Face him, too, suddenly, as if the grave
had opened to give up its dead.
"Friends and comrades of this center group passed to and fro, and there
was much lazy, merry, though not loud, talk. The whole crowd was still
half-asleep. It certainly was an auspicious hour for Steele to confront
them, since that duty was imperative. No man knew the stunning
paralyzing effect of surprise better than Steele. I, of course, must
take my cue from him, or the sudden development of events.
"But Jack Blome did not enter into my calculations. I gave him, at most,
about a minute to live after Steele entered the place. I meant to keep
sharp eyes all around. I knew, once with a gun out, Steele could kill
Blome's comrades at the table as quick as lightning, if he chose. I
rather thought my game was to watch his outside partners. This was
right, and as it turned out, enabled me to save Steele's life.
"Moments passed and still the Ranger did not come. I began to get
nervous. Had he been stopped? I scouted the idea. Who could have stopped
him, then? Probably the time seemed longer than it really was. Morton
showed the strain, also. Other men looked drawn, haggard, waiting as if
expecting a thunderbolt.
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