The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-20
!. This Man,
Ioe Murray
BY
WILLIAM
cORCORAN

were furtlYe, on edge, put sure o.
themselves. Joe followed. He. hat
one Injunction to follow: stiel
with them, no matter what. = tHt
could do that, he had nothing bet
ter to sick o and perhap;
rrimly relish he encounter witt
anything disputing the point.
They drifted eventually up tc
/, Gasoline station (which was the
one point ialight asd awake in that
mart of town. Joe looked at the
,irn: it was one of chain IN the
own. There were two cars halt
vi in the space; there were three
men inside the office OF the sta
ION. The day was ended; they
we're absorbed together.
"Right" said Red softly. Stiff
around. you guys. I'll take the
front.
Joe trailed one of the pair Cur
cling, convreging on the station
II was p.etty clear now. There
we're four of them. Only three
inside. The streets were empty.
rbe owner was making up his &C
rount, his days take. Joe had a
lear pictorc; lunch wagons. all
night restaurants, gas stations.
drnr stores. they're all peculiarly
HELPLESS while the towns sleep.
Prt on tho gravel of the sta
ton. closing in, Joe stiffened. Red
WAS walking boldly up to the OIL
flee door-an dthere was a gun IN
Reds hand! Red opened the
door, Ievelcd the gun, and barked
an order.
Joe watched. cold. 80
The three men inside turned
quickly, astounded; then. panic
sprang into their eyes at sight on
the gun bearing on them. All
three sent their hands high. Joe
could see through the glass a can,
vas bag on the desk and small
piles of cash.
ners, Come and get it! And look
for a gun" 49,,
The fellow darted inside. keep
ING ont of line with the gun. edg-
ing to the desk and grabbing the
money and stuf[ing it into MS
pockets. III .,;.,
partner stood across the space
watchful as a cat. Joe waited
his heart pounded, his mind raced
Kaleidoscope, resolving nothing.
The night was very still. Some
where a stout twig snapped: -. !.
A long instant, and the fellow
across the space yelled, LAM
you guys! The bulls" ;.
Through a thick dark hedge ad-
Joining the gas station a power
full figure came crashing.
None of them, drifting stealth
lily through the town, had seen a
vet stealthier shadow following.
None had an inkling that a uni
formed patrolman watched them
encircle the gas station, a police
man who had left his beat in. the
grim certainty of what was COM
ing. The hedge Afforded the one
quick means of approach, and he
was upon them tone bound
shouting, gun drawn.
Red spun on one heel, fired in
stantly, and raun. The cop came
on. The fellow snatching the
money inside the station made in
continently for the door. A hand
grabbed him desperately and
broke his stride; he shook it off
and ran outside.
The policeman fired point-blank
and the younger recolled and
then wilted and dropped to the
gravel outside the door.
Joe, off to the side, stood
frozen. Red yellow to him from
the shadows. The fourth member
of the band had already van
ished.
Joe turned and ran toward Red,
who was waiting. Red was wait
ing with an ugly ferocity in his
eyes as he watched, over Joe's
shoulder, the youngster dead on
the gravel and the COP aiming his
pistol at Joe.
Red raised his own gun and
fired. Joe stopped and looked
back. The cop was falling, shot,
! striking the gravel heavily a
dozen feet from the other body;
and then there were two bodies
mOtionlcss on the dark gravel.
"C'mon" snapped Red. "Out Of
: hcrem
Joe got out Of there with him,
fleeing, racing in the night. And
there was a fear now. a retching
terrible fear that was worst of all
after the danger was well behind
them.
Let's scatter" he gasped to
Red. 1--WE better not stick to-
gether." .
Meet US at the camp" Red
agreed. "We'l hit for Royersville
and ditch the car. Ten minutesr'
Joe stepped int GA pitch dark
alley and. was sick sick. The
night was very still. After time
he went on through the alley.
Joe rode blind out of. town
that night, speeding westward
alone.
Ito be continued)
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