Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-07-12
ADeal6WHdLan@S
Or, THE
Fight for the MQSSelSlGl Millions.
BY LEON LEWIS.
CHAPTER 7.

assignment. He was not only plnched
for money, but his credit had been ut'
terlv demolished, as the result OF Ger.
tain crooked transactions which had
been widely whispered under cover OF
secrecy. Its needless to say that tne
frame of mind in which he found himself
was unenviabIc. His sroOthly shavcn
face had becom, rigid in its outlines, ana
was paler than usual His manner had
become irritable, forbidding, and at
times even viOlent.
At the moment we look in upon him.
he had just entered upon the eNanlh@
tion of his afternoons mail-a task nc
had fouud at once irkSOme, mOnOtonouS,
and ammo. ing. It,
"Duns, threats, and roprOacbes-thi
IS the burden of the whole song. ne
muttered, suspending operations mo
ment "Ill see if can't get together
few additional thousands and van sh.
Picking up another letter, the mer'
chant oDened it. The handwriting be.
ing unfamiliar and Singular, he anced
at the signature.
"From COL Harvey Whipsaw, OF Kat.
tlesnake Ranch, MuSSclshell, Montana,
he read smiling invOluntarly'
What could such man have to say 70
him?
He began reading the m ssive, display.
,rg an interest which rapidly increas d
to agitation and wonder. By inc 'ime
he had reached the signature again the
sheet fairly rustled in his grasp, and ne
looked startled and bewldelcd.
allow strange!" he calculated "Hvl
IDENTIFY there is some good in those wlld
lands on the MusSelshell, after all
What pity l sold them"
He read the letter second time with
keen deliberation, his excitement III
creasing.
ayes, the Colonel wants TO buy an in
terest in those lands and become resident
manager" he muttercd. "Nhat can De
the secret of his deep and sudden desire
to purchase? Is it another ca OF
striking it rich?' His language sug'
gests 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.
@It's clear that some great discovery
has been made" he added 81 mustn't
lose a moment in recovering possession
of those lands"
He touched call bell on his desk, in
answer to which q clerk made his ap
pearance.
"Send Mr.. Wynans here" ordered the
merchant
The clerk withdrew, to be succeeded
promptly by young gentleman who had
been in the EN-, 10y of Hiram Skidder a
dozen years. at first as clerk, then as a
bookkeeper, and finally as cashier.
"Sit down, Mr.. Wynans," greeted the
merchant affably, indicating chair. 81
wish to talk with you about the Mussel
shell property l sold you two or three
years ago
The cashier inclined his handsome fig
ure gracefully, accepting the protefeo
chair, while curious sort OF smile
traversed his face.
He was about seyen-and-twcnty 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 aO-
sorbed in study and science He was
uncommonly good looking, with MS
smooth, regular features, his sbarey
head and curly hair, his mill blue eyes,
and his genial, sunny aspect
"Lct's see," resumed the merchant,
with his blandest voice, "dO you remem'
Der how l became the owner OF the
property in question:"
"Of course, " replied Wynans. "Your
only brother, jeremiah Skid 'er, w5nl
out there f urteeu years ago and bought
a ranch Later he wrc te you and your
brother-in-law, the late Charles Tower
of Ingleheim, that he bad grand
chance to invest $4,000 in land neai
him, and you and Tower sent out
the money, taking joint deeds OF the
property"
Exactly. And what then?"
"Why, Jerry Skidder wrote that he
had been deceived. that the acquis' on
was practically worthless; and he con
tinued to write in this stra n for years
until both Tower and yourself grew sick
of the whole transaction, and finally
sod the property"
"True again." commented Skldder
"And you have cared 90 litte g about YOU
purchase that you have not yet had The
deeds recorded?"
WynanS aSSented.
$50 that Tower and | are still on rec
ord as the Owners?"
The cashier nodded again, and, IL
fact. as much was shown by the applica
ton the merchant had received from
Colonel Whipsaw, of Patt esalhe Ranch
"Let's scc," said Skidder again, after
thoughtful and sinister pause, chow
much did you give ne, Ferry, for my
half interest in that MuSsesheIl prop
erty?"
"Seven hundred dollars, sir"
"You have been at no expense in r.
gard to ii, psesume?"
"At very little. sir"
"You have never even fenced th'
lands or paid the taxes?"
"No, SIR" acknOw edged Wynans
"Tle fact is, you had lett your blOthe
aforesaid in possess On, charging him T.
pay the taxes, and naturdmy a11ourne
al. action until such time as | could al
pear there in person
The merchant. nodded understand
ingly
@Wcll, I'd like TO buy that propert
hack from you, Perry" he announced
with assumed carccssneSs, "and
course I'll frankly give you my reasons.
The cashier again ntimated by an ii
cinatiOn that he was all attention, an
Hiram SkiIder continued
g; desire to Sc d my son out there, nc
m,re.y TO establish him in an indepent
emf posjt on but 10 sc. him out OF III
dangerous path he is now following y
q van may have heard, or c el read In I'll
ia.crs. he has been in q number OF az
rcuu,able affairs, and / fear anothe