The Ottawa free trader., 1886-05-15
"Seen ANYTHING Of PrattT

) ri saw him about three hours ago going W
, the river" was my reply.
|, "Wbere was he" asked Hillyear.
: Great hcavens ! thought, how much o
this game OF evasion am to play from thb
out | said: "He passed the cabin about
nine this morning, and went into the chap
paral about yopder," and | pointed TO the
; spot where had seen Pratt disappear at the
; hour named. Hillyear resumed his cook
ing l went into my cabin and took a big
; draught OF whisky. Broener always had on
hand demi John of the best There are times
when ones system is not equal to the making
Of strength from ordinary food. | hold
alcohol as food--an artificial one, and an
unhealthy one for steady use.
After snpper | trudged down to the store,
for | wanted other than my own thoughts
that evening for company The Bull Bar
nucleus for goods and gossip was full rs
usual Of miners raising a dense fog of
tobacco smoke, whose flavor was more than
dashed with emanations from Goldfish onions
and whisky. Mr.. Rankin had received tnat
day new supply of provisions from Stock
ton, and was scolding his partner, who acted
as buyer and teamster combined, for the
poor quality of some cigars he had brought
up.
"If you buy any more cigars like them"
said he, Il want you To hire and bring up
some men to smoke them. These poor crea
lures about here haven lungs strong enough
to draw on 'om. They want all their strength
to draw rocks out of the bed Of the river,
and its for my interest to see that it's saved
| for that purpose at the rate I'm chalkng up
-four boots and whisky against them
"Got any better cigars Jhan the last lot"
asked a miner, who, Just coming in had not
heard Bankius last remark
yes replied Rankin. splendid lot
! Havanas-only it wants a hull team TO draw
/ one. Try one You'll find iGl last you a
month. Just the quality to suit your case,
| You smoke too much These cigars are got
up express TO cure people of smoking. One'll
| last an ordinary man a whole year. Ask Mike,
my partner. He had EN- made to order
| Rankin's gable was a relief Big Dick
came in, and forgetting past admonitions
holStcd his huge proportions on the limited
area of counter uncovered 10y goods, and
Immediately got off again with quicknes5
that suggested some Uncomfortable sen
sation
Glad It works" said Rankin. "Nothin
hut needle stuck through the wood Some
Then we try some other part, III at first
you don't succeed, try, try again. chimed
Rankin, and then added; Needles and
pins, Needles and pins, When you get mar
ried your trouble begins.
Presently Hilyrar entered A cloud
seemed to come with him. TO me it was as
if the vindctive spirit of the dead man
kept him company
He looked about anXiously, as IL with the
hope that Pratt might be present / knew the
meaning of that look.
Hillyear was a slow moving man, appa-
rently follower of Pratt and led by him.
Without his partner he seemed lost.
HAS anybody seen Pratt to-day He
hasn't come back" after time he asked, in
his heavy, drawing way "a sentence with
him seemed always matter of previous deep
and labored study and when asked the sim
plcSt question the time that elapsed before he
replied was eXaspelating to an eager in
quirerl.
"Why saw him piking along Scrub noun
tain to-day said one Of the crowd Whats |
he gunnin' after up there, anyhow"
Holder, didn't | see you crawlin' among |
the bushes up there to-day" said one Bill |
Setter. THAT red shirt you've got on looks !
like the one | saw"
Fool that | wasl | had not thought OF |
wearing garb which would show so conspic- !
uously against the dark bottle green of the
chapparal
Yes | took stroll that way" said. | |
felt forced into such reply. He continued:
What did yer find to shoot up there'
Rattesnokes or jackas5 rabblts' | heard
shot
That was Pratts pistol Sights and
sounds seemed drawing their meshes about |
me HIilycar was looking at me in his Stolid
fashion as if some faint gimmer Of an idea
were creeping into his brain.
Il shot nothing" was my reply
The talk then drirtel toward mysterious
murders and robberies--then common in
thlt country-and cases We're mentioned
which had finally been traced to mcn- neigh
bors OF the slain-whoSe lives had previously |
shown no such inclination.
Rnnkin's humor inclinel him ever 70 give
an individual the very characteristics which
he most lacked. Slow men he spoke of rs
marvNS Of dispatch, taciturn men as dis
turbing all about by the clattcr of their
tongues. |, with my shy quiet, reticent
manner, evidently ranked with him as n
most peacrahle character. 1t seemed 20 mo
then rs il some ieud prompted him to the re-
mark;
shouldn't wonder if Holder had way
laid and murdered Pratt Put another man
in his private graveyard
YES added another second fiddle humor-
st That's what he knocks oil work so
early for in the morning"
And the last mans blood is on his pants
nowl' added third.
/ had worn pair Of white duck working
trousers and spot of the blood from Pratt's
body had smeared them near the feet-l had
not noticed it before.
This remark called to mo the attention of |
all in the dingy store. Their eyes seemed to
burn through me. | felt as il i'll the dock
tried convicted, sentenced.
left soon afterward IIillyear's route
home was mine We were obliged to walk
near each other ON the narrow rocky trail |
wide enough for single traveller With all
he dark suspicion which feared existed in
his mind concerning mo felt sorry for him.
felt when about him that his was one of
those natures, born to follow-that Pratt |
had picked him up as b. would a stray dog
looking for a master, and that with the in
stinct of the animal he had become attached |
To Pratt and was grievinS for him.
tried in vain that night to sleep So soon