The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-07-15
Jim Duran and
the Spuds


an important part in the life of Jim
Duran. If he had sailed it-but he
didn't, so why speculate!
Jim Duran was born in Arizona,
where he learned from the ant, the. rat
tlesnake and the bronchO buster, until
his years were twenty, then he went
away to college. He took course In
Europe, notably in the Argonne. There
after we find him in New York city,
and 1t is In that period Of his career
that we must consider the spudyj N
He had been hungry for long
while. but since noon the day before
he had been hungrier thar. ever. Hav-
ing passed up supper, breakfast and
dinner In order to conserve the spud
he was now bent upon its destruction
He diced the spud neatly and placed II
In the skillet. Jim sat down to eat II
and, with his mind on chow and moth.
ing but chow, he did something he
should not have done: he sugared it.,
He got rid Of the portion he had
taken into his mouth, in disgust and
hollow CONSERVATION, and sat down on
| the edge Of his bed. staring, panic
I stricken and hunger-ridden, at the
ruins of the feast. AS his weight bore
down on the bed something hard bore
upwards along his spine. He thrust
q hand beneath the covers of the bed
and withdrew regulation army auto
matte. .,s.t-.
Two minutes later Jim was in the
street and moving along through the
shadows. He might have been going
to uncle Lewis" at the corner, to bor-
row few dimes on the holstered> col
lateral now resting snugly inside the
waistband of his trOusers-but lie
wasn't.
"I'll never hang you on no string in
to live over there" he went on, rumi-
natively, 'and it begins to look as
though we are going to have to do the
same over here"
"Put 'em up!'
There was no mistaking the nature
Of that command, nor the threat in It.
But in the split second that ensued
before Jim Duran went into action he
experienced another sensation. Hot
rage made his blood leap-rage over
the enormity of the thing this precious
pair were attempting.
And to think that he, Jim Duran,
had come out for the self-same pur-
pose! To prey upon his more fortu-
nate fellows!
Did good men die over yonder in
order to make this little old U. S. A.
safe place for such parasites as
these to live and ply their trade? Was
1t not for an entirely different thing,
having to do with honor, and safety in
the pursuit of livelihood, that rivers
of good, red blood had been she'd?
Those thoughts flashed through
Jim's mind while he acted. With
pantherish agility he leaped into the
darkness of the alley, swapping his gun
out Of it's holster and firing as he did
so. In the flash of yellow light that
! accompanies the roar of a heavy arm
he saw the foremost bandit go down
In crumpled heap.
ness and Jim's speed in crouching
down the instant he fired probably
saved his life. AS it was, a sharp pain
over his left temple told him that
bullet had reached him. Resisting, des-
perately, the impulse to relax his grip
on consciousness, he lifted himself
upon an elbow and raked the darkness
before him with storm of lead. @
A choking, agOnized scream, fol-
lowed Immediately by the sound of a
heavy body crashing to the earth
and Jim, with sigh, slipped into the
darkness that meant relief from pain,
and forgetfulness Of all things-includ.
Ing hunger.
Jim Duran drifted back to conscious
ness again, two hours later, in the
emergency ward attached to nearby
police station. A surgeon standing at
the foot Of his bed was speaking.
'Scalp wound; nothing serious" he
was telling the police sergeant who lin
gcred near. Probably wouldn't have
feazed him If he hadn't been half.
starved. He has missed out on a good
many mess calls In the past two weeks,
or l miss my reckoning" \
Guess he won't have to worry none
over where the next meal is coming
from now-not for a long time to
come, at any rate"
Barney Felson and Kid Bracket,
both deader than ever hoped to see
'em-and five hundred smackers on the
scalp Of each Of 'em! The sergeant
spoke enthusiastically, albeit bit en-
viOusly. "Nope, / reckon this lead
singer here won't have to bother none
about the eats. ;"
A hand reached out and plucked him
by a sleeve. rssFs 4
II say, sarge, Go you mean get all
that jackY Jim asked weakly. sai
"Hello, therel You back againr
exclaimed the officer, cycling him criti-
cally. 'LoOk pretty fit, too, at that"
he added, by way Of comment. "As to
the money, sure you get it; less small |
per cent that goes into the relief fund
What are you going to do with it when
you get it7 Spend 1t to see a balloon
ascension 2" L
Jim. entirely conscious now, turned |
upon his back and gazed up at the cell |
Inc Look Of ra pfrlra frouSforrn<.d \