The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-05-12
A Double
Murder -
By PERCY E. REINCANUM

TACE downward in the ditch that
| = bOrdered the road, half hidden by
the rank profusion of coarse grass and
nettles, lay an old man, his pockets
turned inside out, the back of his gray
head battered in. A mile further along
the lonely country lane, the murderer
| and eyewitness slouched sullenly along
through the glory of the autumn after
| noon.
The smaller of the two walked a
pace or two in advance; slight, wiry
little man, with blinking, nondescript
eyes and a dusty, struggling growth OF
hair. His expression as he glanced
furtively back at his companion was
| one of sheer uncomfortable fear. His
| clothes were of the patched and ragged
description which marks the habitual
tramp.
His companion, evidently of the
same class of wayfarer, was a big,
| powerful specimen Of humanity, who
! might have passed for a more than
usually unkempt and unpicturesque
gypsy.
"Stop!" he said, and the man il
front obeyed.
See that there pool?" said the big
man, when he had caught him up.
Take this hyer stick an rinse it
there. Quick!"
The other peered at the article in
question and recoiled a step.
why? No, no! won't! II
can't! Do it YOURSELF"
An let you gimme the slip an pitch
your yarn to the first person you
meet? Not ser bloomin' likely!
Ketch old of it, dyer hear? All right,
then; come along O. me an do it,
He held him in his powerful grasp
and the other, who seemed in half
paralyzed condition, allowed himself
to be marched off the road to where
the sinking sun turned the fiat sur
facs of stagnant pond to blood-red
disc. When the man had done what
he intended, there was darker thread
of color on it's lifeless surface. "Sit
down." commanded the big man. 81
want few words with you. Sit down,
l tell yer! Now. Wait till 1 got my
pipe alight."
He pulled for a few moments in a
sullen silence. Then he turned sud-
denly on his companion. "Who was
he?" he demanded.
"Who-what? Him." with jerk of
his head in the direction from whence
they had come. Il don't know who
he was. It's no use asking me any
thing. l wish"
Don't snivel,' said his captor, an
grily. Didn't you say som'ink about
havin' spoke to imp
81 was sitting in the ditch" said the
little man, whose speech showed that
he was one of the great army OF the
fallen-from- better-days; Il was NOR
tai hungry and--and dry, and present
ly | saw him coming along the road.
He looked prosperous and well-fed and
l got up when he was near me and
asked him for trifie."
go on" growled the other, as he
paused.
HE called me a good-for-nothing
tramp and swore he'd have the country
side cleared of the damned breed
those were his very words, but his eyes
we're kind and dare say he was good
Sort
The big man swore horribly.
Drop all that" he said. "You fol-
lowed him, didn't yer?"
in hn HHh 10
Tree trunk lay across the ditch, and there
{ dropped back and lay down alongside
1t and frightened my belt. couldn't see
you coming, because the bend hid you
then, but heard your voices moment
later and his was angrier than ever.
suppose two dirty tramps in ten yards
fairly upset him" He seemed to have
forgotten his companion for the mo-
ment, but a growing oath recalled him
to his surroundings, and he shivered.
81 crawled out and looked round the
end of the log, and saw him threaten
you with his fist and pass you by, and
saw you" He stopped short and shiv-
cred again.
AN then l caught sight of yer," said
the murderer, slowly, after short pause,
and turning his bully's gaze upon his
companion; IAN why l didn't put u
stopper on you, too, don't 'ardly know"
Perhaps" retorted the eyewitness,
with a feeble flicker of spirit, perhaps
because hadn't got my back turned"
whats your name?" he demanded.
"I'ye tried to forget" said the other,
blinking painfully, "but the last thing
was called when-when knew any
one. was 'Gin-and-Misery.'
''I'll call you Misery for short" with
a hoarse chuckle. "Im anown-not
about ere, but in the parts come from
as Black Jock Now we're intro
| dooced, which is lust as well. COS we're