The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-09-12

and study out the answer" "
Not t. cried Acton, and, crumbling
It up. he threw 1t under the table and
stalked out. The others followed on
different duties, but Curtis remained,
smiling thcughtfully. In a few mo-
ments he cache under the table,
picked up the paper, smoothed 1t out.
n studied 1t with an amount Of care
That would have set an observer think
ing. Then carefully folding it, he put
~ lnto ms pocket and went in search of
lie found him walking along by the
river bank.
John, my lad" said he, you're very
tough in the SKULL :
Acton, colorlng holly, turned upon
him. @-,-
Where are thy wits, man" said
Curtis. Acton said not a word, as thew
walked slowly from the camp. When
they were in the open fields and well
out OF hearing, Curtis took out the pa
per containing Problem 3" and held
1t towards his friend. &
NOW, John, read it again."
L tell thee, Curtis. thou'rt ridiculing
me, and tits not to be borne"
Il was never more serious in my
life" 49,
But tits all ~nonsense!" r
"'Tis naught Of the kind" 'l...
Well" said the other, trying to
smile, in order to keep himself from
growing vexed again, give it me-" and
he read 1t again.
Now solve it,,
Rob, it's unfair in you to carry the
thing to such lengths"
""Ti you that are unfair, my
friend, answered the other, seriously
enough.
Why, I can answer 1t in a moment.
So-4 times 6 is a.. 8 times 8 is"
John Acton" said Curtis, pulling up
IN his walk and facing his friend,
what is thy name?" $500.
Come, lad, let it drop!" said the
other In an altered tone, lest I lose my
temper" "/
Thy name, mani" 80 q .
actually irritated. ~.
What does it begin with?" g..
"A! but I will not"
What Is our friends name who left
us a few days ago?"
Acton looked at the other a moment
and then said slowly:
"Balfort." ISL -
And his name begins-
With B." $500
And my name-" &c.. nh
Us Curtis and begins with c." said
acton, pulling a long face and looking
at the paper in his hand.
Now read Problem g. again." said
SO1 LIS, puILluS IN the .nanleS.' -..E--E-
Acton began:
Acton car ride to Hardcastle-"
(which might be-" interrupted the
other, without much change"
@North CASTLE muttered Acton.
Acton can ride to North Castle in four
hours at six miles an hour by the
shorter road. Balfort can do it in
the same road, starting earlier"
Which he has already DONE" put in
Curtis. - $500
How far must Curtis go by the
longer road, if he travels six hours and
goes at h rate represented by the
sum of one-half the rate Of each of the
others, and when should he start, in
ton?" ~
The men looked at one another with
the two different expressions Of coun-
tenance that may well be imagined,
I've thought often since how I would
like to have seen them then. Finally.
Acton gasped:
Rob, I am indeed an idiot"
Ills precisely what I said," an
swered the other, dryly.
we meet Balfort at North
Castle. 2" -
Certainly" W.
"And you go by the lower and I by
the upper road?"
Precisely" D. .
and you are to get there half an
hour after me?"
Exactly" Curtis replies were the
And you are to start an hour and a
half after me2" .- .
Correct again" @
Then we shall not be noticed leay-
ing here nor arriving there?" :
"Ye grow sagacious, my friend"
""Tis not only idiocy; it's nigh upon
stupidityl"
(Which I presumed to suggest but q
momen ago" replied the lieutenant.
But wilt tell me, then, how, In
heavens name, the thing came into
my pockets" :.a
AYE, now, that's it! How think We? ;"
Acton said not a word. n
WAS it there before lunch 2"
Let me see-no! 1t could not have
been. l set hat kerchief in my pocket
just as we started for the mess.' II
"Dtdst sit by any n at lunch, per-
haps?" asked Curtis, blandly.
""Aye! I sat Rob! Rob! We: would
not tell me-ye do not mean-that Mr.,
Argyle Bartlett, merchant Of Boston,,
was Merton Balfort?"
AT last" said Curtis, casting his
eyes h~eavenward. d.
well may I be damned!" exclaimed
Acton. XII
Nay" answered the other, laugh
ing, rather be ready to go by the up
per road to North Castle in four hours"
"But this must be serious, If such
care is necessary"
"Still more, 1t would seem important
that no American soldier should know
Of it," @ ~ d
And how do we get leave to go?"
"There you have me-" replied Curtis.
""Tis the n thing that catches me.
Yet If Balfort finds it necessary to go
to this length to insure secrecy, you
may say surely he has arranged in
some way for u absence. So let us
go back, get ready, and-wait." Upon
which they returned to the barracks.
Acton was On the point OF putting
together a few necessaries for the
journey, when an orderly entered and
reported that Colonel Livingstone
4 would see him at headquarters at once.
He smiled as he thought of what per-
plexity he might have been in if Cur
tbs had not cleared the way. Passing
by his friends quarters, he stepped in
and found him quietly smoking. -
II have my m already" said
he softly. $5:s :@5 = =
"And I must be at headquarters at
S this afternoon" replied the other.
elEE-N oG1-xH - = 4Itpr ic cari0t1c T-r.