White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-08-08

rlHe spoke only as ne Tell, or raLner
, as he leapt up in air as If on spring
heels.
All this abrupt action took place,
it seemed, in less than second. Sid
Stevens had not time to recover from
the smash of Dewar's first under his
jaw which sent him lurching, before
his partner was face down on the
single, man and rifle Gathering down
together. The echoes of the two shots
leapt upward in that quiet, stabbing,
rushing. The next shot to wake the
echoes was Of different quality al
together, less steely, more like ire
mendous muffled clap of giants
hands, How to describe it? A thick
err defamation seems the only way to
convey it.
And it came from Blunt who dashed,
in laundering run, out Of the scrub
up creek He held Colt in his hand,
and his hand moved like that of
man cracking a whip, and down came
the gun, and then the thick COM
pressed noise, thud of sound. After
all John Fiske was seeing one of the
methods of gun play" seeing how
man who really had the knack
could slam down a gun. But Jack
was then occupied chiefly in quoting
and refining in his mount. By the
time that was done and he looked
round, all was as before The creek
whimpled past in its diverse channels
between the humps of pebbles. The
forests stood up stately and were full
of the chatter Of squirrels and chip
hunks in high agitation.
The horses were quieting down,
staring, as if wondering what had dis
turbed them. With lurching gait,
and an odd motion of his hand before
his eyes, as if brushing away cob
webs, Bunt rolled on closer and looked
at the body of Stevens on the single.
He had fired at him just as he rose,
scrambling, after Walter Dewar's
hasty blow had sent him on his back
on the single.
"He just got up, got up" Blunt hic-
coughed, like a skittle - and then
went down." he began to laugh
thickly. Cali down, all the skittles
are down." he chanted. "Set EN- up
in the other alley!" Then he brushed
before his eyes again and looked at
the little twist of clothes that was the
other man, the lean, the cadaverous
one who had guarded Jack. "What a
he said, glazing.
Then, in voice as Of one with a
large lozenge in his mouth, he enun
ciated carefully:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. = sure
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"
walter Dewar stood looking
thoughtfully at Blunt, his head raised,
finger stroking the under side of his
jaw. He took off his spectacles that
had slightly misted and breathing
upon them polished them carefully
| with small piece of cotton he kept
specially for that purpose. Carefully
he put on and adjusted the spectacles
again.
where are you camped, Bunt?"
asked the Wolfer.
"Camped? Camped? o, up the
erik piece. There's better feed up
there for the horses. Drunk or sober
| I'll
Wolfer, you and me in a scrap would
sure make a crowd!" His utterance
was thick as though he had large
candy lollipop in his mouth. Then
slowly: Drunk or sober 1 can sure
slam down a gun"
"Well, we'll get along to the camp,
then, Bunt. How did these fellows
get wind of us? Did you blab when
you got skinful of Carls imported
Five Hundred Star Blend?"
me? Guess again. Why, we were
watched, you and me - and Larry
Shanks, too. Maybe Shanks blabbed
just by his behaviour, going out and
coming back that foolish way, start
ing off with supplies as if he was off
for months in the mountains and just
camping up the hill piece and then
coming rubber-necking back to find
out where we were!" His drunken
ness did not prevent his mind from
having a grasp of their affairs; but
there he paused, and, with beam
ing and foolish smile, announced;
Drunk or sober l can keep secret,
and slam down gun"
He brushed invisible cobwebs from
before his eyes again and stood solid
on his legs, but his body was swaying
from the waist.
1t was at that moment that one of
their horses whinnied and whinny
replied from beyond up the creek
Better get the packs off before
they think of having ROLL" said
Dewar and walked after the straying
animals.
Jack, with glance at Blunt, fol-
lowed. Blunt remained there still
swaying from the waist, peering after
him, waving his hand, head lolling,
and smiling as though suddenly aware
of some one he recognized passing by.
Something particularly loathsome
| about q drunk in the woods" MIR