets get out Of this hole" he said
to Lindsay In low voice. IT don't
| like IT.
| suits me-" agreed the other.
As Bromf1eld was cashing his chips
Clay came rigidly to attention. Two
men had just come into the room. One
Of them was "Sllm" Jim Collins. the
other Gorilla Dave. As yet they had
not seen him. He did not look Mt them,
hut Mt his host. There was a question
In his mind he wanted solved. The
clubman's gaze passed over both the
newcomers without the least sign of
recognition.
II didn't know what this Joint wns
like or I'd never have brought you."
apologized Clarendon. "a friend of
mine told me about 1t. He's got n
queer fancy IL he likes this frazzled
dive"
CLAY acquitted Bromfleld of con.
spiracy. He must have been tailed
here by Durand's men. His host had
nothing to do with 1t. What for7
They could not openly attack him.
"Sllm" Jim's eyes fell on him. Tie
nudged Dave. Roth of them. standing
near the entrance. watched Lindsay
steadily.
Some one outside the door raised
the cry. "The bulls nre comm"
Instantly the room leaped to fren.
zied excitement. Men dived for the
doors, bets forgotten and chips sent.
tered over the floor. Chairs were
smashed as they charged over them.
tables overturned.
Bromflcld went into panic. why
had he been fool enough to trust
Durand? No doubt the fellow would
ruin him ms willingly as he would
Lindsay. The raid was fifteen min.
utes ahead of schedule time. The
ward politician Ind betrayed him. He
felt sure Of II. All the carefully pre-
pared plnns agreed upon he icitisoned
promptly. His sole thought was TO
save himself. not to trap his rival.
Lindsay caught him by the arm.
Lets try the back ROOM"
He followed Clay, Durand's gang.
men MT his heels.
The lights went out.
The westerner tried the window II
was heavily barred outside. He turned
to search for door,
Brought mp by the partition. Brom.
field WINS whimpering with fear ms he
too CROPPED for way of escape. A
pale moon shone through the window
upon his evening clothes.
In the dim light Clay knew thot
tragedy impended. "Sllm" Jim had
his automatic out.
1--WE got you good" the chauffeur
The gun cracked. Bromfleld hleoted
In frenzied terror rs Clny dashed for.
ward. A chair swung round In n
nrc. As II descended the
splitting Of the gun slnshed through the
darkness second time.
"Slim" Jim went down. rolled over
lny like n log.
Some one dived for Lindsay and
drove him against the Will, plnnIpc
him by the waist. A second figure
joined the first and caught the cattle
mans wrist.
Then the lights flashed on ncoIn
Clay saw that the man who had flung
him against the partition was Gorilln
Dave. A plain-clothes man with n
star had twisted his wrist and was
to It. Bromfield was nowhere
10 be seen. hut an open door to the
left showed that he had found at least
a temporary escape.
A policeman came forward md
stopped over the figure of the pros.
trnte man.
"Some ones croaked n guy" he said.
Gorilla Dave spoke up quickly. This |
fellow did It. With q chair. seen
him.
There was moment before Lindsay
answered quietly. "He shot twice
The gun must be lying under him
where he fell"
Already men had crowded foryynrd |
10 the scene of the tragedy, moved nv |
the morbid curiosity n crowd hns In
such sights. Two policemen pushed
them bnck and turned the still body |
over. No revolver was to he seen.
"Anvbody know who this is9" one of |
the officers asked.
"Collins-'Slim' Jim," answered big
Dave.
We'll. he's got his this time" the |
policeman said. "SkulI smashed"
Claws heart sank. In that noise of |
men and crashing furniture |
very likely the sound of the shots had |
been mufiled. The revolver gone. false
testimony against hin. proof that he
had threatened Collins available. Clay
knew TINT he was In desperate straits. |
There was another guy here with |
him In them glad rags" volunteered
one Of the gamblers captured In the
raid.
who was he?" asked the plain |
clothes man OF his prisoner.
Clay was silent. He was thinking
rapidly. His enemies had him trapped
NJ Inst with the holm of clr1.I..A.s4o..x.x. |