The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-06-11

q man absolutely helpless, as we
know him to be-to accomplish q
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, I don't say he
didn't. But I am free to maintain that
he knows all about it. If you 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
ain't.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
we'll, We amt yet come to the last
bucketfull,-not by a long way. One
OF the things we hev got to larn,
concerns Israel's presentiments, and"
he added emphatically, "l'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'lar 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 long!"
l hesitated to separate from the
Judge.
"You must promise ne, Brace, not
to commit violence on Van Hoeck."
"If 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, l went once more
The police officer from Southamp-
ton, on hearing my story, declared at
once that the theft had been commit
ted by a 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 identity him.
To find Lola, however was not my
sole object.
The p]rotracted absence of Brace
and Van Hoeck excited my misgivings,
and, despite the Judges promise, l
already reproached myself with hav-
ing abandoned my blind partner.
The Judges notions OF justice were
peculiar, and based upon the rongh
usage of californian miners in the days
when they made and executed their
own laws. I believed him capable of
applying torture, only stopping short
OF actual murder, to wiring from
Van Hoeck the secret which lie be.
lieved him to hold with respect to the
lost diamond.
l retraced my steps to the spot
where l had helped to conceal Van
Hoeck. The broken brake marked
q distinct 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 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 q pass
age through the brake, l made my way
down~toward the road. ..
Again l 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 possible the point where
Van Hoeck had stopped me in the
morning, upon hearing Brace in our
rear. Looking up the road, I saw the
fnger-post at the crossroads; looking
down, Isawthat which took my breath
away with amazement,-Brace q
trudging along the road toward the
Abbey, with Van Hoeck holding his
arm on M side, and Lola his hand
on the other,-an incomprehensible
picture OF unity, friendly assistance,
and reliance.
It 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 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-
tween the two men. I could not hear
their voices at that distance, but
I saw by their gesticulations
that they were discussing some
point; it ended by Brace going to the
side OF the road, and craning his neck
to see if any one were in sight. l
crouched down beside the thicket,
which partly concealed me.
When I cautiously raised my head
and looked again, Brace, still stand
ing opposite the bride way, asdraw-
ing his arm out of the sandy bank
that there skirted the road.
Iducked my head, as once more he
peered to the right and left. They
were gone, all three, when l looked
again.
When I thought it safe to venture,
I went to the spot where Brace had
stood. There was a rabbit-hole in the
sandy cutting, partly hidden by the
training growth from the overhanging
edge. I took of my coat, turned
I went to the spot where Brace had
stood. There was a rabbit-hole in the
sandy cutting, partly hidden by the
training growth from the overhanging
edge. l took off my coat, turned
back my sleeve, thrust in my arm,
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