The Red Cloud chief., 1896-12-18

'ilAl fk IN
Traces door was unlocked He To
all appearance wa sound a-loop with
his face To the wall | shook him,
and u, he turned uvcrl said.
"Gct mp the llcspcr is lost g.
Lost IL how ~ he asked, sitting
up
"Nto cn taken from mo
where's Israrl''
| told him OF Van llorcE's tcrriblc
pr"scutimrnt, and the circumstances
uUdor which he had left the house.
''Nc will fad him, PARTNER. said
ia" Judge, IT. his slow, scutcntious
manner, which vas q~uccrly at vari-
ancr with his speed in hurryiug
into his clothes. Nv will find him.
and see if his prcscntimcn's will go
So far H. fur 10 explain what's he.
com" of the diamond. Let up what
has happened, pardncr. Reel it OF
] avn all awake"
! narrated briefly the events Of the
night while he completed dressing.
Lola, standing by the window.
listened in silence. There was Just
enough light To reveal the mi5chicy-
Gus c%Nultation that sparklcd in her
eyes.
"llcrc' II vigilance committee job. II
ever there was one. said the Judge,
hastily la'ing his boot. | amt
lighted on anythins so much like
taliforny since the good old days.
Now. sir, II you air ready, won hunt
up Israel, the prophet He's got To
tell H. sumthin' moro about this than
We know ON"
IL was striking , o'clock when we
quilted the house. Tho Judge left
me to look about the Garden aud its
vicinity TO- Van llocck he himself
struck out at once for the wood, taxi
ing Lola with him. The girl would
have stayed with mo. but hcr father
had her hand in his. aud there wa
no getting away from that grip
After exploring the garden. | took
the path that led to the lodge. ~ be
ing the one that Van llocck fro
%qlcntly walked in when alone. The
lodEc'kccpcr was not up, but, pass.
ing through til" open wicket into
the road, ] came upon "A laboror.
trudging along to his work with q
l''" 'l'li nv NIl'hlb'l, iIlu IL llll
flask in his hand.
II then was half-past five, or per-
haps II little later.
"Ila"c you passed IA blind gentle.
man on the road" | asked.
81 amt passed 'im," he answered;
'but as | come by the crossroads |
see some 'un, u looked gentleman
like, kind 'cr fumbling his way
along the road down by Harley bot.
tom"
know the crossroads; they were
nearly two miles distant. IL was
incDmprehcnsiblo to mo how Van
Hocck had straycd so far from tho
Abbey; but the laboror's description
left little room for doubt that il was
Van lloeck he had seen. and ! started
at once In the direction indicated.
! could MT see Van IIoeck from
the crossroads, but ON turning the
angle Of the lane ut tho foot Of the
hill, ] perceived him feeling his way
with painful slowncss, and on the
side Of the hedge row, 100 yards IN
advance. Hearing my step, he
turned. and recognizing it. he came
To meet me. He seemed to forget
the danger OF making II false step.
and advanced with eager quickness
his whole body partaking tho ca
preston of anxiety imprinted on his
features.
''ls it you, Thornc" no cried.
"les,' replied.
What has ~happcned2n
] waited until | got up to him, then
putting my hand ON his shoulder, I
said:
II have bad news for YOU Van
HOock.'
He trcmblcd violently unlor my
hand, and opened his lips TO speak,
but no sound came; his condition was
pitiablc, and to keep him no longer