Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-05-19

'DccjtilSe | hey nothing to bc afeer u
on, Gentleman Thorne.'
Tell me how on earth it is possible for
e man IN Van Hoeck's conditional mar
absolutely helpless, rs we know him to
be-to accomplish a feat Of this kind"
Il don't say he did it, p%ardner-I don't
say he took the Great HesDer: on the
other hand, | don't say he didn't. But
am free to maintain that he knows all
about il. If YOU ask me how he knows
it, Id tell YOU as | don't know. There's
a many things we don't know. but that's
no reason why we shouldn't try fur To
find out. We amt SO everlasting clever
that there's nothin' more to he larnt out
of this almighty universe, take my word
for it. And though we hev uiawed n
pretty good lot of truth out of the well.
we amt yet come TO the last buckct-full
not by a long way. One Of the things
we hey got to larn concerns lsraels pre-
sentiments, and" he added, emphatical-
ly. I'm going to larn it,
I'VE must get back to the house. The
police must be sent for"
Il don't see what harm they can do,
and it's the reglar thing, and SD they
ought to be called in hc said, rising
from the trunk on which we had been
holding this discussion. Il am going
for Israel. SO long
! hcsitated to separate from the Judge.
You must promise me. Brace. not to
commit violence on Van lioeck."
IF you mean by violence taking of his
life away, | will give You my word not
TO be violent with him. There's my hand
on it,"
On this understanding we shook hands
and parted. lie plunged again into the
wood; | returned to the abbey. That
was between seven and eight o'clock.
At two O'Clock | went once more into
the wood! Lola was wanted.
The police-oliicer from Southampton.
on hearing my story, declared at once
that the theft had been committed by a
servant, and that Lola must be found at
once, TO know if She had seen the thief
as he escaped ly the window, and could
identify him.
TO find Lola, however, was notmy sole
object.
The protractcl absence of Brace and
Van i!n"ck excited my miaTiVnGs, and,
dcspIta the Judge, promise, ! already
rCpro9Ched myself with having abandon
cd my Bind partner, The Judges no
tons OF justice were peculiar, and based
upon ;hc rough usage OF California min
ers in the day, when they made and eX-
ecuted their own laws. | believed him
capable OF applying torture, only stop
ping short .. actual murder, to wiring
from Van Iloeck the secret which he be-
lioycd him 10 hold with respect 10 the
lost diamond.
/ rctraccl my steps 20 the spot where |
had helped TO conceal Van Ilopck. The
broken brake marked a distinctt trail. and
in a pit less than a hundred yards from
that point the underground was beaten
down, as if a struggle had taken place.
Was il not possible that Brace had gone
further than he intended, and killed Van
Hoeck? Had he concealed the body, and
fled with his daughter to escape the con-
sequences of his act:
Asking myself these questions, | fol.
lowed q track from the pit that brought
me into the bridle-way. Looking for
further traces of a passage through the
brake, | made my way down toward the
road.
Again | perceived broken brake, and
following the line, | threaded my way
between the trees upon the slope of the
hill until | emerged from the wood upon
the high back that edged the abbey road
at that part. 1t was as nearly as posi-
bic the point where Van Hoeck had
stopped me in the morning upon hearing
Brace in our rear. Looking upthe road,
| saw the tinger-poSt at the crossroads;
looking down, | saw that which took my
breath away with amazement-Brace
was trudging along the road toward the
abbey, with Van Hoeck holding his arm
on one side, and Lola his hand upon the
other-an incomprehensiblc picture Of
unity. friendly assistance, and reliance.
1t was true that without assistance Van
Hoeck could not have found his way
along the road, and very possible that,
without the restraint of her fathers hand.
Lola would not have walked by his side;
but all doubt as to the existence of a
friendly understanding between the two
men was dispelled from my mind by
what followed.
Arrived opposite the bridle-path lead
ing mp into the wood they stopped, and
consultation ensued bel ween the two
men. ] could not hear their voices at
that distance, but | saw by their gesticu-
lations that they were discussing some
point: it ended by Braces going to the
side of the road, and c~raning his neck to
see if anyone were in sight. | Crouched
down beside the thickct, which partly
concealed me.
When ! cautiously raised my head and
looked again, Brace, still standing OPP
posite the bridle-way, was drawing his
arm out of the sandy bank that thers
skirted the road.
ducked my head as once more he
peered to the right and left. They were
gone, all three, when ] looked again.
When / thought it safe 20 venture, /
went to the spot where Brace had stood.
There was a rabbit hole in the sandy cut
ting, partly hidden by the trailing growth
from the overhanging edge. | took off
my coat, turned back my sleeve, thrust
in my arm, and drew out-Me leather
ease an Uhich the diamond had been TAX
en- from my UriSt
1t was empty.
! again thrust my arm in and explored
the hole, thinking-though it was little
~likelv-that the diamond had slipped on,
Of the case or been put in separately. 1t
was n kind OF cul -de-sac-the earth haC
fallen in from above and blocked tho
passage at less than the length of mN
arm from the entrance; but ! did not
give up the search until !! was absolutely
certain that the Great Hesper was no,
there. 1t was not probable they woui.
place the diamond IN such an ol2n place
the leather case WIS different. l. Ma.
unsafe to keep that, bnt 1t WAS of llttlc