The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-05-20

worthless or River quarter rats" none
Of them uncovered him.
His apprehension thus fairly well
allayed, he made his way In easy
measure toward the rear end Of the
room, where the crowd was thicker.
He had approached within a dozen
feet of the Darkroom door and was
thinking Of just how he. should ma
newer an entrance, when 1t was sud
denly opened, and out walked Harry
Barbanet, followed by the redoubtable
Bull Page, whose eyes showed mild
stimulation.
The moment was delicate. To turn
quickly away would only be, he well
knew, to excite suspicion and even in
vite particular inspection; the utmost
Selwood could do was to interrupt a
conversation near at hand and ask
whether the doctor had come.
Had Bull, the derelict, sold him out
disclosed Selwood's presence and
told what he knew Of his intentions?
The gambler did not believe 1t. Men
on the Rocky mountain frontier
staked their lives at times on what
would seem very slender chances.
But drunkard though Bull was, out
cast among outcasts, Selwood would
have risked his life that Bull, drunk
or sober, would not betray him. The
question that ranked in his mind
was: Had Barbanet In that brief,
piercing glance discovered him? Was
it Imagination that was already trick
ing him into thinking SO? He could
not be sure. But some instinct told
him he had been detected and must
measure accordingly. The next mo-
ment Barbanet, now following Page,
passed Selwood without noticing him
and so close on his left that he
brushed him with an impatient
shoulder.
1t needed only an instant for Sell
wood to reason that this was precisely
the way he himself should have acted
If positions were reversed; and he
knew Barbanet's astuteness too well
to believe he would act, in the cir
cumstances, any differently.
Without hesitation, Selwood, taking
advantage of Barbanet's broad should
err, turned promptly to the left, and,
falling into step, walked on directly
behind the two-third and last man
in a procession heading straight for
the lower end Of the bar.
1t seemed strange to find himself
heading so briskly In such company
and at such a businesslike gait for
corner of the room that he had so
good reason to remember. The old
archway had been boarded up, and
batten door had been set roughly
into 1t to lead into the barber shop !;
it was for this door that Barbanet
was heading.
Nothing could have suited Selwood
better. But just before reaching the
door, Barbanet caught Pages arm.
told him. to stop, and attempted to
turn in behind the bar. At this juno
ture Selwood In turn caught Barba-
nets arm and stopped him.
Don't bother, Harry; you won't
need that gun. Face about-keep
straight ahead"
Barbanet felt the quick and I'M
pleasant sensation of a revolver muz-
zle held to the small of his back. A
hand with fingers like steel slipped
down his forearm and over his left
wrist. Without trying to turn his
body, he looked back over his should
err, surprised, but making no pretense
of not knowing who spoke.
First time I've seen you tonight,
john" he remarked, quite undis-
turbed by this situation.
"No," retorted Selwood in like
tones, "this is the second time,
Harry"
81 noticed you had a long arm on
when 1 passed you," responded Bar
banet, less amiably.
"Not for my friends, Harry-there's
good many strangers in town to-
night. Open the barber-shop door,
Harry-do 1t quick"
There's two men behind 1t with
shotguns."
They're friendly-you're walking
right in there ahead of me. Go on!
The way we stand now, there's not
a man In this room that could tell
whose gun went off if you got hurt,
Harry. Open that door,"
No frontier crook in his senses
would choose certain death before a
fighting chance. Barbanet knew per-
fectly well the alternative. Selwood
might not himself escape, but his fate
would no longer interest Harry. With
ill grace, but without imprudent
delay, Barbanet advanced to the door,
his left wrist gripped in Selwoods
left hand.
"Key's in my left-hand pants peck
ct. Let loose my wrist.
whats a right-hand man doing
with a key in his left-hand pocket?"
asked Selwood page" he added,
pulling Barbanet's arm back, take
the key out of Barbanet's right pants
pocket and unlock that door, quick"
page" interjected Barbanet, jerk
ing the words out viciously, you'd
better keep out of this"
Bull Page grinned brokenly. Per-
haps the remembrance of old abuse
at Barbanet's hands-the times he
had come thirsty and broke, and gone
from Barbanet's bar thirsty and
broke, decided him. At all events,
after rapid search, Bull found the
key In Barbanet's rightrhand trou-
sers pocket, unlocked the door, pushed
it open, and Barbanet. followed by
SelwOOd and Bull paSSed through