Part 27 (1/2)

”He's workin' for the Lang girl now,” put in another

Boris snarled and, flinging his tor excitedly in Russian to Pete Ankovitch

Blagg moved nearer

”What's he sayin', Pete?” he asked

Ankovitch laughed

”He say everybody go to hell,” he interpreted ”He say he show Mascola he ain't 'fraid of no wo strove to focus his mind on the Russian's words Boris was sore as a boiled oil, crazy as a coot And he had it in for the Lang girl for causing hiet the can The Russian's reference to Mascola caused the furrows in Blagg's brow to deepen Both of the up? If they were he'd block the boss's gah with him anyway, and he was a fool to have ever quit her If Mascola was baiting the Russian to pull off so paused in his tentative plans for outwitting Mascola as his eye fell on Neilson There was thethe Swedes into quitting the dago All thought of Boris vanished fro's mind as he drew Neilson aside and conferred confidentially with the big Swede in a drunken whisper When he looked about for the Russian so drained the contents of his last glass with a wry face, and walked unsteadily to the door Colliding with aheavily against a sandwich sign-board

”hello, Blagg Seen any ofshoved back his cap and eyed the speaker with drunken suspicion

When he recognized the cannery owner, a furtive light crept into his eyes and he beckoned Gregory closer Gregory noted the mysterious mien and promptly credited it to theon when Blagg's words stayed hiirl t' look out for 'self”

”What do you rasped him by the arto focus his bleary eyes upon his auditor ”damn Russian there, too Boys's kiddin' him an' Boris tol'

'em he was't 'fraid no woman Said he'd show 'eory asked quickly, pointing toward the Lang hill

Blagg shook his head and nodded in the opposite direction

”Down there,” he corrected ”Think he----”

But Gregory did not wait to hear what Blagg thought

Blagg looked after him stupidly He had had no time to speak of his hatred or suspicion of Mascola But he'd show the dago yet

A crowd of fisher excitedly Leaning against the sign-board, Blagg was able to gather froht had just occurred at the Red Paint Soet square with the boss and Mascola had knifed hi's forehead To his whirling brain caot square with those who opposed hione too far Suppose Neilson, with a desire to get in strong with the boss, should tell Mascola that he, Joe Blagg, was trying to start a strike a the alien fisheret out of town for a while till the thing blew over? He wasn't afraid of the dago and his whole crowd But as the use of starting a row?

Besides he was ready to ht train for Frisco stopped at Legonia on signal That would give hiether He had already drawn his rit?

As Jack McCoy took his way down the hillside he was acutely conscious of the fact that the evening had been a distinct disappointetting his papers sounded hty thin How many times had the boss been there before? What was the ht? She acted kind of funny, didn't seeer or not