The Washington times., 1934-11-24

me. Inc llLLl6 Olu man 81
could hear his feet pattering
overhead.
I got rid of some of my be
wilderment, making room for a
little intelligence in my skull
This fooliShneSs we were up to
wasn't so. 1t couldn't be hap
pening. Nothing ever worked
out just that way. You didn't
stand in corners and knock down
people one after the other like
a machine, while a scrawny lit
tie bozo up at the other end fed
them to you. 1t was too damned
silly! I had enough!
I passed up my hiding place
put down the pipe and found
another spot to crouch in, under
some shelves, near the steps. ]
Numbered down there with a gun
in each fist. This game I was
playing in vast had to be
gummy around the edges. ]
wasn't going to stay put any
longer.
Flora came down the steps
Two steps behind her the little
man trotted.
Flora had a gun in each hand
Her gray eyes were everywhere
Her head was down like an ami
mails coming to a fight. Her
nostrils quivered. Her body
coming down neither slowly nor
swiftly, was balanced like a
dancers. If I live to a million
I'll never forget the picture this
handsome brutal woman made
coming down those unplaned cellar
stairs. She was a beautiful
fight-bred animal going to a
fight.
She saw me as I Strengthened.
Drop 'em!" I said, but
knew she wouldn't.
The little man flicked a limp
brown blackjack out of his sleeve
and knocked her behind the ear
just as she swung her left gun
on me.
I jumped over and caught
her before she hit the cement.
Nov, you See!" the old man
said gleefully. You have the
money and you have them. And
now you will get me and that
girl out"
First we'll stow this with the
Others" I said.
After he had helped me do
that I told him to lock the cell
door. He did, and I took the
key with one hand, his neck
with the other. He squirmed
like a snake while I ran my
other hand over his clothes, re-
moving the blackjack and a gun,
and finding a money belt around
his waist.
Take it off," I ordered. "You
don't carry anything out with
YOU"
His fingers worked with the
buckle, dragged the belt from
under his clothes, let it fall on
the floor. It was padded fat,
The Swag
Still holding his neck, I took
him upstairs, where the girl still
sat frozen on the kitchen chair. It
took a stiff hooker of whiskey and
a lot Of words to thaw her into
understanding that she was going
out with the old man and that she
wasn't to cay word to anybody,
especially not to the police.
Where's Reddy?" she asked
when color had come back into
her face-which had even at the
worst never lost its niceneSs-
thoughts to her head.
I told her he as all right. and
promised her he would be in a hos.
pital before the morning was over,
She didn't ask anything else. l
shooed her upstairs for her hat
and coat, went with the old man
while he got his hat, and then put
the pair of them in the front
ground-tlOOr room.
stay here till I come for you,"
I said, and I locked the door and
pocketed the key wher went out.
The front door and the front
window on the ground floor had
been planked and braced like the
rear ones. I didn't like to risk open.
ing them, even though it was fair.
ly light by now. So I went upstairs
fashioned a flag of truce out of a
FELLOWSHIP and a bed-slat, hung it
out a window, waited until heavy
voice said, "All right, speak your
piece" and the1- showed myself
and told the police I'd let them in.
It took five minutes work with