| Show i both bidos of tho the story 0 0 0 0 tho the three gentlemen in tho the smoking making toom team of the alie pullman on tile the chicago flyer were intimate business acquaintances 1 after wearing tho the market anil and kindred subjects threadbare they sat back silently and looked at one another I 1 each know knew the habits of 0 the other so well that it required no word on any ones part pait to explain that ono one 1 and all yearned for a 0 fourth man mail to make up tip a game of the broker made a move inova punched pun cheil tho button by ills side ail and when a porter lo ho took from ills hh caso case a card wrote a tow feir word ivores i in pencil on art the back of tt it and handed it to the darry doliver deliver that to tho gentleman in 3 X A will you bammy an ami walt wait to see if K there Is an ail answer he laid so it happened that a few minute 3 later with tho the luxurious train bowling smoothly over tho roadbed road rond bed and only fifty out of tho nana ht hund milred roil odd add milos between now new york and chicago covered 61 a quiet game gaine of bohor was waa in progress tile tho newcomer differed slightly from r ni the other three in that ills were noticeable any his jewelry shiny IU as it all pur tit in a lump ane t recently yet ho he was a corker at the ganio gamo of draw none of the tha four observed that each anio tile tho conductor passed through tho car ho he would gazo gaze with a serious air at this fourth man whose profile greeted him biro as lie ho sat eat facing tho the engine the steely blue eyes of the conductor would rest iest for or several se contis on oil the face of tho the stranger its aa it if busy with i and then ho he would continue hla his pas passage sago seemingly puzzled A thing about poker la Is tile tha alma t jeanny nuy facilities it affard 3 for establishing an intimacy to an ox ex port part tile tho stirn stronger ilger who sits opposite him playing his hand up tip tho the cards arranging them betting putting pulling in the pat r Is at the samu same time almo laying haia bare caldona CAld lna features irea of lil alq i mental mako inako ur up to that ton ten mf manutes play does doca moro to create cicato an ail environment of than houra ot of conversation indulged in jn in a first injecting therefore it seemed perfectly natural when hen tho the broker after scanning tha stranger allowed hla his glanco to rest lest on tl ali latter p head lie ire looked at the martinr ii i i a mass of fine black hair itt it first there was nothing tin unusual usual abrat it but a few moments sauly elbowed that it was wider than natural and finally dually tile the observer discerned that tho thin straight line was as ai a i whito as aa chalk as aa smooth as satin and tit in reality was waa as straight as I 1 n nile whereon no nair calr grow observing his Is steady glance the stranger lent icil back in ills hla chair and re 10 marked 1 I see air that you are moro more observant than ibue the majority of man mud ot tho broker hastened to murmur an I 1 apology but tho the other cut him short with alth a good natured laugh and a de L v t Z ivance Dai ice you blank son of satan yelled the tha bad man precatory wave ohla ohis hand while he said that line of parting Is really a scar as pernana you yen have hava perceived it ait 13 rarely that I 1 relate tho the incident Inci incident deni that resulted in my receiving it yot yet it if you care to 1 listen I 1 will tell the story the other three drew their chairs up in an atti attitude tudo of expectant interest and after pausing a moment as aa it for reflection the stranger went on it happened fifteen years yeara ago he said when I 1 was ranching ran caine out west I 1 went west because I 1 drank myself bearly chazy at collego and being ashamed to go home acme I 1 resolved to lose myself un in the at least feast until I 1 could return decently I 1 beca no ao a wio wi o i ita j t to K do atay ni aay not considered essential in tho the kaat east aud tho the puro air and hard worl work and a mint mum oc 01 whisky soon set nn me up again cut try as I 1 would I 1 coull never mako make boon baon companions of my comrades and they that I 1 was wag rot of their class did dd not take mo me in int their fellowship well one evening jake bellair rodo rode po 0 o town on lua his bro broncho ucho ile ho was vas as had bad jake the no nowa s spread and ovary one kept ills hla eyes skinned etl for elret sight of him sud slid donly thero tho 0 o was vias a whoop outside