Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-07-14
CHAPTER III.
AN EVENING ~ JAIL


straightcn themselves cut l was lifted
TO my 5eet and half pushed, half lifted,
to the station platform. Camp WAS a.
ready there and as took this fact in
saw Frederic aud his lordship pulled
through the doorway of my cur by the
cowboys and dragged ont on the plat
form beside me. The reports were now
in Lord Rallies hands.
That's what we want, boys" cried
Camp, those letters. -
Take your hands off me, said Lord
Rallies coolly, and I'll give them to
you.
The men who had hold Of his arms
let go of him, and quick as flash
Rallies lore the papers in two. He tried
e. tear them once more, but before he
could do so half dozen men were hold
ing him and the papers were forced out
of his hands Albert Cullen-for all of
them were ON the platform of 2lS by
this timc-shouted, well done,
Ralles!" quite forgetting in the excite
ment of the moment his English accent
and drawL Apparently Camp didn't
agree with him, for he ripped out a
string of oaths which he impartially d.
vided among Rallies, the cowboys and
myself / was decidedly sorry that l
hadn't given the real letters, for his
lordship apparently had no scruple about
destroying them, and l knew few men
whom would have seen behind prison
bars with as little personal regret.
However, no ono had apparently paid the
slightest attention to the pony, and the
probabilities were that he was already
headed for Baldwin's ranch, with no
Likelihood of his stopping till he reached
home At least that was what hoped,
but there were lot of ponies standing
about, and, not knowing the markings
of the one I had ridden, wasn't able
to tell whether he might not be among
them.
Just as the fragments of the papers
were passed ever to Mr.. Camp he was
joined by Baldwin and the judge, and
Camp held the torn pieces up to them,
saying:
They've torn the proxies in two"
Don't let that trouble you, said the
judge ''Make all affidavit before me,
rcciting the manner in which they were
destroyed, and I'll grant you man
.damus compelling the directors to ac-
cept them as bona tide proxies. Let me
see how much injured they are"
Camp unfolded the papers and l
ychuckled to myself at the look of sur
prise that overspread his face as he took
in the fact that they We're nothing but
section reports. And, though l don't
like cuss words, l have to acknowledge
that enjoyed the two or three that he
promptly calculated.
When the first surprise Of the trio was
over, they called on the sheriff, who ar
rived OPPORTUNITY, to take us into 81 and
search the three of us, a proceeding that
puzzled Fred and his lordship not a lit
tie, for they weren't on to the fact that
the letters hadn't been recovered. pre-
sumo the latter will some day write a
book dwelling on the favorite theme of
the foreigner-that there is 10 personal
privacy in America. The running re-
marks as the search was made seemed
to open Fred's eyes, for he looked at me
with d puzzled air, but winked and
frowned at him, and he put his face in
order.
When the papers were not found on
any of us, Camp and Baldwin both
nearly went demented. Baldwin sug.
gcsted that l had never had the p.. jcrs,
but Camp argued that Fred or Lord
Rallies must have hidden them in the
car in spite of the fact that the cowboys
who had caught them insisted that they
couldn't have had time to hide the pa.
pers. Anyway they spent an hour i'll fer.
rcting about i'll my car, and even search
ed my two darkies, on the possibility
that the true letters had been passed OIL
to them.
While they We're engaged in this
was trying to think out some way Of
letting Mr.. Cullen and Albert know
where the letters were. The problem
was to suggest the saddle to them with
out letting the cowboys understand, ant
by good luck thought had the means
Albert mad complained to me the day WI
had ridden out to the Indian dwelling
ut Flagstaff that his saddle fretted som,
CALLED spots which he had chafed on hi
trip to Moran's Point. Hoping he woult
'catch on" I shouted to him:
How are your sore spots, Albert?'
He looked at me in d puzzled way ant
called, "Aw-I dom t understand your
Those sore spots you complained
about to me the day before yesterday, ;
] explained.
He didn't seem any the less befogget
as he replied, II had forgotten all abou
them"
"I've got touch Of the same trou
BILE" went on, land if were you II
look into the cause. D."
Albert only looked very much mysti
fed, and didn't dare say more, for a
this point the trio, with the sheriff
came out of my car. IF hadn't know
that the letters were safe, could hav,
read the story In their faces, for NOR,
disguised and angry looking men 1 hav,
rarely seen.
They had a talk with the sheriff, ant
then Fred, Lord Rallies and I wer
marched off by the official, his lordshil
demanding sight Of a warrant and pro
testing against the illegality of his ar
rest, varied at moments by threats t.
appeal to the British consul, ministe
plenipo., her majesty's foreign Office
etc, all of which had about as much in
fluence on the sheriff and his cowbo,
assistants as Moqui Indian snak
dance would have in stopping a run
away engine. confess to feeling a Ger
tain grim satisfaction in the fact that i
! was to be shut off from seeing Madg
the Britisher was in the same box witt
me.
Ash Forks, though only years old
had advanced far enough toward ciyi