The Newark journal., 1905-03-03
CHAPTER XI.
DARRELL FACES THE ISSUE.


 There was a sole-leather trunk in McCloud's s room It was locked but a small key ring in pocket of the cor duroys held key that gave access to it.
 No papers were found There were two suits of elothes-both of the best quality-a supply of clean linen. era vats and other things usually found in a gentleman's wardrobe.
 Darrel closed the trunk disappoint- edly and carried his search through the closet and dresser drawers. There was nothing there. all McClouds belong ings, apart from what he had taken with him in the traveling-bag, having been put away In the trunk.
 The eastener had told the clerk he intended to return on the morrow but it was perfectly evident that he had imagined he might be detained much longer. Had he left Anaconda with the deliberate intention of destroying him self?
 When he went down stairs to dinner Darrel was revolving this question in his mind. In the afternoon he read an account of his death in a daily paper and gave diligent attention to the grue- some details.
 It was long article and began with an account of the murder of Sturgis, the arrest of Darrel and his night es- cape from the Sandy Bar jail Then followed summing up of all the known facts connected with the ex- plosion on the War Eagle trail.
 Nothing new was brought forward but the author of the account was not a doubter for he dwelt exhaustively on the vicarious methods of justice and pointed the whole affair with moral. Next morning another paper had more to say on the subject Sheriff Scatterly had returned from the hills after a personal investigation and gave it as his opinion that the escaped mur- derer had been hurled into eternity in substantially the manner described by the men from Sandy Bar
 Abner Gryce's bronchos had run away; the wagon had collided with a
  broken loose and the shock of the col lision had set off the crystalized giant DO der That explained the arrival of the runaway team, practically unin- iurCd. at the War Eagle mine.
 Al ger Gryce had been thrown from the gon when it took the turn, but the :, lrderer had stayed with 1t. Con seqrc fly there was but one inference to b drawn.
 TT far Darrel read with amused indi renee. The paragraphs that fol- lowe ,. however startled him and filled hin ,ith consternation.
 T. report went on to state that Seq crly, in returning from the War Ea' Q mine, had had communication har ed to him at the Half Way house. Usually he took no notice of anony- mo3ss letters, but in this particular ca1e a Sad made an exception.
 1hc communication had requested sim 10 call at Kansas Joe's old cabin in Lost Horse coulee He had gone there but, aside from evidences that the hut had been recently used, he had found nothing and no one. The letter was. therefore, looked upon as hoax and Scatterly's aversion for unsigned messages was intensified.
 Darrel threw aside the paper, lighted a cigar and leaned back in his chair A throbbing fear was leaping along his nerves.
 The cabin empty! Had Scatterly made mistake and gone to the wrong place?
 While possible this was hardly prob able Yet, if the sheriff had made no mistake in the cabin, what had become of McCloud?
 Darrel got up and walked out of the