Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-12-10


less bastard, so l can get there first
and get the fire good and hot so
the devil can roast your soul to a
crisp! There sure will be a jam
session in hell that day and I'll be
right at the ringside!
so shoot and be damned!"
But Craddock didn't shoot. His
right foot came up in a vicious kick
that caught Chappie Allen squarely
on the chin as he leaned forward in
MS chair. Aliens head flew back
with a sharp crack and rolled
crafty on his shoulders. His neck
was broken as though it were
match.
Clark, Inky and Toots thought
then that their last hope of getting
out of that room alive was gone.
They had seen Craddock murder
a man.
Interest turned to Clark. HE
was right, Griffith. When you took
Verda you signed your own obitu-
airy. I'm glad the boys never got
you, now. l would have been de-
MED that pleasure. I'm going to
shoot you slowly to death. Pm go
ing to break your legs and arms
one by one. I'm going to shoot the
flesh off of your hide in spots where
it will hurt the most. And then
I'm going" an insane light came
into his eyes, Pm going to let
you have one right in your bowels.
did you ever see a man shot in
the intestines, Griffith? He dies
slowly and the pain is terrible.
And while you're Topping around
on the floor Pm going to spit in
your pretty face-and laugh. How
does it sound, Beau Brummel 2"
Clark looked him straight in his
cleaning eyes. But you still won't
have Verda, Interest"
Craddock's laugh was the essence
of evil. mo, that's right, my boy.
But when you're gone l won't be
through. Pm going to have some
of the boys snatch her after you're
appropriately laid away. I'm 60
ing to strip her down to her beauti-
full brown body-you didn't know
that 1 have fondled her body, too?
Or did you, rat?"
With a choking cry of rage,
Clark started to reach for Grad
dock.
STEADY, Mister!" Inky's sharp
call checked him. "He's only bait
ing you. We're still on this game.
Hang on to yourself"
Again Craddock laughed. "As /
was saying, before your friends
word of caution prolonged your life
for few minutes, / am going to
have Verda grabbed. I'll strip her
naked and have her beaten to
death. Slowly, Mr.. Griffith, slowly.
With thongs. I'll first tell her how
you died, though. She'll love that,
Pm sure"
And the horrible part of this
brutal statement was, Clark knew
Craddock would carry out his sad
istic threat. This knowledge swept
the cobwebs of Illustration and an
ger from his brain, and left it crys-
tai clear.
He had to get out of that room
alive.
Craddock, looking into Clark's
face, saw the change in his mental
attitude. He stepped back in front
of his killers.
YOU'RE wasting your thoughts,
Pretty Boy. You'll get it-now!"
But while all this dramatic by
play was progressing, Toots had
been putting ideas of his own into
action. 1t is characteristic of slow
witted persons that once an idea
is born in their minds it is there
to stay. Toots was like that, too.
With his hands raised, and look
of amused dumbness on his face,
he had, while all eyes were upon
Craddock, been slowly, inch by
inch, working himself closer and
closer to the nearest gunman. So
that when Craddock aimed at Clark
Toots had moved within three feet
of the killer.
And then, God, in the form of a
fly, came to help.
The fly, angry at the low humid
ity in the room, and finding no way
to escape, decided to make some
thing else feel uncomfortable, also.
1t chose the gunman toward which
| roots had been slowly and CARA