Adventure, June 1911 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

294 his twisted soul showing through’ his crooked lips, going into the Chief’s office to receive his blood-money. It takes a thief to catch a thief, and Larry was caught red-handed. All his money, won under so many fascinating nom-de- plumes, could only help. His work, how- ever, had been clever and they could con- vict him on but one count. So for ten years the light of heaven was denied to Larry Lackmore. The great gate clanged for the last time on a slim, elegant figure; the prison barber shaved an aristocratic head and Larry became Number 935. IV are THE ten years had come and gone Siti 20d Denny the Rat sat sipping beer at his old table at Grogan’s. The night bartender might have been, but wasn’t, the same. At all events the table seemed to be. It was in it’s old condition of sloppiness; flies crawled stickily over thin streams of beer; the windows were no less dirty. Outside it was wet again; gust after gust of wind and rain swept through the natrow alley. Time had dealt gently with the Rat. He was a little more bald, a little more weasely, a little more despicable. His thinness was accentuated by a slightly protruding paunch. In other respects he remained unchanged. His calling was even the same. The water-front was still his home, drunken sailors still his prey, but the years were neither so lean nor so hard, for with the five hundred dollars he had purchased the tobacco store and the woman. The one flourished; the other lived merely because of necessity. There entered, with a whirlwind of rain and sleet, a workingman very far gone in the matter of liquor. The barkeeper eyed Denny and Denny eyed the barkeeper; then the latter’s hand strayed from his bottle of knockout drops and substituted a bottle of whisky. It seemed extravagance to waste dope on one so nearly down. The workingman, lurching heavily, brought up against the bar, at the same time awkwardly brushing back his hat. The head thus displayed was close cropped. Denny knew what that meant and prepared to go to sleep. But the man paid for his drink out of a handful of crumpled bills. One of these, unnoticed, slid to the floor. Adventure It was a twenty. The man then pushed open the swinging doors and disappeared into the night. Instantly Denny was after him, pausing only long enough to pick up the bill and throw it to the bartender. He would claim his share of it later, for the present duty was urging him on. The swaying figure was far down the street before its pursuer caught up with it, and then he had to fall back. Destiny directed the wavering footsteps through lighted streets ill fitted for the black-jack nursed carefully in the Rat’s pocket. But he had learned patience with age; not for a second did he allow his quarry to be lost to view. There were few people about, and these, between the rain and minding their own business, gave scant attention to the two. The chase led up one street and down another, but finally the man veered toward the harbor. Denny, seeing his. time ap- proaching, crept closer. . Denny picked out the spot on the man’s head where the blow was to fall. In pre- vious years he would have gaged its force, taking into consideration his victim’s lack of hair, but while the years had brought him caution concerning his own skin it had likewise brought with it that callousness of spirit always found in those who prey upon their fellows. Between a dead man and an unconscious one there is but a slight step. ; So Denny drew closer, intent on nothing but the blow. In the shadow of a dingy warehouse the man suddenly stopped, wheeled and closed with his pursuer. There was a slight scuffle, a slighter squeal of fear and rage, and the Rat found himself picked up in strong arms. With a heavy hand on his windpipe he had no choice but to obey the hoarse command for silence. A few yards away a catboat, tied fast to the wharf, lay tossing in the water. Thither with steady steps, quite at variance with his former erratic movements, the drunken man carried his burden. Once aboard he deposited him in the cabin and without ex- planation sought the deck. Denny could hear the ropes being cast off, the creak of blocks, and felt the gentle swaying of the boat. Soon the movement grew stronger and he knew they were beating out of the har- bor. The night was a hard one; its force in the alley was magnified a hundredfold Go NOOKS ANUC (©