Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-12-01
CHAPTER V.-CoNTINUED.

your brother died three years ago."
he said, ''and your son was a passenger
with me to Frisco this winter. He was
coming to the mines, he said. He was
killed couple of weeks ago one night
when he was coming down to the YES
sci. Capt. Coffin took charge of the
body. 1t was the day before left town.
L mad my ticket all bought and couldn't
wait for the funeral"
did you see the body yourself?"
mo- said the mate, hesitatingly.
t'but 1 heard the second mate say he
was dead"
do they know who did it?"
"No"
How did it all happen?"
The stalwart miners voice trem0ied
as he spoke, but he controlled himself
by superhuman effort and Obed Rider
replied:
He was picked up dead on the water
front one night. He was on his way
down to the vessel and they supposed
some one hit him from behind. They
went through the poor chaps clothes
and left him on the sidewalk, the scoun-
drels! The second mate found him
there the same night long toward
morning. I had my ticket on an excur-
sion train that day and couldn't wait.
1 had lots to do getting ready"
'Was there no clew to the murderer"
NO, they said there warn't no chance
of ever finding out who done it. No one
was round to see the fel1er do it and he
got clean off"
"Then you don't know where he was
TO be buried?"
NO, but Cap'n Coffin would see that
he was taken care of all ship shape and
snug
''Who is this Capt Coffin?''
skipper of the Seabird."
"Was that the craft you came out in p
The mate replied in the affirmative,
and the unhappy father went on:
God bless him for his big heart if he
does that! Money is no object to me
NOW. I've frozen and sweltered all these
years to get gold, and now I'm alone in
sthe world. You haven't told me how
my brother died. When was that?"
The mate gave him all the details.
this time truthfully, for he had heard
them all at Merrivale. When he had
finished, Capt. Scott said:
did you never hear Tom speak OF
me? Why did he never write? When
left the ship in your charge l gave you
letter to mail to him, telling him that
I was going up in Alaska after gold.
and giying him an address in Seattle
where he could write, and I would get
the letter some time. He never wrote
as far as I know, or if he did it was
never forwarded to me. For over three
years I have been buried where no let
tiers could reach me, and now I was ON
my way to Seattle and then for home.
It's an awful blow, Rider!"
The mate was silent, and the stricken
man continued:
''What did the owners say when you
turned over the vessel and accounts?"
The others face was ashy pale. but
he made great effort, and replied:
80, it was all right"
Accounts were all straight?'
Riders agitation was so great that
the other must have noticed it but for
his own great grief, but lie managed to
say:
"All straight, cap'n."
Toms father was silent a moment.
and Obed Riders thoughts were any
thing but pleasant. His brain was in
whirl, and he feared that any moment
mis- tongue might betray him to the man
Ae had wronged so deeply. He was at
lis wits end for the best course to
pursue, when suddenly his companion
settled the matter at once by eXclaim-
ing:
81 have only one thing left % live for
cow! 1 have more money than l know
what to do with. and I'll see that lay
poor boy is buried properly in Frisco.
Then I'll do the square thing by every
body that was good to him there and
then
He broke off suddenly and set his
teeth hard.
.sThen I'll put $4,000 reward up for
tie wretch who killed him."
Rider shuddered invoiuntarily as the
captain spoke, but he made no reply.
The belt about his waist seemed to fair
" burn his flesh as the father went on,
and he dared not meet the speakers
gaze:
'What will he do if he finds his whelp
alive and hears what told about his
skipping out?" he thought. "He will
murder me! I must be out of this be-
fore he gets back here, and he will never
think of looking for me on the Dalton
itraili Besides, if he's rich the chances