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Show cLAMiW FLAME-- FLAME FLAMEIN - ; . IN I THE THEFORES _ FORES FORESHAROLD . - .O'J .OJ OJ ' HAROLD- HAROLD - HAROLDTITUS TITUS TITUSt _ t . ' ? _ ' . . - I/ I Il1 / ' l1 l1illustrations illustrations illustrations'a , , 'a a ' t t ' + iRWIN MYERS MYERSq ' q . / W N U $ EfLVICEl bwNN ( Gyh GyhJ , , /J J / 1 ' tn , I > + ra _ - - . SYNOPSIS SYNOPSISKerry SYNOPSISKerry Kerry Young , . a " lad lnd of ot seven , Is isprepared 1yreparcd ( prepared > rePllred to floe Oee flee tho the burning lumber lumberamp lumbercamp lumbeic&rop lumbeicrop Jack Snow Snowwho , , amp camp & ot of his hia benefactor benetactor . , who took the youngster to live withhim with withhim withhim him at the death ot of Kerr Kerry's Kerrys Kerr3's Kerr3s ) ' 's s ' mother motherToe motherTod motherTod Toe Tod ! West Nest has Instructed Kerry to tocome tocome tccome come with a , " file te ale containing the camp s a afunds sfunels afunds funels funds should It be endangered'lames endangered endangeredJ7lames endangeredFlames J7lames 'lames lames ' attack the onice office and Kerry Korry Kerryhugging , , hugging bugging the precious te file ( lie , and Todr Tod Todrace Todrace queerly At Atthe Atthe Atthe race ce to town Tod acts the bank the file Ole Is found tound empty and andKerry andKerry andKerry Kerry la to blamed with taking thewrong the thewrong thewrone wrong- wrong wrongone - one Snow Snov . , his headqu\rters headqu rters headquarters headqurtersand headquartersand headquartersand ' \ and money gone . Is ruined , and aoonthereafter soon soonthereafter soonthereafter thereafter dies , , leaving ? Kerry Korry to thePoor the thePoor thePoor Poor Commissioner Kerry suspects suspectsTod suspectsTod suspectsTod Tod and swears to even tlie the Bcore score BcoreIn scoreIn scoreIn In a " SL St . Paul office Kerry , , now In Inmanhood inmanhood Inmanhood manhood , . and an expert woodsmanlearns woodsman , learns of ot the whereabouts of ot West WestKerry WestSorry WestKerry Kerry Sorry rescues a & . lovely lovel > ) girl from trom aacoun a a8coun aacounlrel 8coun acoun Irel Ire ! , who proves to be West Nest WestTod NestTod WestTod Tod threatens to pauperize the girl GirlNan , , Nan Downer SII Sit Sir . thanks Kerry and andtells andtells - tells him of ot the robbery , , and murder murderof murderof of her father and of ot Tod's Tods ' advances advancesSho advancesSho advancesBho Sho Is operating a lumber tract which which'her whichher which'her whichher 'her her ' ' tatner father had purchased from 'VestKerry ' WestKerry 'Vest Vest tiVest tiVestKerry Kerry makes camp At the generalstore general generaletore generalBtore etore store In InVest InVesta Wests \Vesta Vesta \Vest Vest \ a Landing , he findsTod finds findsTod findsTod Tod engaged II In ] . a a . poker pokor game . . CHAPTER IV-Contlnued IV Contlnued IV-Continued Continued IVContinuedIn IV - - Continued _ --4- 4 - IVContlnued4 4In A . _ In a new game , a strange game gamea , a man with wit watches everything everythingSo So Young watched this game Hiseyes HIs HIseyes Hiseyes eyes never neer neter ne\ ne \ er left Tod West's Wests ' ' hand as asthe asthe asthe the man dealt but despite the fact factthat factthat factthat that he detected nothin nothing to arouse arousesuspicion arousesuspicion . suspicion there he passed tens , , b'lcl blcl hick hickto bickto ' . to back bach , . , and let Jim HInkle Hln1.le Hln1le . fight fightit fightIt fightIt it out with ( West Vest Jim lost ag'lln aglln agiln ag'llnand agilnand agilnand ' and , thumbing his bills muttered mutteredsavagely mutteredsavagely mutteredsavagely savagely : " "Back Back "Bact Bact " . where I started tonl tonight ht " Kerrv Kerr Kerry stayed for the first timeHe timeHe time timeHe He won and laughed He had won wonwith \ wonwith on onwith with nines The nine of ot spades spadeshis , his hole card , had a bent corner cornerHe cornerHe cornerHe He remirked rem'1rked rem1rked ' that thatWest _ West began to talk again , m nnkIng Ing an ob\ ob obvious obious obtious \ ious attempt to resumehis resume resumehis resumehis his banter which bad had been soured souredby souredby souredby by Young's Youngs ' ' appcannce appear1nce appearince He sueceeded sue sueceeded sueceeded ceeded badlyTod badly badlyTod Tod and HInkle Hlnhle clashed agaIn againHInkle , Hlnhle Hinkle \ won \ on A few moments later laterhe laterhe , ' he lost most of wliat what he had gainedWest gainel1 gained gainedWest West was as watching him closel closely closelvYouug , Young obseived obsel\ed obsel ed obserted obseled'Damn \ Damn 'Damn ' Mel Mels s cigars f ' " " " saidVest said Wet \Vest Vest Wetbeneath \ Westbeneath Vestbeneath . : ; beneath tils his breath , . , tossing hissmoke his hissmol.e hissmoke smol.e smole smoke . away and making a wry wryface wryface wryface face 'Rope Rope ' I f ! Count me out a ahand ahand ahand hand , , ' he said "I'll Ill " ' ' ' run over to tothe tothe tothe the house and get a real smoke " He rose and went ent Intently out outand outand outand and Youngondpred Young \ wondered \\ondpred ondpred wondrred Did West so somuch somuch somuch much dislike confronting him evenacross even evenacross evenacross across a poker pot.er poter . table after \ ivhat what \ hat had hadhappened hadhappened hadhappened happened that afternoon that hehad he hehad hehad had led tIed fled ( ? Or \ was as It something else elsev.hlch elsewhich elsewhich v.hlch vhlch which . moved him to leave ? The game went on , four handed handedand handedand handedand and under onder relieved rel1eed relieted rel1e\ rel1e \ ed tension tensionOn tensionOn On his return to the table , , the thegood thegood thegood good natured atmosphere which had hadprevailed hadprevailed hadprevailed prevailed for those last few tew hands handsdisappeared handsdisappeared handsdisappeared disappeared Again Agafn , It was a gambung gambling gam gambUng bUng contest , although Tod's Tods ' talk talkwasautwardly talkwas taHwaa-ontwardly taHwaa ontwardly was was-autwardly was autwardly ; . , - outwardly , all that It had been beenbefor beenbefore beenbefora befor before he be knew that Kerry Youngr Young ; r ' f - itQ:1 itQ1 , _ : : IAJ ' 't4 t4 ' ' T 1 I 111 , I - ; z'r zr ' ! J11 rf ' J11y y ' Count Me Out a Hand , , " He Said Sai d was in the room . , . , , . Still SUIt , thai that thatfeLling tb tbfelling thaifeeling at feeling feLling of apprehension , , of som somithing some somei e thing ithing , afoot , grew stronger In InYoung's inYoungs Ir IrYoung's Young's Youngs ' heart hearl hearlt hearlIt , . t , Itas It \ was \\as as \ West's Wests ' ' deal He rifflec rImed riffled rImedI rImedthe riffledthe I , the cirds c\rds c rds cards ' \ twice adeptly and cut cutthem cutthem cu cuthem them for a third time His ills finger fingers fingersbent ; . bent them , sent them fluttcrlniagainst fluttering flutteringI flutteringabalnst flutteringIagainst ; Iagainst I ( abalnst one another , , and then two twoor twoor tvvi tvvior i > or three of the pack leaped fromhis froc from fromI fromhis frochis I his clisp chsp , slid acros across the table andspilled and andspIlled am amBpllled -1 1 - Bpllled spIlled Into bla his lap"Need lap lap"Need lap"Need lapNeed "Need Need " a basket basketl 1 ! " he growled andshoving andshoving and andshoving shoving back hia hIs chilr ch'lir chlir chair ' , , stoopingover stoopin stoopIng stoopIngover stoopinover over , groped tor for cards on the floor floorlie floorlie floolHe lie found round them , all aIt right I ! Hefound He Hefound H Hfound found and gathered them In the e thI theI I hand band which held the deck Butllila But ButI Bui i1 I llila his other hand slid a second deck decktrom deckirons dec decfrom from trom irons beneath his belt . und u.nd and when he h - came up the one pack was thrust thrustInto thrustinto thruaInto , Into the little stein shelf beneath beneaththe beneaththe beneaththe the table top while whUe ! it t was the new newone