Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, June 15, 1922, Page 2

5 Cowngh“ b \Mlhm Hoelmd L Lc_o_gtinued from last issue) CHAPTER XII. Two Men in a Locked Room. i i | Some sixth sense of safety—one that | ond story was another point he feat- comes to many men who live in the| ured as he passed swiftly from room sutdoors on the untamed frontfer— warned- Ciay that all was not weli. The machine had swung to the right and was facing from the wind instead of into it. Clay was not very well icquainted with New York, but he 1id know this was not the direction n which he “wanted to go. Lindsay opened the door and swung but on the running hoard. “We're go- ' wrong. Stop the car!” he ordered. The man at the wheel did not turn. de speeded up. His fare wasted no time in remon- strances. A moment, and the chauf- leur threw on the brake sharply. His reason was a good one. 'The blue nose of a revolver was jammed hard against tis ribs, He had looked round once i0 find out what it was prodding him. That was enough to convince him he had better stop. Under the brake the back wheels #a'dded and brought up against the curb. Clay, hanging on by one hand, was flung hard to the sidewalk. The cab teetered, regained its equilibri- um, gathered Impetus with a snort, and leaped forward again. As the cattleman -clambered to his test he caught one full view of the ckauffeur's triumphant, vindictive face. He had seen it before, at a reception especlally arranged for him by Jer- ry Durand one memorable night. It belonged to the more talkative of the two gunmen he had surprised at the pretended poker game. He knew, too, without being told that this man and “Slim” Jim Colling were one and the same. 'The memory of Annle's strick- en ‘face carrled this conviction home to ‘him, The rain pelted down as he moved toward the brighter lighted street that intersected the one where he had been dropped, The lights of a saloon caught his eye at the corner. He went in, got police headquarters on the wire, and learned that a car answering the description of the one used by his ah- ductor had been headed into Central park by officers and that the downtown exits were being watched. Presently he picked up another taxl. He hesltated whether to go to the address Annle had given him or to join the chase uptown. Reluctantly, he de. clded to visit the house. Clay paid his driver and looked at the house numbers as he moved up the street he wanted. Many of the residences were used to keep lodgers in. Others were employed for less reputable purposes, His overcoat buttoned to his neck, Clay walked without hesitation up the steps of the one numbered 243. He rang the bell and waited, his right hand In the pocket of his overcont. The door opened cautiously a few inches and a pair of close-set eyes in a wrinkled face gimleted Clay. “Whadya want?” “The old man sent me with a mes- scge,” answered the Arizonan prompt- “Got everything ready for the » \,‘“hn the h—l are youse?” “One ‘of Slim's friends. Listen, we got the kid—picked her up at a drug store.” “I don’ know watcher fairy tale's about.” Clay ‘put his foot against the door to prevent It-from being closed and drew his hand from the overcoat pock- et. In the hand nestled a blue-nosed persuader. Unless the eyes peering into the night were bad barometers of thelr owner's inner state, he was In a panie of fear. “Love o' (awe. SaZont shoot!™ he chattered. “I aln’t nobody but the caretaker. He backed slowly away, followed by Lindsay. The barrel of the ‘thirty- elght held his eyes fascithated. By the light of his flash Clay discovered the man to be a chalk-faced little in- consequefit. “Say, don't point that at me” the old fellow implored. “Are you alone?’ } “You know it.” i “Is Jerry comin’® huuself with me others?".,; “They’don't none of th('m tell me nothin’, “ I'm nobody. I'm only Joey." “Unload what you know. Quicky I'm In & hurry.” The man began a rambling, whin- ing tole. The Arizonan learned that a room hod been prepared on the second floor for a woman. raugements. Joe had heard Durand's vame mentioned, but knew nothing of .the plans, “IN ook the house over. Move along In front of me and don’tmake any mistakes. This six-gun is liable to_permente ore Amtomy with lend.” ’ +with so many if possible; - Slim had made the ar-| Ewu ~The cattleman eMim{ied” the fIrst floor with an especial view to the ex- its. He might have to leave in a hur- ry. 1f so, he wanted to know where he was'going. The