Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-06-15
Chapter II
KILL OR BE KILLED

eeTT is possible that | shall have to
Al collect one more bill from your
loving friends and relatives Ash
wood said. Moreover, my abnormal
curiosity has been aroused.
1t has come to my ears that some
of you have become-what shall we
say?-elemental. That is a psychology
zeal phenomenon hat will be absorb
ing to watch in its development.
Sometime it may give me pleasure
to write up case history on all OF
YOU. Ii you should go now, l should
be denied hat pleasure"
Maybe so, nodded Lucci, darkly.
but le'me tell you that week after
We been turned loose, if you play
US like that. Ill be here with my mob
and tear this place to pieces, and
you with it. At that I'll have TO work
fast to beat the coppers down here,
but I'll do it if it costs me my last
grand nOte!'
Very interesting" conceded Ash
wood. 1nruffled. But how, pray, are
you going to find this island? When
the time m for me to break up
this delightful party and invite a new
guest list down. I'll play the proper
host and return you to approximately
the spot where | picked you up. And
in the same manner, so far as trans
portation is concerned. After a days
ZIP Ill a III N1LliiNQ Gil ElAAiSt 4
among you will be able to direct a
searching party here
There was a thotful silence while
Lucci and the others considered,
Ashwood's voice went on.
NO. let's not look too far into the
future. Just continue to enjoy your
selves. each in our own inimitable
manner. Well not interfere unless
you become entirely too boisterous. :
80 that s Your idea of a good
time is it, Mallory broke abruptly
into the conversation.
Something in the timbre Of the
stockholders voice caused Hamilton
t. put down his cards ana to regard
the tense, ugly New Yorker with un-
feigned interest. The discussion be-
tween AshWood and Luce had goaded
the brooding man into a state bord-
ering upon frenzy. His heavy, athlet-
ic figure was leaning forward in his
chair, his hands clamped about the
arm rests. His rudy face was sud-
denly drained OF all color. Ashwood
was about to answer him carelessly
but, glancing at him, he stopped and
looked at him with u~ndisgulsed cur
iosity.
shut up you!' Lucci faced NAL
lory, snarling. I'm doing the talking,
see?'
1t appeared to Hamilton that the
gangster was deliberately adding fuel
to the all-cOnsuming flame Of Nal
lory's sudden anger. The stockbrOker
made a mighty effort to hold himself
in leash. The card player could see
the muscles under his mighty thighs
tremble under the strain of his sup
pressed anger. The eyes of the cripple
were upon him, too, seeming to probe
into the maddened mans very mind.
Us this the gentleman who has
been cave-manning Miss Went
WORTH" asked Ashwood carelessly.
"Yeh.' sneered Lucci. Il had to
slap him down this afternoon, | got
a nina to get rid Of him now. I'm
getting so | can't stand him around,
guzzling likker all the time and
sneaking up on Nancy every time my
back is turned
There was a hiss Of indrawn breath
from the intent watchers as Mallory,
casting all restraint aside, leaped.
Like the athlete that he was, he
dashed like a whirlwind across the
floor, his arms bent to punch or tC
parry. Lucci, a head shorter, twenty
! pounds lighter, smiled grimly as Tho
he welcomed this sudden reversion tC
brute physical action. Victor in many
a bar-room brawl, he had no illusions
as to fair or foul play. To fight at al
was to fight to win. He reached In.
stinctively for his hip, but drew hi
hand away empty. Quick as light h
pivOted on his left foot, swayed hi
BODY far away from the onrushinl
Mallory and launched a sidelong kicI
that was as swift and as deadly a
the stroke of an enraged cobra.
Mallory, by an almost superhuma'
effort, twisted his body and caugh
the terrific blow on the hip. II
: crashed into One-shot ana the tw
fell to the floor, Mallory on top. Hi
!, face %cOnVulsed with hate, he clutche
two handfuls of his enemy's slice
black hair and butted Luccis hea
e again and again against the floor.
: Nancy Wentworth, standing rigi
with horror, gaZed wild-eyed at tn
:. frenzied pair. The dull humping q
e the dark head rose and fell SCENE
s to echo against her own body, "
Y she could neither move nor cry gu
She heard Mallory gruntlng, beast
a like, as his arms and body rose an
fell, rose and fell, hammering Lucci
s head against the floor.
z At last she looked away, her ey,
I? darting around the room. Why d
s no n move to stop these fiendi
She saw Williams rise from his cha
l. as tho to interfere, then relax aga
ID as he glanced at an automatic in Il
1t slender hands Of the white hair,
W cripple. The latter then laid his 81
Of on his thin knees and watched Il
TT struggle with undisguised pleasure.
I'd Nancy knew that this was a bait
or to the death. Mallory. the suave, pc
r ished gentleman Of Wall Street al
the country clubs, was now an ably
ed NAL animal, gouging and maimin
d. fighting to kill or be killed. II w
incredible. II happened to other pc
pie, somewhere In far-off worlds. S
would wake up In a moment, pull {
Iii blankets over her head and lie trem
1p . ling. trying "a haufch tho ptvbtwo