Show ah AM A LAM I 1 P a M THE FOR ej 5 C D J TITUS N t bluj I of bior av 7 AYER WN V r SYNOPSIS kerry young a lad of 0 seven Is prepared to flee the burning lumber camp of 0 his benefactor jack snow who took the youngster to live wit with him at the death ot of jerrys mother tod west has instructed kerry t to 0 come coins with a file die con tai n in g the c camps 1 l p 3 funds should it bo be bendan endangered g e r ed flames attack the office and kerry hugging bugging the precious flie and tod race to town tod acts queerly nue erly at the tha bank banic the nie file is found empty and kerry is blamed with taking the wrong one snow ills his headquarters and money gone Is ruined and soon thereafter dies leaving kerry to tc the poor commissioner kerry suspects tod and swears to even the score in a st SL paul 0 ace kerry now in in manhood and on an expert woods woodsman mail learns of the whereabouts of west kerry rescues a lovely girl gin from a scoundrel who proves to be west tod threatens to pauperize the girl nan Domi dovner iier she thanks kerry an and tells him of the robbery and murder of her father and of cods addan advances ces she Is operating a lumber tract which her father had purchased from west kerry makes camp at the general store etore in bests Landl landing ng he finds tod engaged in a poker game CHAPTER IV continued d in a new game a strange game a man with wit watches everything so young watched this game ills eyes never left tod All jests ests hand as the man dealt but despite the fact that he detected nothing to arouse suspicion there lie he passed tens back to back and let jim hinkle fight it out with west jim lost again and thumbing his bills muttered savagely back where I 1 started tonight kerry stayed for the first time ile he won and laughed lie ile haddon had won with nines the nine of 0 spades ills hole bole card had a bent corner he remarked that west began to talk again making an obvious attempt to resume his banter which had bad been soured by youngs appearance he succeeded badly tod and hinkle clashed again hinkle won A few moments ts later he lost most of what he had gained west was watching him closely young observed damn mels cigars said west beneath his breath tossing his smoke away and making a wry face rope count me out a hand he said ill run over to the house and get a real smoke ue he rose azid and went intently out and young wondered did west so much dislike confronting him even across a poker table after what had bad happened that afternoon that he had fled or was it something else which moved him to leave the game went on four handed and under rell relieved eved tension on ills his return to the table the good natured atmosphere which had prevailed for those lat few hands hand disappeared again it was a gambling contest although cods talk was outwardly cut all that it had been before he knew that kerry young AV count me out a hand he said 1 was in the room still that feeling of apprehension of something afoot grew stronger in youngs heart it was bests deal ue ile riffled raffled the cards twice adeptly and cut them for a third time ills his fingers bent them sent them fluttering against one another and then two or three of the pack leaped from hla his clasp slid across the table and spilled into inlo his lap need a basket I 1 he be growled and shoving TIng back his chair sio stooping over groped for cards on the floor ile he found them all right I 1 he found and gathered them in the liana hand which held tile the deck hut but his other hand slid a second deck ottom beneath ills belt and when he came III up the one pack was thrust into the little stein shelf beneath the table top while it was the new one lie thrust toward jim hinkle for the cut nerry kerry young did not know this cut but his heart rapped smartly with suspicion cut em cm james 1 the man said and cut era em deep because ive got another feeling about tills this land I 1 ile he looked about and grinned more affable than he had been since kerry entered the game nin ilia kle cut west beamed and slipped the young saw that clearly back to the top of the deck went the see section that hinkle had cut away and west was dealing talking chuckling over over some joke he be had made but to which kerry gave no hoed heed to find tod west playing the role of ruthless aggressor this afternoon to find end him cheating nt cards tonight and after all these years of suspicion and resentment I 1 to the tourist at cods left a kill ing next a four to young a seven to 0 jim hinkle a queen and to himself elf a six spot the MD king said its possessor will risk a dollar kerry looked at his down card it t was the nine of spades and anine a nine of spades without aa a bent accor corner nerl the deck had been switched he knew the man at his left came in kerry thinking quickly paused and caught a little flicker of misgiving on tod bests face the man wanted him in ue ile tossed a dollar bill to 0 o the pot and a dollar said jim hinkle promptly and tod nodded wisely that queen must be proud of herself again queens ruined sawyer james well ill trail along the rest also saw the raise tod set the deck on the table before him ostentatiously kerry believed he hitched his chair closer to lo the table and dealt taking cards one at a time from the pack the