plan of the sec- to room. From the laundry in the basement he had brought up a coil of clothes-line, - With this he tied Joe hand and foot. After gagging him, | Le left the man locked in a small rear room and took the key with him. Clay knew that he was in a precari- ous situation. If Durand returned with Kitty and captured him here he was lost. The man would miake no more mistakes. Certalnly he would leave no evidence against him except that of his own tools. The intruder would probably not be killeT openly. He would either simply disappear or he would be murdered with witnesses framed to show self-defense. The cattleman was as much outside the law as the criminals were, He had no legal business in this house. But one thing was fixed in his mind. He would be no inactive victim. If they got him at all it would be only after a fighting finish. To Clay, standing at the head of the stairs, came a sound that stiffened him to a tense wariness, A key was being turned in the lock of the street door below. He moved back into the deeper shadows as the door swung open, Two men entered. One of them cursed softly as ke stumbled agalnst In chair in the dark hall, “Where's that rat Joe?” he demand- ed in a subdued voice. Then chme a click of the lock. The sound of the street rain ceased. Clay knew that the door had been closed and that he was shut in with two desperate criminals. What have they done with Kitty? Why was she not. with them? He asked himself that question even as he slipped back into a room that opened to the left. He groped hig way through the dark- ness, for he dared not flash his light to gulde him. His fingers found the edge of a desk. Round that he cir- cled toward a closet he remembered having noted. His arm brushed the closet door. Next moment he was in- ;xjde and had closed it softly behind him, And none too soon. For into the room came the gunmenalmost on his heels. “Jerry'll raise h—1" a heavy voice was saying as they entered the room. “And that ain’t all. We'll land in stir it we don’t look out. We just ducked a bad fall. The bulls pretty near had us that time we poked our nose out from the park at Seventy-second street.” Some one pressed a button and the room leaped to light. Through the open crack of the closed door Clay recognized Gorilla Dave. The second of the gunmen was out of rnrlgé of his vision, From the sound of creaking furni- ture Clay judged theat the unséen man had sat down heawily. “It was that blowout queered us. And say—how came the bulls so hot on our trail? Who rapped to ‘emp” “Must 'a' been that boob wit' the goil. He got busy quick. Well, Jerry, won't have to sakve the cops thi time. We made ourgetaway all rigl said Dave. v, where's Joey?" "Pulh-d a sneak likely. Wha's it matter? Listen! What's ghat?” Some enc was coming uph the stairs. The men in the room moved cautious- Iy to the door. The hall\light was switched on, “Lo, Jerry,” Gorilln Dave ealled soft- Iy, \ He closed the room door and the sound of the volces was shut off fo- stantly. The uninvited guest dared not step out of the closet to listen, flor at any Instant the men might re-enter. He crouched in his hiding place,,the thir- ty-eight in his hand. The minutes dragged \interminably. More . than once Clay nlxmt mnde up hig.mind to steal out ta\learn what the'men_ wert dolniz. By TS judg- ment told him ‘he must m.(jd a brush The door opened again, “Now bheat it and do gs I know what's goodl for you,” voice was ordering. The owner of the yvolce caime in and slammed the door behind Mm. He sat down at the desk, his back to the closet, Through the chink,Clay saw that the man was Jerry Dyrand. | From his vest pocket he/took a fat black -cigar, struck a match and lit it. He slumped down n;‘ the swivel say If you bullying chair. It took no weer to|divine that his mind was busy working |lem. Clay stepped =oftly from his place of refuge, but fot 50 nolselessly that the gangman did not detecy: his pres- ence.. Jerry swung vound, in the_chair out a prob- anlPW Up WIth caflfke activity. He stood without moving, polsed on the balls of his feet, his deep-set eyes narrowed to shining siits, It was in his thought to hurl himself head- long 'on the man holding steadily the menacing revolver, “Don’t you! I've got the dead wood on you,” said the Arizonan, a trench- ant saltness in his speech. “I'll shoot you ~down sure as h—I's hot.” Durand’s face wore an ugly look of Impotent malice, but his throat was iry &s