The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-17

slid into her well modulated tones
she Jared up straight in her chair
"Wha do you mean?"
II mean E search this house"
The woman sprang up.
Search tn house,"
That's what I'm amin t. do" the
woodslnan went on evenly. rising ant
CHANGING about him.
The woman caught a small cord tina
dangled behind the door in reach OF
her hand and gave it a vicious jerk. II
must have been a bell cord that led tt
somewhere outside. for Immediately
heavy steps sounded along the porch
that connected the house with the sa
loon and a man dashed in at the door
bill. yOu'll hat I Ten 10 'im'-she
jerked Il half clenched hand towart
the Observation-Disclosures t raid tn
flint fr Il gal he thinks is here"
So this was Bill-the "bouncer." He
looked the part-broad-backed, thick
set, heavy jowled. little pig eyes and
short cropped. reddish hair. He raised
his arm, pointed a stubby foretinger to
the door and uttered the n word
Git"
But had Bill only known what man.
ner of man it was standing there and
coolly measuring him through mar
rowed eyes. he probably would have
studied a long time before making his
next move.
"The devil y'u won't" he snarled.
crouching and beginning to creep and
circle.
Don't hurt en-" the woman eau
toned, ''he amt nothin' but jist a raw
country jake"
Almost with the word Bill sprang,
aiming d blow that would have caved
in the side of a house-only it didn't
land.
The fact was instantly apparent
that he was not a resourceful fighter,
but placed his main reliance in his
%ponderous strength-even so, he was
d dangerous man.
In a flash he wheeled and struck
again. This time Jack parried the
blow, instead of ~side-stepping, and shot
across one in return-a light uppercut
to the chin that Jared Bills head back
and drew from him a snarl and a curse,
He came back with a whirlwind OF
jabs and swings.
Jack stepped right into the whirl-
wind, well knowing that others of
Bills ilk might come any moment, and
spared for an opening with such be-
wildering speed and c%leverness that
Bill raised his guard to cover his face.
Jack shot across a vicious body blow.
Bill dropped his left. Instantly Jacks
tremendous right swung on the ex-
posed jaw. Bill grunted, tottered'
looked dazed. The right swung again
on the same spOt-clean from the hip
and Bill pitched against the wall
like a bundle of dirty rags.
With a curse. horrible upon a wom-
ans lips, Doll Baker ran to where he
lay and benz over him.
She had hardly reached him before
the woodsluan was darling about the
house and peeping into pantry and
closets. There was no basement. He
made sure of that, and sprang to the
stairs. The woman tried to drag him
back. he flung her off and dashed up
the steps.
Every place where a girl could have
been concealed was explored, but Doll
Baker had told the truth-that much
of it. at least. Texie was nOt there.
When he hurried down. Bill and the
woman were both gone. He was just
stepping from the stair door, wary and
alert for a surprise of some sort, when
there came a clatter of feet running
across the porch.
He dashed through the house to the
door by which he had entered. Just
as he wrenched it open they rushed
into the room behind him-four of
them. Bill in the lead.
But, his purpose accomplished, Jack
sprang outside and, with tantalizing
elaboration. took his way toward the
street. Bill thrust his battered face
out at the door, scowled and swore,
but none of the four ventured to fol
low. like the alley rats they were, not
daring to chase their prey into the
open.
Through a number of streets and
side-streets in the neighborhOod of
Brickbat alley. Jack Warhope searched
for Brownie. He even made inquiries
at all the livery and feed stables in
the vicinity, but failed to find any
of her.
A thought suddenly came to him
he frowned hard muttered some very
uncomplimentary things about himself
that it hadn't occurred to him before
the old tollgate keeper ten miles out
the River road. he had been there
more years than Jack had lived and
knew everybody from the Flatwoods.
He would know if Texie had passed.
Next moment the fleet Graylock was
toward the bridge.
Ten miles out on the River road he
drew rein and ~dismounted by the well
in front of the %diminutive house of the
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