Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-03-18

p
be. Then he saw that the incomer
was Griffin. So he greeted him
guardedly and waited to know what
the late visit purported.
Griffin seemed in no hurry to ex-
plain. On the contrary, he closed the
door carefully behind him, Swapping
the catch of the night-latch as he did
i. though this .Griswold did not
know. Next he drew down the VIM
dow shade and. wheeling out the
chair from Griswold's desk. sat down
to clip the end from very large CT
gar.
Griswold had watched his move
ments, first in wonder and then with
chill frost of despair slowly freez-
ing him. For one brief instant he
glanced aside at the rifle hanging
upon the wall, but he quickly looked
away from it. and. to be the farther
from temptation, dropped into Raw
mer's pivot-chair and covered his
face with his hands. 1t had come.
II guess you know what I'm here
for" said the detective, finally, when
the big cigar was well alight.
Griswold nodded.
Griffin smoked stolidly for a full
minute before he added: .'I've had
a devil of time finding you; never
should have found you if you hadn't
gone off your head and got girl
crazy"
This time Griswold made no sign.
Once again his eyes were marking
the exact distance of the rifle on the
wall. silence surcharged with the
electricity of possibilities settled
down upon the cramped little room;
and when it became unbearable the
detective broke it.
where's the swag?" he asked,
briefly.
Then Griswold spoke for the first
time. Its here in this plant; the
greater part of it,
"Humph! 1 supposed So" And
then, after another silent interval:
'Why the devil don't you say some
thing?"
Griswold spread his hands. There
is nothing to say-nothing that 1
think of. You have run me down,
and that's the end of it." But he
glanced once more at the rifle.
Griffin smiled. "The gun sort O.
tempts you, doesn't it? You're won
dering in your mind if you could
jump quick enough to get the drop
on me. 1ou can do it if you want
to. I left my arsenal at the hotel
and came here bare-handed"
Griswold's eyes began to grow
steely. Pardon me, but that was a
very foolish thing to do, Mr. Griffin"
Reckon SOP"
Every foolish. You lose sight of the
cost of this thing which you are here
to do; the cost. not to me, but to
others who are innocent"
Griffin smiled again. Hundred
thousand-dollar hold-ups are pretty
likely to be costly for somebody"
YES. There may have been time
when l should have given you the
key to my safety deposit box, but
that time is in the past. The money
is no longer in the bank; it is here
in this plant, and my arrest and con-
viction will bring ruin upon my
friend"
"Well?" said the detective.
81 was just thinking" said Girls
void, re1ectively. Perhaps you can
help me to decide point-you've
had a good bit of experience, take
it. If a professional highwayman
had robbed Mr.. Galbraith last spring,
would any considerable portion of
the-the swag, as you term it, be
recoverable now?"
The detective gave an ex parte
opinion. Most likely not. It's easy
come, easy go, with that lot"
precisely. Then I'll make you a
proposal. Leave the recovery of the
money out of the question, and I'll
go with you peaceably and plead
guilty"
Griffin laughed outright. You're
a cool one" he said. What do you
take me for?''
For a wise man or fool, as the
event shall decide. Do you accept?"
Not much / don't!"
"Then die!" yelled the man at bay.
launching himself like a stone from
a catapult on the detective
The struggle was short and sharp,
and the battle was not to the strong.
Griswold was the heavier man, and
he had the strength of despair to
help him; but the detective was
1.-THE and wiry and able to match
strength with a willy cunning born
of many a fierce encounter with des-
perate men. Back and forth in the
1 h4x,