a lime kiln. He could not es- timate the danger that confronted him oor vhat lay back of the man’s pres- o1 mt you doin’ here?” he demanded. in’ my party call,” retorted J@ry cursed him wml a lw. savage stredm of profanity, The gangman enraged was not a sight pleasing to see, . “Ii reckon heaven, h—I1, and high water couldn’t keep you from cussin® now. Relleve yore mind proper, Mr. Durand. Then we'll talk business,” wmurmured Clay in the low, easy drawl that never suggested weakness. The ex-prize-fighter's flow of lan- guage dried up. He fell silent and stood swallowing his furious rage. It had come home to him that this nar- row-flanked young fellow with the close-gripped jaw and the cool, steady eyes' was entirely unmoved by his threats, “Quite through' effervescing?” asked Clay contemptuously. The gang leader made no answer. He. chose to nurse his venom silently. “Where's Kitty Mason?" Still no answer. “I asked you what you've done with Kitty Mason?” “That's my business.” “By G—d, you'll tell, or I'll tear it out of you!” Clay backed to the door, found the key, transferred It to the inner side of the lock, turned it, and put it in his pocket. The cornered gangman took a chance. He ducked for the shelter of the desk, tore open a drawer nud snatched out an automatic. Simultancously the cowpuncher pressed the button beside the door and plunged the room in darkness. He side-stepped swiftly and without noise. A flash of lightning split the black- ness, Clay dropped to his. knees and crawled away. Another bolt, with its accompanying roar, flamed out. Still the westerner did not fire in an- swer, though he knew just where the target for his bullet was. A plan had come to him, In the blackness of that room one might empty his revolver and not score a hit. To walt was to take a chance of being potted, but he did not want the death of even such a rufian as Durand on his soul. The crash of the automatic and the rattle of glass filled the room. Jerry, blazing away at some fancied sound, had Shattered the window. Followed a long silence. - Durand was resolved to walt until his enemy grew restless and betrayed h¥mself. The delay became a test :of moral stamina. The contest was net one of grit, but of that unflawed nerve which is so much the result of perfect physi- cal fitness. Clay’s years of clean life on the desert counted heavily now. He was master of himself, though his mouth was dry as a whisper and there were goose quills on his flesh, - But Durand, used to the fetid at- mosphere of barrooms and to tine soft living of the great city, found his nerve beginning to crack under the strain. What kind of a man was his enemy to lie there in the black silence and not once glve sign of where he was, in spite of crashing bullets? Was it possible that he could have killed the fellow at the first shot? The com- fort' of this thought whispered hope in the ear of the ex-prize-fighter. A ;chair crashed wildly. Daurand fired'ngain_and yet again, his nerves giving way toa panic that carrfed him to swift action. He could not have stood another moment without scream- ing. There came the falnt sound of a hand. groping on the wall, and imme- diately after a fload of light filled the room, Clay stood by the door, His revol- ver covered the crouching gang leader. His eyes were hard and:pitiless. “Try another shot,” he advised iron- feally. ¥ Jerry did. A harmless click was all the result he got. He knew now that the cowman had tempted him to waste his last shots at a bit of furniture flung across the room. “You'll tell me what you did with Kitty Mason,” said Clay in his low, persuasive voice, just as thomgh there had. been no intermission of fiying bul- lets since he had mentioned: the" girl before. “You can't kill me, when I'haven't a loaded gun,” Durand answered be- tween dry lips. The other man nodded an adnrission of ‘that point, “That's an advantage you'se got of me. You could kill' me if I didn't have a gun, because yoa're a yellow wolf. But I can't kill you. 