showing king drew a ten spot the tour four caught a nine young was given a deuce and beside hinkles inkles II queen dropped another oh jbv muttered tod you ayou felt her coming turning himself a king excitement showed in jim hin kles sallow face why it with queens back to back and now a third and two kings showing in two hands ten dollars he be said and his voice vas mas too eager well now james im just a little bit proud of what ive got ive beaten b eaten those dam queens once or twice tonight ill just tilt it a mite this time to try my luck lets 11 bet twenty five and keep the retailers out the man at his left folded the second hesitated and again kerry cau caught lit that little flash of misgiving in bests eye ile he wanted them all out now all except jim hirskle hankle who was already fingering his money ready to call or raise the second tourist folded and nerry kerry silently shoved his cards card away It Itai alsin sin fifteen tod jim asked and this time his voice was husked the way I 1 feel ill back at you west rubbed his chin and grinned by gosh bosh lie he said as if in chagrin grin BY gosh jimmy you bryin to beat me an onlooker laughed 1 I think youre downright bryin to take my money and that aint quite right back at you with twenty ills his voice snapped on this last and the watchers crowded closer to tile the chair backs well scein as youve got so much confidence and acela as how vew got cards comin call three oliree cards were dealt now dow with iab two shon showing ing a pair of queens with a lone lone king against them F from rom the top of the deck lying so openly before him west picked hn ace and flipped it toward his adversary ver sary for himself tie fie turned a I 1 nine spot the queens bet twenty five bucks buck sl jims voice anas tight and the king will see the awen ty five and raise ten said west shifted his weight ne he wet his lips and looked nervously at toils hand band then as if deciding on caution after a struggle lie he called ills his stack of bills was thin now the heap of currency in the center had bad attained considerable size izea now for the last heat beat jimmy to you lad a trey and to rap me hesitating as lie he PIl it at the card he turned fro arre tl flip ick and let a smile cross ills his face ace to me ti the le king of diamonds so that was it kerry thought to himself obviously hinkle had threes tod from a cold deck had dealt himself the case king west was sitting back in his chair smiling coolly the place had grown very still well over two hundred dollars had been bet so far and west was smiling at the distraught jim hinkle as a man will I 1 who Is most sure of himself beat tile the kings west said if you can and care to tol I 1 jim cleared his throat lie he counted his money slowly ana said im betting fifty dollars and as he shoved in the last or of his money young heard the breath catch in ills his throat tod west began to laugh them queens queen sl I 1 he said you boys have to learn about women from me I 1 beat lem em with aces once tonight now its kings kings beat queens jimmy three you got three of the gals and hinkle strained forward as west began turning his hole card three queens tile the man said huskily just what I 1 figured along at the last so I 1 just called you yon abeln out of cash my kings james cat batched elied em selves a triplet too I 1 hinkle slumped back in his chair vv weakly eaRly in the depths of his eyes was acute distress can caught lit the caser tod west was saying as lie reached forward with both hands for the pot caught the caser and I 1 just a minute it was kerry youngs 1 ou voice with snap find and iron norvil now as west hesitated face to the wall in it and kerry youngs hand lay in an arresting grasp on bests wrist tod broke short his speech he plunged a look hard into this strangers face jim how low much did you lose in this pot kerry asked you NA were ere even you said a while ago honderd Hun derd W n eighteen said alln kle unsteadily young nodded A hundred and eighteen dollars too much to lose what comes oft off here west recovering himself shook off jerrys hand and drew back color gushed darkly into his face what goes on here you even in this pot no you want me in makes no DO damn difference to me what you do but you were not its my pot if you want to postmortem post mortem here whatever your name Is just string along and buy the right ive the right now youngs mouth twitched and he was a bit pale my financial interest in this pot Is nothing but ive an interest in it beside that ive been sitting in the game and when I 1 see a man stripped of his last dollar on a crooked deil deal tod was on ills his feet a rush of crimson rage flooding his face and his right hand band was whipping at his breast jerking open the shirt buttons gave exposing the sweat stained strap across his chest and the segment of shoulder holster it happened quickly bilth such desperate quickness that young could not hope ford for escape by flight before him was the table to right and left were seated card players too amazed and shocked and fuddled cuddled fudd led to be aware of what Im let alone to be able to moe quickly and so he did all that there remained to do 10 lie he rose with a swift flowing movement As he rose his hand dropped into ills his coat pocket stop it