The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-10

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Out Of the Dark Fiared the Powerful
Form and Truculent Face of Black
Bogus.
slab back, rose and slouched across
the floor toward the rubbish heap. The
man hiding behind II crouched still as
n of the cabin logs and fingered the
pistol butt at his hip. But the ruff
carried it back to the light and sat
down.
Drawing a short pipe from his
pocket. he filled it from a grimy to-
bacco sack, lighted it with another Of
the sputtering matches, and, with the
air Of a man quite al his ease, began
to smoke.
As he smoked, the bitter lines of his
face relaxed a trife. and its half
haunting resemblance to a face that
dwelt-and would ever dwell-in his
memory again stole across the mind
of the watcher.
But Black Bogus had not smoked
long until it became apparent that he
was anything but a man at his ease.
Every sound outside received his
strained attention, and when not lis
tening, he smoked %viciously.
Ar loot ha chnfflad bip,calf araot
felt of his elbow where it had rested
heavily upon the larger box, knocked
the ashes from his pipe, dropped an
arm across his knee, bent forward
and seemed lost in thought.
Shifting his pose after a time, he
strengthened, put away his pipe,
reached into the inside pocket of his
faded coat and drew out "A thick
bunch of greenbacks-a handful of
bills that appeared to be an assert
ment of tens and twenties.
The woodsman guardedly shifted
AS he did so. his knee accidentally
jostled tie rubbish heap.
With an oath Black Bogus chucked
the money back into his pocket and
leaped at one bound into a corner out
of range with the window, a heavy
sweeping every nook and GRANNY from
which the alarming sound might have
Cons
At that tense instant a bat, darling
about under the rafters. blinded by
the light, dashed itself against the
cabin gable and fell almost at the des-
perado's feet.
Damn the thing p he growled, plac-
ing his foot upon the half-stunned
and grinding it to death, at
the same time thrusting the heavy re
volver into his pocket and turning
back to the light.
He siOuched down on the smaller
box took the money out of his pocket
again and began a close inspection of
each bin. one by one. Ten of the bills
the ones that appeared to the maj
watching him to be the newest-he
laid out upon tile box. The others he
put back in his pocket.
Then an astonishing thing happened
to the ten new bills. He took from
MS greasy, wrinkled trousers d plug
Of tobacco and shipped off a chew
with his powerful teeth; drew from
The side pocket of his coat half a
of what looked to be ordinary
black soil of rotted leaf mold mois-
it very slightly with tobacco
Juice; rubbed a little of IL on each
pill and secured them between his
hands, rumpling and crumpling them
every conceivable way. He rolled
the corners between his fingers and
bent the corners down twist
ed and secured the bills as if he would
year them out.
Ii soon appeared that to wear them
vas the very thing he was attempting
20 do, for as he worked them and
broke them In his powerful hands.
hey lost their newness and took on
he look Of bills that had been long
n circulation. He was making old
money out of new. Light began to
la wn on the man watching him.
An nOur OF iHore ne spent at the
ask. When at last ii appeared to be
to his satisfaction. he exam
ned them all close TO the light. bill
" bin.
They appeared TO pass the very
,ainstaking and critical inspection,
or, With II satisfied grunt, he picked