Evening star., 1934-01-28
"PH be darned if I so;A.

Jeff Gable kicked Q man OF job because
he'd served . jail sentence" she said swiftly.
Its the man I'm engaged to marry. JEFF has
set the law on him. Mr.. Tully. you can stop
it. That's what want"
For 10-oount the burly manager made no
reply. He just stared: Smoky Dyer swung
in beside Maize. The two Of them stood in
side a circle Of light from desk lamp
hobo logger and lunch room waitress. Fight
ing for their right to the pursuit Of happnes1
in free country.
Raw Nails Tully could have smashed them
with two words Get out" But he said:
Estate your compaint-you, not the girl"
CMOKY had vowed he would not crawl to
- Raw Nails Tuly. And in his own mind
he was keeping the vow he leaned over the
desk and talked his darndest to the impasSive
warden Of his fate and Ma1e's.
Once indeed, the small unwinking eyes had
fickered as Smoky told his story. That was
when he told where and how he had been
jailed. Six months on q chain gang
But it was steal or starve." Smoky pleaded
for himself. I'm not naturally thief Mr..
Tully honest I'm not"
The flicker died. The eyes were dull and
hard, like nailheads, IS Smoky ended, ana
waited
"Six months in shackles," clipped Raw Nails.
"Show me your leg scars"
Smoky automatically stopped, hesitated then
straightened up. His face was strained. white
the light Of the desk lamp
"Tll be darned I will. Not for job.
Not for anything" He paused suddenly, star
ing at Maize. He would, II she asked it, he'd
show the brands Of shackle and whip that
shamed his manhood. But Mazie underytood.
She wasn't asking that.
II CAN'T force you, OF course" Tully spoke
TN his usual harsh, expressionless tone. But
that flicker wss in his eyes again. wait over
there, both Of you" He waved to . line q
chairs against the wall
As they followed the gesture the warden
reached for the telephone and called the gate
tender Send Gable to my Office when he
comes through" he ordered, and hung up.
Respectfully timed knocks at last sounded
from the door, Raw Nails did not look up
as he said Come in" The door slowly opened
JEFF Cable shambled to the desk and stood
there, in the cringing posture that he always
assumed before the manager.
The Pinetop marshal was with him. Tho
marshal halted just inside the door.
Gable" said Raw Nails, still scanning order
sheets why did you fire Dyer from the timber
chute?"
why, Mr. Tuny, that's easy" Cables voice
fairly shrilled with eageness Dyer turned out
to be a jailbird. I suspicioned him from the
first and used my head to pry out the truth"
"The chute is . man-kiler Did Dyer
handle it?"
"Why-uh-shore he handled the chute all
right" Mr.. Gable licked his lips nervously.
"Mr. Cable" sneered Raw Nails, you aro
many things that personally abominate. But
YOU are q top mechanic and you'll drive men
till they drip blood. So tolerate you. You'll
tolerate Dyer so long as he keeps the timber
chute clear Put him back on the job.
Get out, all Of you.
<OUTSDE the ofice, Make stopped to look
~ up at the stars.
boy, you talk about . jailbird's sunrise now"
she laughed. There's one a-coming shiny.
Didn't tell you, Smoky?"
"Sure," grinned Smoky. "Sure, Maize. Itn
be the best sunrise ever. But-say. he was
queer. Didn't you think he was queer? Seems
to have q fight with guys like Gable. 1t gets
me- how kind he took it when told him I'd
be darned II I'd show my shackle scars"
In his office Raw Nails Tully locked the door.
He limped back to the desk. Again he stopped
over the hurt leg and this time he stripped it
His eyes Of hate fixed on the sign Of the only
brotherhood his heart could feel Deeply and
terribly embedded in the swollen flesh was tho
shackle scar Of the chain gang.