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Show , ' POOR P oA I 41 414t - 4t 4tI MAN'S MANS ANS ANSGOlO : ' GOlO Gotu Gotup GotuCOURTNEY _ Gs p COURTNEY COURTNEYRYLEY COURTNEYRY RYLEY RY LEY 1 RYLEYCOOPER RYLEYCOOPERICHTCOUFITNEY 1COOPER COOPER COOPERa COOPERGHT.000RTNEY a . . . . . . . ICHT-COUFITNEY ICHT COUFITNEY GHT-COURTNEY GHT COURTNEY GHT.000RTNEY GHT000RTNEY - . p.yi pyi RYLEY Fy COOPER ' VV.N.U VVN.U VVNU W.N.V WN.V WNV W.N.U WN.U WNU SERVICE SERVICI ! _ BR EB R VIU-Contmucd VIU Contmucd VIII-Continued VIII Continued VIUContmucd11 VIIIContinued11 VIII - - Continued ContinuedI Continuedll I -11- 11 -ll ll - 11dnothing 11I 11dnothing - I ed.notbing ednotbing dnothing . McKenne McKenlle McKenzie Joeg Joeforward Joe Joen | n g { forward , Bruce Kenpted Ken- Ken KenJited - . pted to run . . A drunken drunkenved drunkenved drunkened Jited ved him hun back into the theJoe theJoe thefen Joe shouted : Eouble ouble - . crossing crossmg toundl Tioundl houndl"5te houndl5te " forward Wlld Wild Wild-teenning Wild teenning - . ge , be he shot Kenmng Kenning struck out andi anda and ! a cry , strove to dodge dodgeas dodgeus as impossible unposSlble ; : McKenzie McKenzle McKenzleught McKenzielight light ught him hun , one huge arm arm's arm's armi 's s ' neck , blocking blockmg off allsave allsave all ! save short arm blo blows blowsuck , . s , , luck the prospector's prospectors prospcctor's prospcctors ' huge hugelI'On hugeiron hugeI torsoMth1 with withtresult \Mth1 Mth1 Mth1result Ith Ithresult fCk , ' iron lI'On lIOn muscled torso v . \ tresult result than it l if ! they Uley had haddIng hadding hadiding dIng against agamst the trunk of ofSuddenly ofr . Suddenly the geologIst geologistabout geologisti "about about " bout , , , impelled by the thecKcnzle thecKenzie theIcKcnzie cKcnzle cKenzie Joe's Joes ' ' giant mus mus- mus musHammond mus-c mus c - - . ] k Hammond , now Ilteral hteral literal-bg literal bg - . kg g celebrants out of ills his illsfought hisfought hist fought to get to his part- part parte parts part-be part be - e s face of the man , green- green greenhorror greenhorror green-i green i - horror . Then McKenziei McKenzleto McKenzieto McKenzle McKenzie to beat at Kennmg's Kennmgs Kenning's Kennings ' fea- fea feaost fea fea-nost fea nost - . ost instantly mstantly they seemed seemedM seemede e mis mls shapen , sw sv . allen ollen ollen.red ollenred . , ed ! from rom a dozen lacera lacera- lacerae lacera-he lacera he - . e triphammer blows cut cutbis cutt his bis flesh Bruce Ken Kenout Kenout KenI out . , an agonized agomzed appealne appealel appeale appeal el e ' Help me , somebody somebody"ihim somebodyihim ! " hIm , " Hammond shoul shout- shout shouten't shouten't shouldn't - dn't dnt en't ent ' you any sense7 senses sense " Mc Mc- Mc McI Mc-UI Mc UI - . [ I kill bun him himl 1 ! " s the men about him ; : they theynunond theymmond theylammond nunond mmond broke through throughforward , orwardthat orward that he might leap leapartner leapartier leapiartncr artner artier s back , and , ' vith .1th 1th with ' . a aarm aarm acarm arm under his hlS chin chm , , pull pullard pullord pullyrard -ard ard ord - , , , momentarily momentanly stop stop- stopssault stop-assault stop assault - . ssault Then a staggerlurched stagger- stagger staggerlurched - . turched lurched for\\ for fon\ fon forwardlimp forard fonard forward \ \ ard ardjump jump ump limp on a man from be be- be becommanded be-commanded be commanded - . commnnded commanded , attemptmg attempting attemptingie attemptmge attemptinge e younger man's mans ' hold holdWorld holdWorld holdWorld World Annie Anme swept into mto intot [ t of this ' " she shouted shouteda shouted'a shouteda ' a blackjack The man manOy mantly mantly Oy tly a roar sounded from fromually fromwally fromlually ually wally drunken pals , all allnt allat allnt nt at , , , Hammond found rum himd him-inded him inded - . ded by muling millmg milling forms formsdly formsdly formsIdly dly flailing