The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-06-24

was best to humor him. Hammond
even allowed him to plod to the
bar, where methodically he ordered
drinks for the house.
Solemnly, but still with that polar
bear smile, Mckenzie Joe watched
his guests imbibe. Then he sig
nailed the bartender to let the
glasses remain on the bar. while, to
the whooping encouragement of his
watchers, he smashed them, one
after another, upon the floor. bow
ing meanwhile to the applause.
Jacks heart went steadily down.
ward. The next step would be for
Mckenzie Joe to pick fight. 1t
never failed.
The noise caused celebrants to
assemble from every part Of the
rambling structure, it even halted
the play in the gaming rooms, the
players crowding in the doorway. II
was just as they began to flood
through that Mckenzie Joe turned
from the bar and his smile van
ished.
A queer CLEAN came into his
hitherto vacant eyes. His fingers
widened until they were muscular
half arcs. His tremendous Shout
ders hunched and his round, bea-
verlike head shot forward. Jack
had been cut off by the sudden
insurge of the gaming room crowd.
Desperately he attempted to break
through.
"Joe!' he shouted. Joe! Watch
YOURSELF"
But Mckenzie ice pretended not
to hear. The crowd fell back, sud-
denly silent, leaving in their wake
a solitary man. hypnotized by fear,
his hands gesturing futilely, a set,
terror-stricken smile on his gray
lips. It was Bruce Kenning.
well, joe" he said jerkily, "hav-
ing a good time, eh, joe
Let me through here!" Ham
mond shouted. "You fools--let me
through Somebody stop Mckenzie.
Do you want a man killed.
| It availed nothing. Mckenzie Joe
was moving forward; Bruce Ken
ming attempted to run. A drunken
miner showed him back into the
open. Then Joe shouted:
"You double crossing hound!'
With lunge, he shot forward. Wild
ly Bruce Kenning struck out and
| then, with a cry, strove to dodge
him. 1t was impossible; Mckenzie
Joe had caught him. one huge arm
around his neck, blocking off all
resistance save short arm blows,
which struck the prospector's huge
chest and iron-muscled torso with
no more result than il they had
been pounding against the trunk OF
giant fir. Suddenly the geologisi
was spun about, impelled by the
force of Mckenzie Joes giant mus
cles. Jack Hammond, now literal.
ly throwing celebrants out of his
way as he fought to get to his part
ner, saw the face OF the man, green
gray with horror. Then Mckenzie
Joe began to beat at Kenning's fea
tures-almost instantly they seemed
to become mis-shapen, swollen
squirting red from dozen lacera
tons as the triphammer blows GU
deep into his flesh. Bruce Ken
Ring cried out, an agonized appeal
Help me! Help me, somebody
"Get to him." Hammond shout
ed. Haven't you any sensey Nc
Kenzie will kill him"
It awoke the men about him. the,
stirred; Hammond broke through
pIunging forward that he might lea
upon his partners back and, with
heavy forearm under his chin, pul
! him backward, momentarily stop
ping the assault. Then a staggeI
7 ing miner lurched forward.
Don't jump on man from be
t hindu he commanded, attemptin
to break the younger mans hold
J Around the World Annie swept int
action.
) Keep out Of thisl" she shoute
! and swung blackjack. The ma
fell. Instantly roar sounded fror
: a dozen equally drunken pals; a
E in an instant, Hammond found hin
self surrounded by milling form
S and the wildly failing fists of fres
/. for-all fight.
e Desperately Jack held his gras
on his struggling partner. With
e feeling of great relief, he saw til
0 haffconscious Kenning slip from til
i loosening hold of the prospecto
r and, buffeted by the fighters abol
t him, stagger into the mass Of tai
k gled forms.
:, Shortly afterward, Hammond fe
r a terrific wrench as Mckenzie Jc
r exerted his full strength and brol
j free. After that, the room BEGAN
t a vague conglomeration Of noise ar
$ conflict, above which Armies shri
Q voice sounded again and again a
c her bunting costume torn, her II
a corn a wreck and her yellow ha
!, streaming, she swung her blackjac
e and gave blasphemous command
. for quiet. Finally the turmc
! Gained. The orchestra starts
t again, blaring its loudest. Har
s mond disentangled himself from Il
Q grasp of a 200-pound Swede ar
| l.sx1a hic M ri "a