Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-07-14


coin' to tell you as now my belief ~
the main in the hob-nails was a-foller-
In the gent In the shooting-boots. You
see. the ground on t'other side o this
clearin' is nigh bare o. grass, and soft
| as putty arter L rain and the tracks
| they b. as plain as can be. Howsom-
ever, III have Il good look presently,
Just To make sure
In due course a well-equipped ambu-
lance party. headed by Hirst, made It's
appearances. and Deanshurst was
reached just as the nearest pr~ocurable
medical practitioner drove up To the
door. His verdict practically agreed
| with Mr. L.angdon's. The Inflated
young heir was long past, all human
aid. Major Deane had sustained "A Sc
we're conclusion of the brain and in
juries to the skull, which would prob
ably necessitate trepanning. But his
chances of ultimate recovery were by
no means hopeless, there being. In DIR.
Rowan's opinion. greater danger to his
reason than 10 his life.
a specialist was at once telegraphed
for, together with nurses from a lead
ing hospital. The coroner was CONF
municated with, and. pending his ar
rival. iil-starred Derek was laid out in
such semi-state as the tastes or mag
nations of the Hirst couple suggested.
1t was desired to withhold the dire
news from the aged baronet, by the
doctors advice.
And then the belated dinner was set
forth, in gnise Of supper, TO an utterly
demoraliZed. uncomfortable, but. with
al, a party of sportsmen as
ever sat down TO table. Little was
said about the tragedy enacted in
Bramham Woods. Other subjects APP
peared equally out Of place at such a
time. And no one voiced the secret
hope of every man present: that the
verdict Of the cor0ner's jury might
speedily release them from the neces-
sity of ~prolonging their stay at blood
stained Deanshurst.
In a tit of abstraction, Stephen
Deane remained in the dining room,
standing before the huge fireplace,
long after the others had withdrawn.
In good sooti, ne had ample perturD-
ing matter to occupy his thoughts. The
Creator and he alone knew to what ex-
tent, to what degree, he was guilty OF
his cousins blood.
Most certainly he had taken his life.
but the expression of his stern, hard
set face denoted nothing of remorse.
Resolution was what il betokened; the
fixed resolve TO go through with a set
tied plan at all costs. Occasionally Il
half-wild look came into the dark.
piercing eyes Suggestive of doubt, al
most of fear. Had he not reason 10
dread the hour when his brother
should regain consciousness, should
full memory and intelligence also re-
turn to him.
Could he and would he be able 10
swear that his gun was hanging, UNI
cooked, upon his right forearm when
he was struck down, and that. there
fore. he could not. Eve uneonSelousiy.
have discharged il in his fall: If he
did swear this, and were believed, then
suspicion would necessarily fali-upon
whom?
That accused gamekeeper had dis
covered tracks-his, Stephens, tracks,
beyond a doubt. He had, also. he as
serted, found imprints of some yokel's
boots near these. Could there have
been any other eyewitness Of the
quarrel than himself, who had, per
Deanshurst?
Stephen Deane was no coward, but
he was still further removed from be.
ing a fool; and he realized that these
We're possibilities which might have to
be faced. cry well: he would face
them. And, as it happened, his eyes at
that moment rested upon the framed
doggerel which had. that very day,
been once more verified in the person
of Derek.
"Renounce the goldg" he muttered,
grimly. mot I-if car get it. And
get 1t | must. land sh"u."