flailmg fist of a free1 freeIy free- free freeIy - 1 ' " Iy ly Jack held his grasp graspgglmg graspggling graspgglmg gglmg ggling partner . With Wlth a areat ateat atreat reat teat relief rehef , he saw the theous theous theous ous Kenning Kenmng slip sl1p from the theold theold thelold old of the prospector prospectorid prospectord d by the fighters ibout * aboutT bout boutr : r into mto the mass of tan tankerward . ker-ward ker ward terward - , Hammond felt feltench feltench feltTench ench as McKenzie Joe JoeI Joefull Joefull Joefull I full fullstrength strength and broke brokethat brokethat brokethat _ that , the room became becameglomerahon becameglomeration becameiglomeration glomerahon glomeration of noise and ove owe which whlch Annip's Annips AnDlP's AnDlPs Annie's Annies ' shrill shrilled shrillLed shrillled ed Led ag again lD and again agam as ast , costume torn , her tn- tn tri- tri tnck trick tri trick - - ck and her yellow hair hairhe hairhe hairhe ( he swung her blackJack blackjackblasphemous blackJack1asphemous blackjacklasphemous commentsr 1asphemous lasphemous commentsFinally comments commentsFinally r . ; ' Finally the turmoil turmoile turmoilThe e orchestra started startedmg startedtrig startedws mg trig its loudest Ham- Ham Hamtangled Hamtangled Ham-itangled Ham itangled - tangled himself h1msel ! from the 200 pound Swede and andut andut andut partner.EToe partnerEToe ut him for his Ius partner . oe had disappeared d1sappeared disappearedand disappearedamond - amond and went forth into intoearch intoearch intoearch ( earch for him , although althoughras althoughas as useless Somewhere"se Somewherese Somewherense Some\ Some Somehere Somewhere \ ' . here herense nse " forest of ot stunted stuntedhIgh stuntedhigh stuntedhigh tangledd hIgh flung fir , tang'ted tangted tamed tang'tedmatted tamedmatted ' matted junipers jumpers , , Mc- Mc Mchad Mcbad Mc-had Mc had - had bad gone to his hideout hideoutas ? as safe Nevertheless Nevertheless"spt Neverthelessspt , " cpt ept up the search for forpart forpart forpart part of two days At Athe Athe , he had freedom from fromKay fromKay fromI Kay Joyceof Joyce Joyceof ' of Whoopeetake the fightat fight at Whoopee Whoopee'Lake WhoopeeLake ' take Lake Sapphire like a aBeyond ' Beyond that , Bruce Bruceswollen Bruceswollen Bruce.swollen Bruceswollen lacks . swollen eyes , his h1S lac- lac lacs lac - ks s and bruised brwsed lips hps had haditory hadtory haddry tory dry all too plainly plamly to toall toall torail j toj dislikeIe all her pent up dlshke dislike dlshkee dislikee e Joe had surged to"For todl to toFor dl "For For 'For " ' For the first time Jack Jackound Jackound Jackgound fromd ound solace away from fromp d found it impossible lmposslble to toably toit toably it ably her vilifications v1hficabons of ofoe of0e ofoe oe 0e To Jack Jacks S SlCW \lCW- lCW ticw- ticw ticwattack \ Mew-attack Mew attack lCWattack - attack had been the theroadmg therooding therooding roadmg rooding , resentful dis- dis dls- dls disno - disf > f * no foundations foundahons dlsII II , it is is1niy iswnly tainly istainly 1niy not deserving deservmg of ofus ofus of"s ofs Kay'cd Kaycd Kayed us " instincts which Kay ' ed to him . The de de- de deer de-W de W - . er , , and met only a mulage mul- mul mulCe - - . age Ce , both from the gIrl girloglst gIrllogist logist logistit girloglstst st it . , there was a truce ItUlg ItThing It " "ig ig Ulg Thing " of the third day , 11 11girl &rl rl gIrl & stood together near nearKay nearlay Kay lay had sought him ' , her left hand extendpalm extendL extendpalm extend L ' palm a dozen or more ; , ilhin thin morethin gold , the result , i'ewhat iewhat ' cwhat jerkily , , of the ? theHammond Hammond bent to tom tom - m in toI tof ' , only as ns quickly qUlch.ly qUlchly . toa to f fa I a comer corner of his eye eyer eye"tight eyetight " t eyet r SIght of ot an approach approachtr tr trIt approachi It approachIt Itwas " was McKenzie JoeY Joe 4 y ) ' featured 'featured , , . but sober , L I he Ras was v . as approaching approachmg from Loon Looncreek Looncreek Looncreek creek . Silently they watched h1m him h1mI h1mcome himcome himcome I come nearer , finally Jack Jach said sand , m a aVOice avoice avoice VOice tensely laconic lacomc : "Hello Hello " , Joe " "Hello Hello " , " , " he said bnelly brIefly and andloohed andlooked andlooked loohed looked at Kay . "Waiting Waiting " to tell me mewhat mewhat mewhat what you think of me , eh ? " Kay Joyce whitened She said saidnothmg saidnothing saidnothing nothmg nothing Hammond attempted to tocover tocover tocover cover the situation with wlth a laugh . "No No " Of course not She's Shes ' just justhad justhad justhad had a clean up down at her claun claim claunShe's claimShe's claimShe's claimShes She's Shes ' gotten into pay dirt . . " ' So ? " ' ' " The older man strode strodeabruptly strodeabruptly strodeabruptly I abruptly forward and stared into intoI intoher intoher intoher her cupped hand "Washed Washed " that thatout thatout thatout I out of the grat gra gra\el gra el \ , el el , , , eh eh7 " " I I"Yes "Yes Yes " " She bit out the.ord the \ ' . word \.ord .ord ord Mc- Mc McKenzie Mc McKenzie . - : Kenzie Kenzle Joe Joeed fL\.ed fL.ed fL .ed ed fined & \ ' . \ed ed her with Wlth his blood blood- bloodshot bloodshot . - . shot eyes . . 'The The ' The hell sou ou didl d1dl did ! " he snapped snapped"That's snapped"That's snapped"That's snappedThats " ' " "That's Thats sniper smper gold Kay flung her hand angrily down down- downward downward downward - ward , , scattering scattermg the gold in m deep deepgrass deepgrass deepgrass grass . Her blue eyes gleamed V.lth Vlth with withrage V.lthrage . withrage withrage"It rage rage"It "It It .It " . isn't isnt Jsn't Jsnt ' enough that you should shouldjump shouldjump shouldjump jump on Bruce . Now you include includemel includemet includeme ' " , mel met " "I I " 1 ain't aint am't amt ' jumping jumpmg on you , " said saidJoe saidJoe saidJoe Joe "I'm Im " ' ' just lust telling Jack thatgold that thatgold thatgold gold never came from your claim 1 ! " ' Watch . what v.hat vhat you're youre ' saYIng saymgt"Jack saymgtJack ! " Jack exclaimed . McKenzie Joe eyed him . "Pick Pick " up that gold if l ! you ( ' can 'an an find findIt findit findit It . , , " " he answered coldly . "You'll Youll " ' find findIt's findit's findit's findits It's Its ' flat , with Wltil old scratches on It- It Itscraped itscraped it itscraped - scraped out from ledge riffles rimes in m the themam themain themain mam main body of the stream It never nevercame nevercame nevercame came from gravelU gravel"Then gravel U " "Then Then " I \ was as lying7 lymg lying " " " asked Kay KayShe KayShe KayShe She swept her glance suddenly to tomclude toinclude toinclude mclude include another figure , Jeanne Towers Tow Tow- Towers Towers - ers had rounded the side of thecabin the thecabm thecabin cabm cabin Kay glared at her then thenturned thenturned . turned back bach . to McKenzie Joe "An An "An- "Answer "Answer " - . swer saver meas me , was \/as as \ / I lying9 lymg lying ? " " "Yes Yes " , you , were .ere ere . lying lymg , " Joe an- an answered an answered . - swered s\"ered s "ered ered \ " quietly . "Joe Joe " ' Take that back " ' " I Never mind mmd doubling doublmg your fists fistsJack , Jack , " the older man said "I I " 1 could couldkill couldkill couldkill kill you the best day you ever lIved livedBut livedBut . , But I wouldn't wouldnt ' . . And ' I'm Im ' gomg- gomg going- going gomggettm goinggettin going goinggettm - gettm gettin ' out of here " "One One " of us has got to go " I I"Sure "Sure Sure " , " the older man said . "I I "Ithought "Ithought "Ithought Ithought " thought that all out-over out over out - over there in inthe inthe inthe the bush But before I go , here's heres here'sI here'ssometlung here'ssomething here'ssomething heressomething ' I sometlung something for you That gold find's finds find'sa findsa ' i ia " a