The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-22
BY LEON LEWIS.
CHAPTER I.

Hiram SkldQ6r, lOT Iuauy yoe1o ~
prominent merchant OF Chicago. SAT IN
his private Office one afternoon, oeoat-
ing seriously the question OF making an
assignment He was not only plncheo
for money, but his credit had been ut
terly demolished, as the result of GER
tain. crooked transactions which had
been widely whispered under cover OF
secrecy. 1t is needless to say that the
frame of mind in which he found himself
was unenviabe. His smoothly shaVeE
face had become rigid in its outlines, and
was paler than usual. His manner had
become irritable, forbidding, and at
times evcn vioIent.
At the moment we look In upon him,
he had Just entered upon the eXamlna7
ton of his afternoons mail-a task ne
had found at once irksome, molotonous,
and annoying.
@Duns, threats, and repr3aches-thls
fs the burden of their whole song" ne
muttered, suspending operations mo-
ment. "I'll see il can't get together
few additional thousands and vanish
Picking up another letter, the mer-
. chant opened it. The handwriting be-
ing unfamiliar and singular, no glanced
ut tho signature.
aFrom Col. Harvey Whipsaw, OF Rat
tlesnake Ranch, Musselshell, Montana"
he read, smiling involuntarily.
What could such man have to say TO
him?
he began reading the missive, display
ing an interest which rapidly increased
to agitation and wonder. BY the time
he had reached the signature again the
sheet fairly rustled in his grasp, and he
looked startled and bewildered.
@How strange!" he calculated. "Evi.
dently there is some good in those wild
lands on the Musselshell, after oil.
What pity sold them!"
He read the letter O. second time with
keen deliberation, his excitement In
cressing.
ayes, the Colonel wants to buy an in
terest in those lands and become resident
manager" he muttered. "What can be
the secret of his deep and sudden desire
to purchase? Is 1t another case Of
striking it rich? His language sue-
eests it, and, on the face Of things,
nothing is more likely. The richness Of
Montana in all sorts Of mineral is pro-
verbal"
He secured the letter of Col. Whipsaw
carefully in an inner pocket.
aIt's clear that some great discovery
has been made" he added. II mustn't
lose moment in recovering possession
Of those lands"
BE touched q call-bell on his desk, in
answer to which clerk made his ap-
pearance.
aSend Mr.. Wynans here" ordered the
merchant
The clerk withdrew, to be succeeded
promptly by young gentleman who had
been in the employ OF Hiram Skidder
dozen years, at first as clerk, then as
bookkeeper, and finally as cashier.
@Sit down, Mr.. Wynans," greeted the
merchant affably, indicating chair. Il
wish to talk with you about the Mussel-
shell property sold you two or three
years ago"
The cashier inclined his handsome fig
ure gracefully, accepting the profered
chair, while curious sort OF smile
traversed his face.
He was about seven-and-twenty years
OF age. with form Of the finest proper
tions He had the strength and agility
Of an athlete. without having any es-
pecial consciousness of the fact so
completely had his thoughts been alb
sorbed in study and science He was
uncommonly good-looking, with his
smooth, regular features, his shape!y
head and curly hair, his mild blue eyes,
and his genial, sunny aspect.
Lets See," resumed the merchant,
with his blandest voice, 3do you remem-
ber how ! became the owner OF the
property in question:"
"Of course" replied Wynans. @Your
only brother, Jeremiah Skidder, went
out there fourteen years ago and bought
ranch. Later he wrote you and your
brother-in-law, the late Charles Tower
OF Ingleheim, that he had grand
chance to invest $4,000 in land near
him. and you and Tower sent out
tho money, taking joint deeds OF the
property"
EXACTLY. And what then?"
@Why, Jerry Skidder wrote that he
had been deceived. that the acquisition
was practically worthless; and he con.
tinued to write in this strain for years,
until both Tower and yourself grew sick
of the whole transaction, and finally
sold the property"
"True again." commented Skidder.
~And you have cared so little about your
purchase that you have not yet had the
deeds recorded?"
Wynans aSSented.
aSo that Tower and are still on rec.
ord as the owners?"
The cashier nodded again, and, IN
fact, as much was shown by the applica.
ton the merchant had received from
Colonel Whipsaw, Of Rattlesanke Ranch.
~Let's see," said Skidder again, after
thoughtful and sinister pause, show
much did you give me, Perry, for my
half interest In that MusselShell prop
erty?"
@Seven hundred dollars, sir"
"You have been at no expense in re-
gard to it, presume?"
cat very little. sir"
"You have never even fenced the
lands or paid the taxes?"
mo, SIR" acknowledged Wynans.
"The fact is, you had left your brother
aforesaid in possession, charging him to
pay the taxes, and naturally adjourned
all action until such time as 1 could ap-
pear there in person"
The merchant nodded understand
ingly.
sWell, I'd like to buy that property
back from you, Perry" he announced,
with assumed carelessness, "and Of
course I'll frankly give you my reasons" +"
The cashier again intimated by an in
clination that he was all attention, and
Hiram Skidder continued:
II desire to send my son out there, not
merely to establish him in an independ-
ent position but to get him out OF the
dangerous path he is now following. AS
you may have heard, or even read in the
Dapcrs he has been in q number Of dis