the saloon aloon vi hero the hoys boys were gathered and playing and jako jake appeared in tho the doc arway in a trie I 1 I 1 round found myself Et standing anding alone beside the bar the bir bartender tender had denap neared and every ry cowboy had eunk softly godly into a seat scat jares jakas eyes lighted on tile me and cucu instant ho he stood in front of rao me and I 1 looked town down the throat of a colt 45 dance you blank son of satan yelled tile the bad man inan you bloomin bloom ln Ea eastern steril pickpocket t or train robber or whatever you are dance or ill fill you lull ot of holes 1 I never before had looked into tho the menacing barrel ot of a revolver and my gaze remained rem alpod glued to tho the little rond rand blackened ciralo from which loath death might spurt at any moment although r never for an instant took my eyes I 1 ia L y N 7 41 7 Z I 1 could neither choke him nr nr secure possession of the weapon front tho thil hole hola I 1 could feel tho the glanco of 0 every ono one tit in tho the room fixed on us its I 1 did not want to danco dance it I 1 did I 1 would bo ridiculed maybe forced to leave town or havo bavo fifty lats lights on my hands in as ninny many lays days if I 1 did not the next instant I 1 bounded like a panther at tile the bad man my aly left hand baud closed about tho the pistol ray my right hand seized his throat with no gentle grasp the action was vas EO quick ho he time to draw tile tho trigger I 1 could feel tho the baffled rago rage sizzle within him as I 1 wrenched the pistol barrel toward tile tho root loot I 1 being unable though I 1 exerted ull ail my strength to tear tho the weapon entirely from his grasp I 1 was wag nn an alli loto and a bit of a boxer at college aud and I 1 meditated suddenly ideas cleas i tug itie ills his throat and smashing him on the lie jaw dut but ho he read my thoughts anti and hla his left hand closed on en my right t wrist with a gracli of iron so locked in it that alp wo nye struggled amid a hubbub row now for every ono one tit in tile the room was on oil his foot feet exclaiming at the audacity of my netlon 1 I felt I 1 was weakening lattio by little the muzzle of 0 tho the revolver described a downward arc and wo we were both covered with perspiration and panting like prize fighters strain as I 1 would I 1 could neither choke him nor secure possession of tho the weapon and then as a dizzy feeling began to creep over tile me the shot came at the same instant I 1 felt with the instinct that serves serve a roan man in place of wits at such a time that ho ba hadnot had not hit me although I 1 could feel the lilting biting powder sink into my scalp and faco face As I 1 started back I 1 wren wrenched chad tho the pistol from ills his hand and tho the next moment had him covered before hla his left hand could drop to alq hip when another gun was strapped IlI hands ands uell I 1 cried jako jake throw them up tit stepped up tip to him un tin loosened his belt which dropped to thu the floor dad then regain hig my form or position I 1 exclaimed 1 I never saw you before and 1 I ever want to again I 1 will give you till midnight to shako shake this town it if I 1 ever sot set eyes on you again one at 0 us its dies got gol lie backed to tho the door and wo we could hear car his horses hoofs strike the clar cla in a gallop then I 1 liaised imbed my hand to my head and brou brought glit it back covered with blood the bullet intended for my brain had run mang along my skull tearing a clean ht furrow that healed in a n weak but loft left this scar which will bo be there as lang as I 1 livo live tho the other three gentlemen wore were expressing their interest in the narrative when once moro more the tha conductor appeared tile tha narrator looked him full tit in the face Dam damned rod it it codog OD etI said the official heartily say I 1 knew we won meet before and its worried mo me for the last two hours to place you straight its only this minute that I 1 saw that scar on your head an and d th then I 1 had you for sure why it II must be ten years ago you got that do you I 1 remember you wera braking in tho the olean antl and when tonch tench decided tor for a hying flying switch one ona night you wont went in to cut loose tho the box anil and you missed your hold anti and went down Ws thought you yott were a dead one sure and you escaped with that tip rip on your 1 leid md well how aro ara you anyway Y given up tho the road long ago I 1 supposed posed new york press |