newone newone one he thrust toward Jlru Jim Hinlde Hinkle Hinldefor Hinklefor HInklefor for the cut . , . , . . , . , Kerry ICerry Young did riot not know hnow tillsBut this thisBut thisBut But his heart rapped smartly wIth wIthsuspicIon withsuspicion withsuspicion withsuspicion"Cut suspicIon suspicIon"Cut "Cut Cut " ' 'em em ' , James 1 I ! " " the man said said"And said"And saidAnd said"And "And And " cut 'cm cm 'em em ' deep because I'vegot Ivegot I've Ive I'vegot I'vegot ' ' got another feeling about this thishand thishand thishand hand ! " He looked about and grinned grinnedmore , more affable afl'able aflable ' tlian than be he had been beensInce beensince beensince sInce Kerry ICerry entered the tbe game Hln Hin Hlnkle Hinkle Hinkle kle cut ; West beamed and . , , . . "slipped slipped "sUpped sUpped " " the cut IYoung I ! Young saw that clearly Back to tothe tothe totlie the top of the deck dec1 . went the section sec sec- section section - tion tint th'lt thlt thi'it thiit ' HInkle had cut away a\\ay a ay \ and andWest andWest andWest West was dealing , talking tall.Ing tallIng . , , chuck chuck- chucklIng chuckling chuckling - ling over some joke he hid h'ld hld bid ' made madebut madebut madebut but to which hlcb Kerry gll\ gll gar gave glle \ e a no heedTo heed heedTo heedTo To find flnd Tod West playing the role roleot roleof roleof ot of ruthless ruthess ] aggressor tlila thIs afternoon after after- afternoon afternoon - noon ; to find him cheating elating at cards cardstonight cardstonight cardstonight tonight . , . , . , and after all theseyears these theseyears years of ot suspicion sucpIclon ; and resentment f ' fTo To the tourist at Tod's Tods ' ' left a akIng aking aking kIng , nest next a four , to Young a seven sevento , to Jim HInkle Hlnhle a queen and to himself himself hIm hImself self , , a six spot , . 'The The "The " " ' king , , " said Its possessor possessor"will possessorwill , , "will will " " risk a dollar doHar , . " Kerry looked loohed at his down cardIt card cardIt cardIt It was as the nine of spades . , . , . , and anda anda a nine of spades " without Ithout a bent cor corner corner corner ner f ! The deck had been switched switchedhe , , he knew hnew ' The man at his left came In ; Kerry ICerry , thinking thlnl"lng thlnllng " quickly qU1chl , paused and andcaught andcaught andcaught caught a little flicker of misgiving mls misgivingon misgivingoq i\'ing i 'ing ing i'ingOI \ ' OI\ OI oq OITod \ Tod West's Wests ' ' face The man wanted want want- wanted wanted - ed him In Inl I ! He tossed a dollar blIl bill blIlto billto billto to the pot"And pot"And pot pot"And "And And " a dollar f ' " " said Jim Hlnhle Hinkle Hinklepromptly Hlnhlepromptly HInklepromptly promptly and Tod nodded wisely"Th'lt wisely"Thit wisely wisely"Tint "Tint Tint "Th'lt Thlt "Thit Thit " ' queen must be proud of ofherself ofherself ofherself herself again Queens ruined Saw- Saw Sawyer Sawyer Saw.yer Sawyer . - yer , James Well Welt Nell , , ' I'll Ill I'n In ' trail along " The rest , , also , saw the raiseTod raiseTod raise raiseTod Tod set the deck dech on the table before be before before fore him , , ostentatiously , Kerry be- be beIteved believed be believed - - lieved Iteved He hitched his chair closerto closer closerto closerto to the table and dealt , , taking cards cardsone cardsone cardsone one at a time from the packThe pack packThe packThe The sho\\ sho showing shoIng \ Ing . king t.lng tlng drew a tenspot ten tenspot tenspot spot ; the four tour caught a Il n nine nine.Young nineYoung . , Young was given a deuce and be- be beside be be- beside beside - - side Hinkle's Hinkles ' queen dropped another an another another other . , . . " "Oh Oh " oh " I ' " muttered Tod "You You "Youmust've "Youmust've " "Youmust've Youmustve " must've mustve ' ' felt her comIng-turnlng comIng turnlng coming-turning turning comIngturnlngbimself comingturninghimself coming , , " - turninghimself bimself himself a kIngIJ.cltement kingD.citement