come on- on on"You've on"You've on - "You've Youve " ' said enough , Joe " ' Sure I know it But rememberyou rememberyou remember rememberyou -you you - you dangle just a little IlttIe hay In Infront infront mfront front of a horse to make him follow followyou followyou followyou you into mto a corraL You're Youre ' bem bean ' ' led ledmto ledinto ledinto mto into something somethmg " Jack Hammond lunged angrily angnly to- to toward to toward . - ward his partner , only to be con can confronted . fronted by Jeanne Towers , a queer , II f 6 6m m . . t tv tyi v , i.l il . I IK yi K ' S Si.l _ _ . .o o . ' | , ' l lwr wr , , ; 3h ter 3hah , ah ahk ahcc k cc ccc c . L L"You ' Li _ i "You You " DoubIe-Crossinc DoubIe Crossinc Doublc-Crossmg Doublc Crossmg Double-Crossing Double Crossing - - - Hound 1Iound . " desperate expression in m her face faceKay faceKay faceKay Kay Joyce merely stood still , her herl1ps herbps herlips l1ps bps livid l1vld , her eyes strangely nar nar- narrowed narrowed narrowed - rowed The Northern girl braced bracedhersel bracedherself bracedherself hersel herself ! ' , Get hold of yourself , Jack , . " she shecommanded shecommanded shecommanded ' commanded commandedSlowly Slowly , Jack Hammond moved movedback movedback movedback back There was a long sllence silence sllenceThen silenceThen silenceThen Then the younger man ash.ed'W.ell asked ash.ed ashed . ' 'W.ell W.ell Well ' . Well . , , Joe , , do I buy you out-or out or outordo outordo out - ordo do you ) ou take my share7 share " " " ' He can't cant ' have your share ! " Kay KayI Kaysnapped Kaysnapped Kaysnapped I snapped "He's Hes " ' got to go " I IMcKenzie McKenzie Joe looked about him himUneasily himUneasily himUneasily Uneasily he wiped a shaking shnkmg hand handacross handacross liandacross across his lips ' I guess the young lady answered answeredfor answeredfor answeredtor for me , " he said Jack stamped stampedmto stampedinto stampedinto mto into the cabin , to return almost as asqU1ckly asquickly asquickly qU1ckly quickly . , He held in his arms four fourheavy fourheavy fourheavy heavy moosehide moosehlde pouches , lumpy lumpyw1th lumpywith lumpywith w1th with gold nuggets"It's nuggets"It's nuggets nuggets"It's "It's Its " ' everything ' I've Ive ' got , " he said saidshortly saidshortly saidshortly shortly . 'Sign Sign ' SIgn up and get out . " Jeanne Towers straightened . t , "Jackl Jackl "Jack Jack " ! " she cried "You You " 1001- 1001 fool- fool 1001you foolyou fool-you fool you - - you fooll fool ! " Then with a half sob sobshe , she whirledand whirled and rnn ran ran back bach to her hercabm hercabin bcicabin cabm cabin . CHAPTER ClIAPTBR CHAPTEIt IXMore IX IXMore More than two months had passed passedsmce passedsince passedsince smce since that morning mormng when Jack Jach had hadwalked hadwalked hadwalked walked drearily drearuy back from the lake lakegaunt , gaunt with wlth the weight of strange strangeforeboding , . forebodmg sadness Once the he he'lt helt he'ltof heitof ' it itof of their quarrel had begun to cool cool cool.memory coolmemory . . , memory had , . to a degree , at least least.brought leastbrought . . brought about a truce in m the bitter bitterness . ness between McKenzie Joe and andhimsel andhimself andhimself himsel himself ! The signing slgnmg over of the thenecessary thenecessary thenecessary necessary putJack papers which had put Jack in possession of all the claims claimshad claimshad claimshad had been done in silence , it is istrue istrue istrue true . , but not taciturnity taclturmty . , " "Write Write "Wnte Wnte " to me sometime . , Joe Joey Joe7"Jack Joe7Jack ? " Jack had asked askcd as the older man mantook mantook mantook took his departure . "Sure-I'll "Sure Sure I'll Ill "Sure Sure " - - ' I'll Ill ' ' 'be be * ' be glad to do that thatJack , Jack . . . If there's theres Ulere's Uleres ' anything anythmg to wnte write wnteabout writeabout writeabout about . . And sayIt sayIt"Yes say- say say"Yes say _ - " |