Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-09-11
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T. = CANADA CITY,


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a few fitful gusts now came FROM the
obscurity. One of them was accompa-
MED by what seemed a flight of small
startled birds crossing the road ahead
of them. \ second larger and more
sustained fight struck his astonished
eyes that they were white and each
bird an enormous flake of snow! For
an instant the air was filled with these
disks shreds, patches, two or three
clinging together, like the downfall
shaken from tree, striking the leath-
er roof and sides with dull thud,
scattering the road into which they de-
scended with large rosettes that melted
away, only to be followed by hundreds
more that stuck and staid. In five
minutes the ground was white With it,
the long road cleaning out ahead in
the darkness, the roof and sides of the
wagon overlaid with it as with coat
ing of plaster of paris; the harness of
the horses and even the reins stood out
over their steaming backs like white
trappings. In five minutes more the
steaming backs themselves were blan-
keted with it, the arms and legs of the
outside passengers pinioned to the seats
with it, and the arms of the driver kept
free only by incessant motion. 1t was
no longer showing; it was snowballing;
it was an avalanche out of the slopes of
dered in it, the clogging wheels drag
ged in it, the vehicle at last plunged
into Il billow of it and stopped.
The bewildered and half blinded pas
sengers hurried out into the road to as
sist the driver to unship the wheels
and fit the steel runners in their aXles.
But it was too late! By the time the
sledge it was deeply imbedded in wet
and clinging snow. The narrow, long
handled shovels borrowed from the
"prospectors kits were powerless be-
fore this heavy half liquid impeachment.
AT last the driver with an oath relin-
pushed the attempt and, unhtching
his horses, collected the passengers and
more sheltered trail toward the next
station, now scarce mile away.
The led horses broke a path before
them. The snow fell less heavily, but it
was nearly an hour before the strag-
Cling procession reached the house and
the snow coated and exhausted passen-
gers huddled and steamed around
the redhot stove in the barroom. The
driver had vanished with his team in
the shed. MYSTERIOUS fellow passen-
ger on the box seat, after few whis-
pered words to the landlord, also dis
appeared.
81 see you've got Jake Poole with
you?" said one of the barroom loungers
to Masterton, Indicating the passenger
who had just left. 81 reckon he's here
on the same fool business"
Masterton looked his surprise and
mystification.
"Jake Poole, the deputy sheriff." re-
peated the other. 81 reckon he's here
pretendin to hunt for Montagu Trixit,
ken up yesterday"
Masterton with difficulty repressed a
start. He had heard of Poole, but did
not know him by sight. 81 don't think
I understand" he said coolly.
II reckon you're stranger in these
arts" returned the lounger looking
1t Masterton curiously. EFF you
warn't, you'd know that about the last
man San Francisco or Canada City
wanted to ketch is Monty Trixit He
knows too much, and they know 1t.
| But they've got to keep up show
to satisfy the stockholders. You bet
that Jake Poole hez got his orders
| they might kill him to shut his mouth
/! eff they got an eXcuse-and he made
| fight-but he amt no such fool. No,
| Sir! Why, the sickest man you ever
saw was that director that come up
here will. IL detective when lie found
that Monty hadn't left the state"
"Then lie is hiding about here?" said
Masterton, with assumed calmness.
| The man paused. lowered his voice
and said: Il wouldn't swear he wasn't
a mile from whar were talkin now.
Why, they do allow that he's taken Il
drink at this very bar since the news
came and that there's boss kept han
dy in the stable already saddled Just to
tempt him eff he was inclined to scoot."
"That's only a bluff to start him 60
| in, so they kin shoot him in his tracks"
said bystander.
| THAT amt no good eff he has-as
they say he has-papers slowed away
mighty partickler men out OF their
| boots" returned the first speaker
| 'But he's got his spies, too, and there
| amt Il man that crosses the divide as
| amt spotted by them. The officers
brag about havin put q Gordon around
the district, and yet they've just found
| out that lie managed to send tele-
| graphic dispatch from Black Rock sta
| ton just under their noses. Why, only
an hour or so arter the detectives and
| the news arrived here thar came along
| one of them emigrant teams from Pike,
and the driver said that n smart look
| in chap in store clothes had come
out of an old prospector's cabin up
| thar on the rise about n mile away and
asked for Il newspaper And the de-
| scription the teamster gave just fitted
| TriXit to T. Well the information
| was give SO publclikc that the detect
| ives had to make q rush over thar and,
b'gosh, although there wasn't soul
passed them but n file of Chinese COO
lies, when they got thar they found
nothn = nothin but them Cinnamon
cookin their rice by the roadside"
| Masterton smiled carelessly and walk
ed to the window as If intent upon the
still falling snow. But he had at once
grasped the situation that seemed now
almost providential for his ineXperi-
cnce and his mission. The man lie was
seeking was within his possible reach,
If the story he had heard was true.
The detectives would not be likely to
interfere with his plans for he was the
only man who really wished to meet
the fugitive. The presence of Poole
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