Evening star., 1930-06-15

His left hand sUGs b0ndGged aUith strip
BY gOuy." said the bartender, look
the head"
Kerrigan retreated to q distance Of a hundred
yards and advanced once more, this time
noisily:
Three to the man with the homely pan,
Four to the boy with the worthless hand,
Three to the man in the high silk hat,
None to the gambler-he's standing pat.
The cowboy he was topped again.
And they all went seven hands round"
The song drifted across the night over the
bushes through the spruce. When Kerrigan
came into the little glade where the fire
snapped, no man was there. Casually Kerrigan
went ON with his song:
Three to the man with the green glass eye
One to the man that's always dry
Four to the man that's troubled with heas-
Gambler guesses that he'll play these
The cowboy he was topped again,
And they all went seven hands round"
HE dragged the frying-pan containing q
around he found the salt, with which he sprin-
kled the venison. There was no bread but he
found coffee and water. He secured out the
pan with grass, and In the same pan that had
fried the meat set coffee the FIRE.
Come on in, Greaves suppers done"
No reply. Kerrigan began to feel that he
had made some sort Of mistake He listened
now for the sound Of a distant running horse
but the silence remained intact. Then sud-
denly, almost Immediately behind him:
Put up your hands. If you turn your head
I'll plug you"
voice. He had not expected, for one thing
that the command would come from a spot so
extremely close.
Hi. Greaves." said Kerrigan.
Are you going to put 'em up?" said the
voice from behind. with menace this
time.
Kerrigan began to slice through the steak
with his opened knife.
Don't be so dumb, joey" he said. You
see amt armed"
II do not" said Greaves, Unexpectedly argu-
mentative.
Kerrigan raised his hands over his head,
stood up and slowly pivoted on his heels. You
see now"
Chuck that knife away"
Kerrigan flung the knife twirling and it
stuck upright In the ground on the other side
of the fire.
'where'd you leave your gum" came Greaves'
voice
Didn't bring any"
The silence seemed to think that over
How many's with you?" demanded the voice
at last.
Not a one, Greaves"
You're lying, Kerry"
"All right. Figure 1t that way"
where's your horse?"
"I hid him." said Kerrigan.
''Where?"
"T won't tell, Greaves. Think want to be
set afoot in the middle of everything?"
II guess you'd rather be set afoot than
planted"
Don't know as would. Make ND your
mind, joey. You know, to begin with, you
amt goin to leave here without anything 10
eat I come up here unarmed and alone, be-
cause want to talk to you. And can ten
you for your own good you got to do some
thinkin' as well Is eatin' before you drag your
freight. could have brought a gang up and
surrounded you. I could have had the drop
on you tonight. You better come out here and
do some listening"
How do I know I won't be plugged when
I step into the light?"
IF that's the way I've got it fixed, why did
I chase you out of the light in the first placer"
Another interval of silence. Then a grum-
BILE: Think you're ALFRED smart, don't you?"
Then a swishing of evergreen boughs and
Greaves skirted the circle of freight and ap-
peared on the side opposite Kerrigan.