The Coolidge examiner., 1931-03-13

wrists had slipped down and he was
using his knees for a wise to hold
the iron while he worked his right
hand out of the cuff.
q. you an yOre whole fam
lily, Buck. Pore white trash, | been
told. An yellow. Every last one
of 'em. Kicked outa yore own state
for stealin' sheep, the way | heard
it,"
Grogan flushed to furious anger,
lost control of his temper entirely.
With an oath his right hand reached
across the table and caught the
lapel of Quantrel's coat.
Instantly the lads left hand made
a backward circle through the air,
the handcuff still attached to the
wrist. Before GrOgan knew what
was happening the swinging iron
struck the side of his head. All
most at the same moment Quantrell
rose, leaned forward, and with his
right hand snatched the revolver
from its holster beside the guards
hip.
Eyes staring incredulously, dazed
from the blow, still uncertain of
what had occurred, Grogan stag
gered back a step or two. He
stared vacantly at the smiling, de-
risive face of his enemy. Then he
understood-and woke too late to
violent action. Like a wild bull he
charged the menacing gun.
RI
gether that they sounded like one.
The guards body plunged down on
the table, upset it, and slid TO the
floor
Quantrell stood there, feet apart,
wolfishly wary, the hand with the
smoking "A resting on his hip. His
shallow cold blue eyes held to the
body of the man he had just shot
down. He wanted to be sure that
his work was thorough. There was
no doubt about that After the
first spasmodic twitching of the
muscles the huddled figure lay still.
Slowly grin crossed the face
of the outlaw. "O'Hara will send a
boy to mill, ehf" he murmured.
ne hliltI hdSlCu nO llult. OOlut
one would hear those shots and
the alarm would be spread He put
his hat on, tilted jauntily a little
to one side, and walked out of the
room into the lobby of the hotel.
AS usual Brad Helm was sitting
there with couple of cronies.
"He was a wiry hook-nosed guy
with eyes set too close together"
wheezed the hotel keeper, IAN /
noticed his claybank had sack hob
bles tied around it's neck. Says |
to him, kinda careless G-ddal-
mighty"
The last startled exclamation, not
at all careless in its infection, was
wrung out of the fat man by the
sight of Quantrell emerging from
the hall.
"Mornin', Brad, an gents all, the
outlaw said lightly, his glance
stabbing at first one and then an
other.
The fat mans heart died under
his ribs. "Wwhere's Grogan?" he
quavered.
"Grogan !" Quantrell's smile was
thin and cruel. "Oh, he's back there
in the room. Did you want to see
Grogan?"
Brad Helm knew now the mean
ing Of the shots he had heard. Until
now they had not disturbed him.
He had thought his boy was prac-
ticing at a target back of the hotel.
Swiftly Quantrell stepped back
of the homemade office counter and
lifted from q nail belt containing
cartridges and revolver. He
broke the Colts and saw that 1t was
loaded.
Much obliged, Brad" he said.
"Since you're so pressin' I'll borrow
the loan of this for a while"
Help yOreself, Bob. YO're sure
welcome. If there's anything else"
"Where's O'Hara right now?"
broke in the young desperate.
''At the courthouse. Judge War
ner's hoidin'-"
"An' Steve Worrall?"
"Why, Steve's asleep down at the
Longhorn corral, l reckon"
'Amen?"
81 dunno where Amen's at, Bob"
Again Quantrell's shallow eyes,
deadly threat in them, passed from
one man to another. "Stay in yore
chairs for fifteel minutes. Don't
rise. Don't call anyone. If you
don't stay put you'll have to settle
with me. Understand?
He passed into the hall, down it,
and out the back door. His glance
slid to right and left to make sur
vey Of the prospect. Nobody was
in sight except Brad Helm, Junior,
and he was too busy roping a post
even to notice him. The boy had
at that moment arrived from the
LOnghorn corral, where a vaquero
had been tanning a wild horse.
Quantrell moved swiftly in the di-
! rection of the Gold Nugget. There
would be horses, he knew, at the
hitch rack in front of the gambling
house. How soon the news of his
escape would be flung broadcast he
did not know. 1t could not be long.
He had to get out of town before
O'Hara closed the roads and trails,
but he had no intention of leaving
without first demonstrating his cool
ness. That the manner of his
achievement, as well as the fact it.
self, be talked about was demanded
by his vanity
(TO BE CONTINUED.)