The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-09-10
A DOUBT

You wouldn't find one of those rats
telIng me not to put him to sleep be-
fore I worked on HIM"
o shot a quick look at the Wrinkled
old faee. Did he mean something by
that? It might be better to warn him
that if he cut too deep Tom would
still have time to shoot:
But h little runt was too ludicrous,
insignificant, fuSSy. He was absorbed
IN his work, pursuing his notified lips,
fldgetlng, hopping around. He wouldn't
have the nerve or the time to be making
dangerous cracks.
Used to be lots of those fellows on
the shore here-account of the rum
running. The chief went on one hunch-
they're rats, not humans. In ten-fifteen
years, he never saw one of EN- show
mercy to anybody. They'd shoot women,
chlidren =. anybody: I mean if they're
saving their W hides. Save them
selves first, that's their motto"
He fixed an elastic tourniquet over
the thigh. Hes cleaned EN- out pretty
slick, the chief has. We haven't had
any more in this town since one of
EN- took a murder rap two-three
years ago."
Who was that?" Tom asked.
Don't you read the papers?. The
days ago. Fellow named Tom Hubbard"
The doctors needle pricked Toms
flesh. HE was a bad one. This stuff
will help, when it begins to work. Just
a little dope. Yep, he was a bad one"
He went back to his boiling instru-
ments. drawing on rubber gloves, wait
ing for the effects of the hypodermic.
TOMS heart began to slug. He hoped
else. It would be tough to be knocked
out. The doctor would not have much
to fear then.
Perhaps it would have been wiser to
follow Pug Martins advice and warn
him that he better do a good job, if
he wanted to live. But you couldn't
talk to a fussy little old man that
so Tom Hubbard was from this
town." Tom said. WELL, what do you
know about that?"
He was a nice straight-looking guy,
they say. But the booze licked him.
He was in the pay of the Crawley
gang, you know, did errands for Craw-
ley. He did one pretty crude job for
took a bird for a ride in it . in
his own car. He took the body up to an
empty house in Newark, but somebody
remembered the car, the make of it,
and sure enough blood stains, finger
prints checked up. This is going to
lluIG WALL 10 CHEW a Idll!
60 ahead"
And the tire prints out in front of
the house checked UP too. His car all
right and he was in it,"
Tom saw the scalpel glittering like
silver, fished out of the steaming pan.
The doctor poised it and his loose
jointed, floppy hand turned into some
thing inanimate like the vanished
hand of a manikin, because of the
rubber glove. It was a piece of machin-
cry. The wink of light OF the steel
became fixed like a star.
Tom wanted to blurt out his warning.
He wanted to say, IF you make a slip
the Crawley gang will come and see
you about it. They won't let any
country doctor, play a trick like this!"
1t would not be the truth, for the
nevertheless, the doctor and everybody
believed it. That was why Pug Marlin
had offered all the cash he had. That
was why a car was waiting for Tom
when he broke Jail. That was why a
lunch stand keeper on the outskirts of
Trenton had bound his wound.
But instead OF blurting. out this warn
quelled his fear, loosened his tongue.
1T was Slickear Nolan who did that
job, and framed Tom Hubbard"
Don't be silly" The doctor whistled
his words as he worked. "I know Slick
a Buy wood and coal from him."
Sure, that rat never got found out.
Tom couldn't pin it on him. It was
Slickear who was undercover man for
the ~gang-bought their machine guns
and. fixed up hiding places"
1T was Tom Hubbard, not Nolan"
the doctor said. II live in this town,
I ought to know. Nolan's a good guy.
Sells good coal. I I'VE him a hell Of a
bill, but he's a good guy"
Tom clenched his teeth as the doctor
probed. His jaw shivered.