San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-10

] and he added with emphasis, because
he's got TO speak. Israel's got to speak,
he repeated, with still greater decision.
"a man what has presentiments as a
thing is going to be took so accurate as
hisn, must naturally have presentiments
what's gone of it when it's took"
"And suppose he cannot tell your
"Well, then, he's got 10 try till he do.
| AS jedge, I've had to try pretty con-
siderable number of bad lots, but more
| burned onprepossessing lot than Israel
never yet sentenced to a well Armed gal
lus. End mark this, pardner, eff Israel
| was charged with this crime, and it was
| my duty to direc' the jury as to the yer.
die they should well and truly find,
should direc' them to bring him in gull
| ty, or I'd lock EN- up till they did"
You are as unreasonable in your sus-
picions as Van Hoeck is in his. but you
have not his excuse-you are not under
| the influence of fear"
Because hev nothing to be afeer'd
| on, Gentleman Thorne."
Tell me how ON earth it is possible for
| q man in Van Hoeck's condition-a man
| absolutely helpless, as we know him to
be-to accomplish feat of this kind"
81 don't say he did it, pardner-I don't
say he took the Great Hesper: ON the
| other hand, don't say he didn't. But
am free to maintain that he knows all
about It. If you ask me how he knows
| it, I'd 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 be larnt out
of this almighty universe, take my word
| for it. And though we hev drawed a
pretty good lot of truth out of the well,
we amt yet come to the last bucket-full
not by long way. One of the things
we hev got to larn concerns Israers pre-
sentiments, and" he added, emphatical-
ly, I'm going to larn it. +"
1--WE must get back to the house. The
police must be sent for"
81 don't see what harm they can do,
and it's the regular thing, and so they
ought to he. called in" he said, rising
from the trunk on which we had been
holding this discussion. II am going
for Israel. So long,"
l hesitated to separate from the Judge.
"You must promise me, Brace, not to
commit violence on Van Hoeck."
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. He 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-ofiicer from Southampton,
on hearing my story, declared at once
that the theft had been committed by
servant, and that Lola must be found at
once, to know if she had seen the thief
as he escaped by the window, and could
identify him.
To find Lola, however, was not my sole
object.
The protracted absence of Brace and
Van Hoeck excited my misgivings, and,
despite the Judges promise, | already
reproached myself with having abandon
ed my blind partner. The Judges no
tions of justice were peculiar, and based
upon the rough usage of California min
ers in the days when they made and ex-
ecuted their own laws. l believed him
capable of applying torture, only stop
ping short of actual murder, to wiring
from Van Hoeck the secret which he be-
lieved him to hold with respect to the
lost diamond.
l retraced my steps to the spot where
had helped to conceal Van Hoeck. The
broken brake marked distinct trail, and
| in pit less than hundred yards from
that point the underground was beaten
down, as if a struggle had taken place.
Was it nat 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 track from the pit that brought
me into the bridle-way. Looking fol
further traces of a passage through the
brake, l made my way down toward the
road.
Again perceived broken brake, and
following the line, l threaded my way
between the trees upon the slope of the
hill until emerged from the wood upon
the high bank that edged the abbey road
at that part. 1t was as nearly as posi-
BILE the point where Van Hoeck had
stopped me in the morning upon hearing
Brace in our rear. Looking up the road,
l saw the finger-pOst at the crossroads:
looking down, l 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 incomprehensible 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
friendly understanding between the two
men was dispelled from my mind by
what followed.
Arrived opposite the bridle-path lead
ing up into the wood they stopped, and
consultation ensued between 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 craning his neck to
see if anyone were in sight. / Crouched
down beside the thicket, which partly
concealed me.
When / cautiously raised my head anG
looked again, Brace, still standing OPP
posite the bridle-way, was drawing his
arm out of the sandy bank that there
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 to 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. l took of
my coat, turned back my sleeve, thrust
in my arm, and drew out-the ledthe,
case in ,chich the diamond had been tax
On from mn 3rl.isti