Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-06-09

| COOk.
"And suppose he can not tell you?"
"WelI, then, he's got to try till ne
do. AS Judge, I've had to try
pretty considerable number of bad
lots, but a more burned onprepos-
sessing lot than Israel I never
yet sentenced to well-airned
galus. Ind mark this, pard-
ner; ef Israel was charged with this
crime, and it was my duty to direc'
the Jury as to the vcrdic' they should
well and truly find, l should direc'
them to bring him in guilty, or I'd
lock EN- up till they did"
"Iou are as unreasonable in your
suspicious as Van Hoeck is in his; but
you have not his excuse,-you are
not under the influence OF fear"
Because l hev nothing to be
aieer'd on, Gentleman Thorne."
Tell ME how on earth it is possible
for man in Van Hoeck's condition
q man absolutely helpless, as we
know him to be-to accomplish a
feat OF this kind?"
II 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 lam free to maintain that
he knows al! about it. Ifyou ask me
how he knows it, I'd tell you as l
don't know. but that's no reason why
we should try fur to find out. We
amt SO everlasting clever that there's
nothing more to be larnt out OF this
almighty universe, take my word for
it. And though we hev drawed q
pretty good lot OF truth out OF the
well, we amt yet come to the last
bucketiuil,-not by long way. One
OF the things we hev got to larn,
concerns Israeps presentiments, and"
he added emphatically, "I'm goin 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 reg'iar thing, so they
ought to be called in" he said, rising
from the trunk on which he had been
holding this discussion; II am going
for Israel. So longn'
l hesitated to separate from the
Judge.
"You must promise me, Brace, not
to commit violence on Van Hoeck"
ali you mean by violence taking his
life away, | will give you my word not
to be violent with him. Theirs my
hand on it,
On this understanding, We shook
hands and parted. He plunged again
into the wood; l 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 officer from Southamp-
ton, on hearing my story, declared at
once that the theft had been commit
ted by q servant, and that Lola must
seen the thief as he escaped by the
window, and could identity him.
TO find Lola, however was not my
sole objert.
The protracted absence OF Brace
and Van Hoeck excited my misgiyinss,
and, despite the Judges promise,
already reproachcd myself with hav-
ing abandoned my blind partner
The Judges notions OF Justice We're
peculiar, and based upon the rough
usage ofCalifornian miners il the days
when they made and executed their
own laws. | believed him capable OF
applying torture, only stopping short
OF actual murder, to wing from
| Van Hoecll the secret which ne be-
lieved him to hold with respect to the
| lost diamond.
l retraced my steps to the spot
where I had helped to conceal Van
Hoeck. The broken brake marked
q distinct trail, and in pit less than
a hundred yards from that point, the
underground was beaten down, as if
struggle had taken place.
Was it not possible that Brace had
gone father than he intended, and
killed Van Hoeck? Had he concealed
the body, and fled with his daughter
to escape the consequence OF his act?
Asking myself these questions, fol-
lowed a track from the pit that
brought me into the bride way.
Looking for further traces of u pass
age through the brake, made my way
down toward the road:
Again I 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 bank that edged
the Abbey road at that part. 1t was
as nearly as possible the point where
Van HoeclS had stopped me in the
morning, upon hearing Brace in our
rear. Looking up the road, saw the
tinger-post 1t the crossroads; looking
down, saw that which took my breath
away with amazement,- Brace was
trud.ing along the road toward the
Abbey, with Van Hoeck holding his
arm on one side. and Lola his hand
on the other,-an incomprehensib!e
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 under
standing between the two men was
dispelled from my mind by what fol-
lowed. Arrived opposite the bride
path leading up into the wood, they
stopped, and consultation ensued be-