lie he snapped and his voice was a rasp and as bests baleful eyes caught tile the lift of that coat saw the rigid projection with wl ali in the pocket lie added in a half whisper put em up quick or ill 11 the great hand band clutching at the pistol grip in that shoulder holster hesitated youngs young Is voice was imperious cerious pe rious his bis manner commanding up bowl smartly tod west high higher than that I 1 slowly west obeyed panting as he stood there swaying just a little littie and then the rest stampeded tor for safety the two stood there aber facing one another across them the t table I 1 bests eyes glassy a stringer of sniffle at tile the corner of 0 his mouth and kerry young tile stranger hand steady in his jacket pocket was smiling oddly next he be said you will turn around so I 1 can take your toy away you wont be har harmed ined but neither will 1 I now as west hesitated race face to the wall or I 1 may have to once more lie left a threat un finished lor for an instant longer west licud held his bis groundland ground ami and then the hand in that pocket twitched lie he turned at the ominous gesture and slowly faced the wall QuI eldy with a light tread young stepped close behind him A prodding projection pressed tile the small of the larger mans back youngs young s free hand went over the others shoulder inside his shirt find and dragged out the hat flat ugly automatic prom from the doorway a man swore in surprise tod west wert carrying a gun it was Iner incredible edible now the stranger was saying as lie he backed away you may do as you damned pl please easel I 1 tod chose to turn and face young who was halted finite in mid inid room sure for all eyes the hand which had covered west was still in his side pocket that sharp menacing projection still held firmly against the cloth and then the hand came out slowly ostentatiously dragging with it the pocket lining the lining of the pocket and a straight stemmed pipe one explosive guffaw guffan preceded a wave of incredulous murmurs then these subsided as kerry withdrew the clip from bests pistol ejected the cartridges from the chamber and spilled the ammunition into his palm ile he dropped the pipe into his pocket and held the unloaded gun toward its owner with a contemptuous gesture he sent the cartridges scattering across the floor plopping and rattling in the stillness and then he be laughed a rising chesty laugh ns as west face ashen and with sweat dumbly accepted the weapon theres your toy tod west he said to the man a churn with chagrin amazement and perhaps a species of relief took it from his hand you may gather your ammunition later voices were murmuring like the distant sound of a storm someone laughed another swore and a third said damned blurt bluff and as for cods che cheat atin ln at cards reputations tile die hard young swept the with his eyes As for his cheating he said evenly the money on the table belongs to those who haf ha invested you will find that the nine of spades lying there with the money Is a perfect card the nine of spades in the deck which was dealt the last time has a bent corner no one called for a new deck no change in decks was mentioned it is my guess that on the stein shelf before the chair occupied recently by mr tod west good citizen teay be found you rat I 1 at last west had found voice you rat he cried again other decks course there are you cn find a half dozen on the stein shelf but ills his bluster was not convincing ile he had not regained ills his self possession perhaps said kerry with a shrug perhaps west you may be able to alibi yourself neatly but you know and I 1 know lie ile went slowly forward a few steps know me west he asked know kinow me never saw me eh li maybe laybe then refresh your memory to recall things after I 1 saw you steal from J jim I 1 in here after I 1 saw you cheat a poor man for a few dollars tod west after I 1 saw your smallness now I 1 say then I 1 knew that I 1 take the wrong letter file tile the day old jack on snow 0 w went brokel broke color drained from cods face facci but into his eye ey escame seame a glitter blitte a craft covering and subduing the gush of insane temper such as had SIAL swept tt them when lie readied reached for his gun yonder at the card table he did not speak at once he may have known that this brazen youth had not convinced all who had watched of ills his duplicity that a withering gesture had not who wholly wrecked tile place he had built for himself in this country dont you yon know me kerry taunted when lie did not speak dont you remember me at all im young kerry young and I 1 took out the file you told me to take that dabold jack had his death blow west spoke then quickly young ile he shook his head 1 I know no young wrong file jack snow A contortion cros crossed seI his countenance it all means meana nothing to me who you are what you are I 1 dont know except this youre a rat A man growled were with you tod youre no crook I 1 kerry bh shrugged rugged fair enough he said and smiled in triumph it answers the one question bothered me youve come a long ways tod west from a thieving burning bookkeeper its hard bard for men to think their king can do wrong I 1 see cut but step carefully tod west ive seed tonight some seed always sprouts ro fo DC BE fill alii |