The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-01-25
BY TOM


Inc mOmen ne ROC there ne began 10
wonder why he had ventured out; why,
in fact, he had left his warm bed. For
TIL. detective instinct must be very
keen, and very strong, to be alive fully
at 4 o'clock on the morning Of a chilly
spring day; when there is a damp mist
rising to hide the poor apology for a
sun which is to come later. With his
ardor very considerably cooled, Mr..
Hubbard was about to return to bed in.
disgust when something happened that
brought all his faculties into keen.
working order in a moment. I,
That something was a light, which
danced about along the base of the gar
den wall, and touched, here and there,
the trees and. bushes rs it passed. It
was a very faint light, and n which
evidently came from a distance; but
It CAME from a source within the radius
Of the garden. Mr.. Hubbard drew his
coat about him and advanced, cautious
ly out into that desert of weeds and
dead leaves, through which he had
plowed his way when first he had been
brought into the house.
The light came from the right-from
the direction Of the; house that vas re-
garded as haunted. Almost holding his
breath, Mr.. Hubbard crept out into the
garden, and, in the shadow Of the
trees, made his way towards the spot
from. which it came. 1t was evident
that he was at last to be rewarded for
all his watching and his patience; even
while his teeth chartered with cold and
with nervousness. he chuckled softly to
himself with satisfaction as he glided
along in the shadow.
He got to a ciump of trees quite near
to where a little group Of four people.
stood; down on the ground, in the
midst Of them, were two lanterns.
Bending forward eagerly, Mr.. Hubs
bard saw that one of the group-a tall
man-was working away bustly In the
earth, digging rs though his life de-
pended on lit. Then, in a moment or
two. the digging ceased; and this same
man and another lifted something be-
tween them and laid it carefully In the
eartk-something that bore the unmis-
taxable likeness of a body. MI. Hub
bard crept nearer still; saw the tall man
stand at the head Of the grave he a
dug and speak some words softly, While.
the others stood grouped about him:
then saw the earth shOveled in n
beaten down and the awful work hid
den, so far as was possible.
He was too much fascinated by what
was going on to be ware of the danger
he stood in Of being discovered; 1t was
only when the lights upon the ground
were suddenly extinguished and two OF
the figures began to move towards him
that he realized that he had been seen
and that he stood in peril. Then. see
inE that one of the men had begun TO
make a circuit s%tealthily, as though to
cut off any retreat he might have de-
cided on, Mr.. Hubbard took to his heels
and ran.
It was at this point that he discov-
cred, after running aimlessly for some
fifty yards. that the tall h was gatn-
ing on him rapidly; he gave a Shrek
Of despair and faced about. not with
any special bravery, but rather In des-
peration.
The tall man closed with him at
once, and showed himself, even in that
first grip, to- be a ma o~fsstrength and
determination. Mr.. Hubbard, forced to
defend himself, struck out az manfusly
as he could, end at the same time
raised O feeble shout Of aMurder!"
The tall man seized him then in good
earnest, and got such a grip of his col
lar as effectually silepced him. Then,
while they rocked and swayed about to-.
gether,.a door was pulled open sudden-
" and a man ran out of the house
straight towards them. AS he came
close to them in the darkness, the tall
man flung Mr.. Hubbard, with all his
strength against the newcomer, so that
he reeled and staggered against him.
and then turned himself and ran In the
direction from which he had first come.
When Mr.. Hubbard recovered he.
found himself clutching a man wildly
In the dark and calculating "murder!"
at intervals. The man grappled with
him, and seemed to be striving to get
q hand over his mouthSto stop that w
full word.
s.sI saw It'll saw. tive got you-you
can't get away" gasped@ Hubbard
family. ooh, good heavens-dead bod
ies-buried under bushes!-but Eve got.
you'll! Oh, good heavens!-murder!"
Hold YOU tongue, you IDIOT" ex-
claimed the voice of Leathwood.i
What the dickenssis your game here?'
Who were you fighting with. and what
that row out here?"
II tell you I saw It, gasped Hub
hard, again, ciinging desperately to
,,LaathRcod. Ssl cane here To- lind out
about III: end I've found 1.-THE first
time! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ~ night"
without another word asIeathwood
caught hold q him savaseiy and be-
gan 10 drag him towards the house.
I'll silence you, YOU smadnaar!" he.