The Coolidge examiner., 1934-02-02
CHAPTER II-Consiuurd

And So Be broke Franz short wlth
hand on his arm. spinning him
about and saying. AZ he dropped hls
park sack 60 ihe Hoor
Z guess Eoi here about In
time '--becausr that thought vas
upprTmost in bis mind after those
years - wai'inE 20 30 something Tor
Oid Jim
who're 500 o. horn lnf~
Never mind me! don't mat.
ter Nothing matters except what
you had 10 sag about old Jim. Are
you going O. swallow EN- now or
have those words driven back into
your d-d Eulletf-
who THE h--l besides you
thinks"
Maybe nobody Besides I'm Do.
lug the talking uoN and I'm asking
you are you EnlnE to tell these
boys yuu wcre OF on The wrong foot
about oid IIm now or are you 20.
Ing
Franz WAS not a weaklinE nor q
physical coward neither was he "
sl0w thinker. lie knew the dEhi
ing Hight when be- saw u surge into
a mans eyes one thing only was
there for him 20 DO strike FIRST
Ills knuckics caught Steve on the
point % the chin. drove BIS head
backward. sent bis arms nlngine
wide: he reelesi and lurched and
dizzy from the shock. did what bis
'uddled wits told him % Do. sagred
forward. ciaspinE the other tightly
wiIh bis arms
Franz tried 20 break that cllnrh.
He ralned blows on S;eve's bead
pummeled az his ribs and back bot
hts arms were hamperei and b.
could put no grcat drive behind his
nsfs Steres mind vas clearing
ard when Franz swore thlckly In
rage 81 his beipiessuess be lci 20
his hold Voluntarily. coming to a
square stance aud striking sayagely
as Franr staggered away from him.
The man wus guins away. yes,
hui ihe blow. fnll on The lips. caught
him 81 arms length. "a singing
crash and bis legs wilted and
sasEed. letiing him slowly down.
Drake stood over him. feet vide
apart. elbows crooked. breath loud
in his throat Except Tor that sound
tie place was very siill and the
faces % the group reflected the
thought that here indeed was a
man. He had wiihstood the hard
ssi blow Franz had at command.
and with one % his own had fioorea
his adversary. II simply was not
possible that Franz would rise and
carry on the nght
Now" Steve said, did | drive
EN- al back2 Those aIthy words
about old Jim Flynn
Franz did not answer lie felt
OF his swelling lips and looked up
ward In that look was hatred. cha
grin. perhaps a threat: bu; II
was. first of all. n beaten look, and
Steve hitched at his belt and turned
20 retrieve his hat. well satisfied.
As be turned he confronted Nc
Nally. who stood on the inner edge
of the wldeeyed circle OF men. lie
was holding Steye's new pack sack
which he had snatched up when the
fight started lie had been staring
AZ IL: at the flap with the black.
fiyepointed star branded on II, and
the bold. black initials: j. F. Jr."
lie looked again at those letters and
once again ai the man who had
borne the pack into the place and
bis Jaw dropped
"'Y Cd" he muttered. only half
aloud His mustache twItched and
a smile as of Incredible relief
wreaihed his face. "Y Cd, Is
them initials right5 J. r. Junlorf
Is that SO? Are you Young JimT'
The one thing common to each OF
the score of men In the place as
McNaIly. finger on the letters. put
his question. was amazement. The
thing was as unexpected as a thun-
derclap on clear day. sudden. dra-
matically staged. But OF them all
Steve himself was the most com
pietely dumbfounded. lie. taken for
Young Jim Flynn
He stood there. feeling small and
silly and wanting to find the word
which would set McNally Alright.
But old Mac did not wait
Il might a known :" he cried. Il
might a known from what you said
about bein' just In time. and over
lookin. ike you did. what he said
about young Jim and seeming TO
think only about what he said about
old Jim. Yes. sir, 1 might
a known -