The Red Cloud chief., 1897-01-15
The Great Hesper,
CHAPTER XNI-CoNrINrEp.
EY FRANK BAHRETr.

through the ferns. | fetched him
into u convenient spot, and says |,
'lsraol.' | ses, you air goin' to proph.
esy what has gone of the Great Hes
per. It's not a hard joo, if you give
yer mind to it. Tain't nothlu' near
so hard as prophcsying what's goin'
TO be-
al had hold on him by the arm.
All OF a student, he filings himself
round. grapples on to me. and fore
Mn aware of anythin'. I'm on my
back. and his two thumbs is inter my
wind-pipe. never thought he'd got
it inter him-such strength and
sgility--and I'll allow he would have
stranglcd me hef the Kid hadn't
come up in the nick and frightened
him by singing out for you. l did
not lose any time, and when l had
shown | was as strong as him. with
a little bit to spare, l got him to
p%rophesy. He wanted a plaguey lot
Of perswadin'. and he got it; but
when he couldn't stand no more on
it.. he let on that 1t was inside of a
rotten willer alongside a pond in tho
holler. ! didn't know no pond, but l
ketched sight Of the Kid sneakin'
of, end ! Jest sneaked after her,
takin' Israel along ase he mighter
made a mistake in his jography.
There was no walking fast with Is
rael over the brambles, end / lost
sight OF the Kid; but it stood to rea-
son the hollcr was downhill. so down
! went the way the Kid had gone.
near as / could reckon, and there
was the pond and the rotten willer as
he had prophesied. and there at the
foot OF the willer was the empty case,
but NARY diamond. cooked my eye
around. end once more l ketched
sight OF the Kid sneakin' of. l went
for her naturally, but I might jest as
we'll have went for a tOm-tit She
got clean outer sight about the same
times ! got outer wind. But Israel
wouldn't give up, and we hunted
about for the Kid till we couldn't
neither Of US hunt any more; then
we sat down In committee, and arter
pretty warm discussion, we came to
the unanimous conclusion that, for
WHO oohO VI ONCty IL COuCCTucu, VIC
had better get rid of the leather case
and say nothin' about it. / laid il
down that the Kid had not took the
diamond for mere mischief. She
knew, in her own g'easer way, that
the thing had a power in it to brin @
happiness to the owner--like q
charm. She see that IL clothed us
decent end Logged US comfortable,
and that while it separated you and
her. 1t brought you and the squire's
daughter together. And we laid II
down mutual that the Kid had too
much gumtion to pitch the thing
away, but would hide it somewhere
where she could fetch it bimeb by.
Now, lief we'd done otherways wha'
would have h%appenedp Van Hoecl
nd have declared it all a lie. and wild
horses wouldn'ter dragged the Sc
cret outer the Kid. The only hop,
O fgettin' back the Hesper was ter lie
her play her game and watch he,
close"
A copy OF this statement l cent {,
Sir Edmund, and l added:
EITHER Van Hoeck IL possessed O
supernatural clairvoyance. or h,
must have been in completely with
the man who took the diamond from
me.
..Can that man have been the.Fur
nival' who obtained the address o
Brace and myself from youw
BY the return mail Sir Edmun'
wrote
IL felt it right to read that part o
your letter referring to tho rObber.
TO Van HOeck, who for the last fe,
weeks has been an accepted visitO
here. and l may add the object q
Edith's sympathetic commiseration
He declared upon his oath that Their
had been no struggle between him
self and Brace and that no statemen
had been ~extorted from him by tn
violent means indicated; that whe
you left he felt his way to the road
and waited there. Brace came an
undertook to lead him homo. ii
remembers stopping on the wa
while Brace asked him II no though
you had really been robbed OF tn
diamond. He knew nothing OF tn
leather case. which Brace might we
have concealed in the manner 20
describe without his perception. A
ter this explanation. he said he mus
once more r%elinquish our friendshi
until all doubt is cleared up. but
he added emphatically. as he wa
ABOUT to leave us, If only a part {
this story is true-if the girl 81
possession OF tho diamond. hid titan
should restore ID to Brace an
Thorne, they will make away with |
and you will see any OF the
again"
III Van Hoeck is not the very Of
'un hisself." said the Judge. when
showed him this letter. ''he's land
hand with him"
We asked Lola II she bad rccoi
nised the mar who dropped from Il
orisl window. -