Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-03-29

- N0N NfN6
fastening on the mans ankle, a
backward sway, dragging Baxter
from his chair with a thud, a crash,
an oath.
One leg In the air, held there by
that hand, seated on the floor for
a split second, the man gawped
while his face flooded with ugliness.
John stared down at the sole; big
star; little stars, crepe rubber on
the sole.
Thought sol" he said with a
sharp nod and let the resisting leg
go.
Baxter had started to turn over
with a mighty heaye of his great
body as John relinquished his grip.
His foot dropped and upset him
again, but he came up with an agile
scramble, cursing, clenching his
fists.
But a man, even a fighting man,
a bullying fighting man, doesn't
wade In and crush q man who stands
before him, mind on something other
than fighting so completely that he
pays no attention to the drawing
back of your fist
Baxter remained poised, ready to
strike, but not striking, facing the
torrent of words from young Belk-
nap, who stepped closer, one hand.
palm upward, extended in a bust
nesslike sideways gesture.
"If you'd put it up, it'd saved you
being set down on your tail, Bax-
ter. / wanted to see the bottom of
your new rubber because | found a
track In the snow a couple of hours
ago, and. put alongside of other
things | found out, figured your
rubber made that print.
Don't get ready to fight yeti"
John went on, as he might have
talked to an enraged child. Maybe
therell be some fighting between us,
but not until you've had your chance
to get out Of It."
"Chancei" Baxter shouted. "Say,
you got a lot of CUTS, talkin' of givin'
me o chance to get out Of fighting
you'll"
John nodded. Eyes, | have. Enough
CUTS so you don't al me very
much, Baxter. And plenty to tell
you what I've come to tell"
Bakers eyes swept a segment of
the circle about them; he swallowed
quickly. This was something new In
the way Of an encounter.
"Tell? What you got to tell me?"
he demanded.
This. Probably you've heard the
boys saying that / came pretty near
getting mine this evening, out at the
mill. A load let 90 and ! had to take
to the pond. I'd trusted those
stakes, Baxter. They're the best
patent stakes made. | didn't think
they'd LET go.
my guess seems to We been
pretty good. In the fresh snow be-
hind that car were a mans tracks.
He stood for quite a time in the
shadow of the trucks; he stopped
down there, to e what vas going
on on the other side o. the car.
When the thing happened that he'd
waited and watched for, he tiptoed
to the trips and let 'em go. Then
he ran. . :"
He paused q moment and his eyes,
for the first time, smoldered.
"He didn't get me, Baxter. | got
out and found his tracks in the
snow. | measured his foot; ! saw
the print of stars on the heel and a
crepe sole. They were new rubbers.
So are you're, Yours have the
stars and the sole. | haven't meas
ured yours yet, because | want to
give you a run for your money.
ave got this proposition to make
If you weren't the man In those rub
bers, stay right here In Kampfest. II
you're here tomorrow night at this
time Pm coming In here and take
your rubber off and measure 1t and
II It's the same size as that worm by
the man who tried to make pulp OF
me with saw logs, I'm going to make
pulp Of you with the only things
know how to fight with :. These =
He extended his hands, then
turned and in an amazed silence
made his way toward the door.
Baxter hltched at his pants ant
turned. looking into the faces about
! him. But now be read there not the
sniveling admiration of the admit
] teddy inferior, not the apprehensIv'
(; glances of men who feared him. III
saw only contempt and rising smiles
he knew well enough what they
were thinking; that at last be haC
encountered fear by finding a mar
who had no fear. He fell into
morose silence from which he reused
now and again to mutter threats O
= what would happen II John so mucl
as stuck his face inside that door to
morrow night. But he wa
afraid, this Baxter; caught between
two fires. IRON behind, Gorbel, will
a club over his head, was goading
beyond waited a youth who dis
Q missed his threats as casually as b.
8 would brush at a buzzing fly.
And when the way freight wen
through Kampfest at two the neg