king kingEvcltement Evcltement IJ\.cltement IJ.cltement IJ .cltement cltement D.citement Dcitement ' \ . showed In Jim Hln Lila HlnhIe LilaMe Hinkle hIe Me s sallow face Why shouldn't shouldnt shoudn't shoudnt ] ' it It7 It7With ItWith ? With queens bick b'lck blck beck ' to back , , and nowa now nowa nowa a third ? And two . kings 1.lngs 1lngs showIng showingIn In two hands ? ' "Ten Ten 'Ten " ' dollars dotJars " he said and hIs hIsvoice hisvoice hisvoice voice was too eager . " "Well Well ' Well 'Ven Ven , now , James , . . , . ' I'm Im ' just justa justa a little bit proud of what I've Ive ' got gotIve . . I ve ye beaten those dam ' ' queens once onceor onceor onceor or twice tonight tonlgbl . ' I'll Ill I'J IJ ' ' ! Just tilt It a amIte amite amite mIte this time to luck ' ' try my Let's Lets Let'sbet Let'sbet Let'sbet Letsbet bet twenty five and keep the retaIl retaIlers retailens retailers ers ens out I t ! " The man at his hls left heft folded ; thesecond thesecond the second hesitated and again Kerry Kerrycaught Kerrycaught Kerrycaught caught that tbat little flash of misgivingIn misgivingn misgIving ! In n West's Wests ' eye He wanted them tbem allout a11 all a11out al'out alout ' out now ; all a11 except Jim Hlnlde Hinkle Hinklewho Hinklewho . who was already fingering his hs hismoney hsmoney hi S ; money , ready to call or raiseThe raise raiseThe raiseThe raiseI The second tourist folded an anKerry and andKerry amKerry d I Kerry away . , silently shoved his cards cardsaway card cardaway cardsaway s "Kalsin Kalsin "Raisin Raisin " ' fifteen , Tod ? ' Jim askecand ashed ashedand aske askeand d and this time his voice waa was husked husked"Tbat's husked"That's husked"That's huskedThats "Tbat's Tbats "That's Thats " ' ' the way I feel I 111 11 Ii bach back bachat backat badat at you youl I " West tiVest rubbed bis hIs chin and grInned"By grinned"By grinned grinned"By "By By " gosh gosb , , " , " he said , as If It In cha ilia chagrin iliagrin chagrin grin 'By By ' By gosh , , Jimmy , , you tryln trylnto tryinto ' ' to beat me ? " An onlooker laughE'd laughEd laughed"I laughed"I laughedI ' . . . " "I I " think thinh you're youre ' downright try tr , } in ' to totahe t ttake titake o > tahe take my money and that ain't aint ' ' quite quiteright quit quitright quitright oe e > right . , . , . , . , Back at you with withtwenty withtwenty wittwenty h ! i twenty I 1 I " His voice snapped on this last lastand las lasand lasand t and the watchers crowded closeto closer close closerto closeto i * ' to the tbe chair bachs"Well backs"Well backs bachs backs"Well " "Well Well " , seem seein seeln ' as you've youve ' got so somuch s smuch smuch o > much confidence and seein aeeln seem ' as how hovwe've hovweve ho howe've w we've weve \ e've eve ' got cards com comin In ' ' . , . _ . , Call Calli I ! IIhiee ' " Ihiee Zliree 1111 ' ee cards were dealt , , not notwith nowwith now nowwith v , , ' with two showing ; a pair of Queens queen queenwith queenswith s wIth a lone Jone king against the theTrom tbem tbemrrom thenFrom m rrom Trom the top of the deck , lyln lyin lyinso lyinso so openly before him West Nest picke plct.ed plcted picks plct.edan . d an ace and nipped tUpped flipped It toward his ad adversary adversary acversa ! versary ry For himself blmself he turnedninesnot turned a anInespot nIne-spot nIne spot nine-snot snot - - "The The liThe " queens bet twenty fly five fivebucks C Cbucks bucks ! 1 I " Jim's Jims ' voice was tight tight"And tight"And "And And " the king will wlIl see the tbe twen twenty twe twety n ' ty flv fi\ fi fit fie \ e a and raise ten I 1 I ' said Wea Vies West Westmellowly Viesmellowly t mellowly . , HInkle Htnlcle Ilinkle shifted hl his weight . . H Hwet He Hewet e wet his lips and looked nervously nervouslyat nervousl nervous ! y at Tod's Tods ' ' hand band . . , Then , , as If It decli decld decldIng deck decklug decliIng d Ing lug on cautlou cautlon caution after a struggle , , he hecalled called His stack of |