The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-06-03
CHAPTER XIII-Continued

Selwood was already in SCOTS rig.
Nothing is sure, john" he retorted
amiably. "When my time comes, it
comes"
"As McAlpin would say, you're talk
ing like blamed fool, john" re-
joined Lefever.
Pardaloe grunted. std say you're
talking like one yourself, John L.
fever, If l didn't owe you sixty dol
lars. That is" he mumbled, "if you
think you can make Selwood change
his mind by talking to him. If you're
ready" he snapped at Selwood, look
ing around for his trusty shotgun,
''let's CO."
Selwood led the way out Of the
harness-room through the office and
down the dark gangway to the back
door of the barn. Lefever. still per-
sisting in protest and caution, fas-
tened the door behind the four men.
Separating as they left the barn.
Pardaloe and Scott, and Selwood and
Bull Page-a definite rendezvous
named-worked their way downtown.
Surprised at the lull In the fighting,
they could only surmlse that the vigi-
lantes were still at bay. with the gam
blers still celebrating their victory.
The men stationed outside to guard
Bartoe's place, the remaining resort
on the river front, offered little i'm
pediment to reasonably close ap-
proach. But Selwood. q one side,
worked his way between the guards
and the building. only to find that
some one had sensibly drawn every
window curtain and where there were
shutters had closed every shutter.
Selwood Joined Pardaloe where the
latter awaited him on the river bank.
They've got it well hooked up, Bill"
he said, looking toward the lone build
ing where all was darkness save when
a streak Of light shot from the front
door as it was opened 81 counted
five men outside"
Pardaloe corrected him. "Count
four now" he said with a certain
grimness. Rolled one of 'em down
the river bank"
"You didn't kill him."
"Choked him little, that's all. No."
he repeated Indignantly, answering a
second pointed question, II didn't kill
him. He's just gagged. and tied up
tighter'n bulls eye in fly time. If
he wasn't fool enough to roll plum
into the river when, started him he's
albright. Now, speakin' of plans I've
got 'em laid out for this place, John"
= "What are they?"
"Why, simple; I'll fire the back of
the place and you pick 'em off when
they run out the front. What?"
"Bill," said Selwood impatiently, 81
don't know who's In there. If did
I'm not a public executioner. I'm
not vigilante. I'm just a plain gam
bler-not a butcher. And how" he
continued, overriding Pardaloe's in
dignation, "do l know Starbuck isn't
holding Christie Fyler or her father
prisoner in there?'"
Pardaloe drew breath. ITO tell the
TRUTH" he confessed, II didn't think
about her; the old man wouldn't make
so much difference"
Selwood regarded the dim, forbid
ding outline of the tightly closed,
ill-favored joint with half-closed
longing eyes. Before we do any
thing else, I'm going to take a
look inside. 1 want to see just who's
there-and what they're doing, Bill.
We can talk plan over afterward."
Pardaloe put some useless warning
and much fervent scepticism into one
ironical word. "Maybe!"
"Of course it's only maybe" adj
mitted Selwood, not unamiably. "Got
any whisky with you, Bill?"
Pardaloe, after having so lately de.
clared that no one could bulge Sell
wood in his decisions, tried vainly to
dissuade him from the undertaking.
1t was hopeless, he knew. But there
was one thing Pardaloe could do
that was, obey orders.
A few minutes later, man much
under the influence of liquor, if ones
nose could be trusted, for he strongly
smelled Of it, approached unsteadily
the front door of the Bartoe place.
In size, but in no other way, he re-
sembled Selwood. Near the door two
men demanded his business, denied
him entrance, and when he staggered
toward the door itself, insisting he
would have drink, one of the
guards, selling him by the throat,
threw him with brutal Indifference
backward into the street, where he
fell prone and lay muttering to him.
self.
Presently he began to sing some
what uncertainty a transfers song.
But the more he sang, the better, ap-
parently, he liked the idea, for the
longer he sang, the louder he sang,
much to the annoyance of the trucu-
lent guard, who finally strobe toward
him with curse to silence him-fan-
ing In his eagerness to note that the
drunken man now lay much farther
out in the street than he had been
thrown. In the darkness he reached
the object of his wrath, lying prone,
and tried to kick it into silence. Be-