Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 160: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

J o —? >" ‘ ; “ - 150 Adventure > 0 rae tee between them and the to’ are not stopped.’ “The devil!” said the dispatcher, plainly aroused. “Stick there a few minutes, and Vl call you.” Peck waited impatiently. It was five minutes before the dispatcher called. “Captain Caney of our police force was still in his office,” spelled Potts. “He’s gathering up several of his men, and they’ll leave here on a special, likely a light engine, inside of ten or fifteen minutes. That means they should get to Belham inside of forty-five minutes.” “Good!” said Andy. “They'll be needed.” ; “We got hold of Superintendent Carrick and Supervisor Quinn, too. They'll be on the special. No actual trouble yet, is there?” Peck held the key open a few seconds. So Carrick was coming. He wondered if the superintendent still considered what the steel gang did as none of his—Andy’s— affair. He thought of Ina and his spoiled wedding-day, and his jaw set grimly. When he came, the old man better not say much, or he might hear something. He tapped the key again. “No,” he said ‘to Potts, “but it’s Kable to break soon, judging by the signs. Tell em to hit the ball.” “They sure will. Hold the gang down, if you can, till they come and keep me posted as much as possible.” “T will,” promised Andy. ‘“Good-by— here comes 73.” He dashed out of the statiomas the train drew in and pulled his truck up to the express-car door. Several small boxes of express matter were unloaded, and then the messenger handed Peck a sealed package. “Here’s a package the Wharton people told me to be sure to get to you tonight,” said the man in the express-car. “Sign here.”’ Andy signed the messenger’s book, and the train departed. He ran the truck around the station, dumped the boxes into the wareroom and then reentered the office, the sealed package under his arm. It was, he knew, the package containing the pay-roll sheets and the money with which the steel gang was tobe paid. —- As Andy cntered the office, an unseen -pair of eager eyes, outside, watched him window, and he muttered in disappointment as the blind waslowered. Fortune, though, seemed to favor him, for near the bottom there was a small slit in the worn, thread- bare shade. Quickly the watcher applied — an eye opposite the slit. He muttered 9! triumphantly; he could see in. t The shades drawn, Peck approached the stationery cupboard that stood against the wall at one side of the office, opened the doors of it and from a shelf took a stack of large envelopes. Next he took ~ the sealed package, shoved it to the back of the shelf and replaced the envelopes — where they had been. Then he closed the cupboard doors. : That done, Andy glanced at the office — clock. It had been 8:05 when he talked to — the dispatcher. It was 8:20 now; the — special should be on its way. He went to — the key and called. “Has the special started?” he asked Potts. _ “Just pulled out,” answered the man who ran the trains. “Things all right yet?” “Yes, as far as I know,” replied Andy. “I'm going up-town now and see how affairs are developing. Will try to get back here soon and report.” VI F -] THERE was a perfect buzz of excitement around Scanlon’s Hotel Mi as Andy Peck drewnear. The hotel stood on the main street between the post- office andsa general store and was several squares from the depot. The barroom was - a long room at one side of the building. — On the street corners near-by different — small groups of Belham citizens stood, — talking low and seriously and eying the windows of the saloon. _ 3 - barroom, the door was pushed open from — e outside and a mine Wwenb ib tea bee .