'rmi's right. But I can beat h—Ii out of i§ou, and I'm sure goln’ to do it.” 1k's cheap, when you've got a six-gun in your fist,” jeered With a flirt of his hand Clay tossed tht"fi-\ olver to_the top' of a book-case, out'jt easy reach of a man standing on the floor. He ripped open the but- tons’of his overcoat and slipped out of it, *then moved forward with elastic step. “It's you or me now, Jerry‘ Du- rand.” The prize-fighter suve a snort n(w le- risive triuwph. “You d—n fool! Il eat you alive.” “Mebbeso. I reckon my system can assimilate any_whalin® you're-llable to TS THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 15, 1922 band me. Go to it. Durand had the heavy shoulders and swelling muscles that come from years of training for the ring. Like most ! pugilists out of active service he had taken on flesh, But the extra weight was not fat, for Jerry kept always in good condition. He held his leader- ship partly at least because of his physical prowess. No tough in New York would willingly have met him in a rough-and-tumble fight, ‘The younger man was morg, slightly built, He was a Hermes rather thar a Hercules. "This muscles “floived They did not bunlze. Put when I moyed it was with ¢ panther. The 1on: and lofn had the tow « tie The, clear eyes in the brown face told of a soul indomitable in a perfectly synchronized ‘body. Durand lashed out with a swinging left, all the weight of his body behind the blow. Clay stepped back, shot a bard ‘straight right to the cheek and ducked the counter, Jerry rushed him, flailing at his foe blow on blow, intend- ing to wear him out by sheer hard hammering. He butted with his head and knee, used every foul trick he had learned In his rotten trade of prize- fighting. Active as a wild cat, the Arizonan side-stepped, scored a left on the eye, ducked again and fought back the furious attack. The gangman came out of the rally winded, perplexed and disturbed. His cheek was bleeding, one eye was in distress, and he had hardly touched hig agile opponent. (Continued 1n Next [ss=e) MOUTH HOLDS FEW BACTERIA 8aliva and Muscular Action, It Is An. nounced, Work Quickly to Clear - the Orai Cavity. It has hitherto bewa assomed by pathologists that the bacteria which are known to lodge in the cavity of the mouth in seething masses are dfense producing, and that they are always I present to take advantage of any un- fortunate lowering of the powers of resistance In the human body. It has wow been .demonstrated by a professor at Johns Hopklns univer: sity that although the oral cavity has no elabornte system of hairy mem- branes like the nese and air passages, to rid it of bacteria and forelgn par- ticles, ;nevertheless it does the same thing by a mechanical action of the muscular structures around the mouth that set up suction currents which re- move any bacteria’ or foreign par- ticles from the mouth in from fifteen to thirty minufes. Thése suction curs rents cairy ti® bacteria uniformly to- ward the rear of the mouth, without any lateral or’ forward disseminatlon, and pass them on without lodging on the tonsils or the - walls of the plmrynx‘——Popu}ur Mechanics Maga- sine. e P S — Diamonds Territory’s Only Asset. The territory known before the war as German Southwest Africa is of lit- tle value:to the British, who have ac- quired it, inasmuch as it is mostly des- ert. It does, however, produce many dlamonds; ‘whichare’ picked up in the sunds along the coast. . The desert dlamonds have evidently been disturbed by water and wind, and doubtless were: brought from a not- distant source by ancient and van- Ished rivers., Presumably they were origlnally ~ derived from volcanic “pipes,” like those which produce dla- monds in the Kimberly field of South Africa. Experts are inclined to think that all of them came from a single pipe, because they are so much allke n quality, appeurance and crystalliza- tion. In the Kimberly field the dia- monds from no two pipes are alike. Accordingly, an anxious search is be- ing made for the source of ti.e stones. Pipes, a number of them, Lave been found, but, alas! none of tiewm con- tains any digmonds. “The Attraction. “The congregation seemed unusu- ally attentive this morning,” remarked the pastor. “Don’t flatter yourself that your sermon had anything to do with It,”, replied his wife. “Two of the ladles n the cheir were wearing new lhats.” —~Judge. {11YARCHIE'H. VERNON Archie H. Vernon of Little Falls has filed for:nomination for associate jus- tice of the supreme court. Although prominent in National and State American Legion circles, Archie Ver- non is best known in Minnesota as one of the ablest and most prominent lawyers outside the three large cities. He has been very active in the Min- nesota State Bar association and from 1911 to 1917, was a member of its board of governors, representing the Seventh Judicial District. 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