Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-04-06

and at turn Of the path stumbled upon
something which horribly accounted for
the curious action of the old man. A
dead body lay upon its face in the
heather, beside it was a heavy riding
whip stained at the handle with blood.
and an open pocketbook. Richard took
up the book and read, in gold letters
on the cover, Lord Bellasis."
The unhappy young man knelt down
beside the body and raised it. The skull
had been fractured by a blow, but it
seemed that life yet fingered. Over
come with horror-for he could not
doubt but that his mothers worst fears
had been realized-Richard knelt there
holding the man in his arms, waiting
until the murderer should have placed
himself beyond pursuit. 1t seemed an
hour to his excited fancy before he saw
a light pass along the front of the house
he had quit, and knew that Sir Richard
had safely reached his chamber. With
some bewildered intention of summOning
aid he left the body, and made toward
the town. AS he stepped out on the
path he heard voices, and presently some
dozen men, one of whom held horse,
burst out upon him, and, with sudden
fury, seized and flung him to the ground.
At first the young man so rudely as
sailed did not comprehend his own dan
ger. His mind, bent upon one hideous
explanation OF the crime, did not see
another obvious one which had already
occurred to the mind of the landlord of
The Three Spaniards.
Heaven defend mel! cried Mr.. MOg-
ford, scanning by the pale light of the
rising moon the features of the muir
dered man, but it Is Lord Bellasis!
Oh, you villain! Jem, bring him here;
p'r'aps his lordship can recognize him"
1T was not I!' cried Richard Devine.
my lord, say" Then he stopped
abruptly, and being forced on his knees
by his captors, remained staring at the
dying man in sudden and CHASTITY fear.
Those men in whom emotion has the
effect of quickening circulation of the
blood, reason rapidly in moments of
danger; and in that terrible instant,
when his eyes met those of Lord Bella
sis, Richard Devine had summed up
the chances of his future fortune, and
realized to the full his personal peril.
The runaway horse had given the alarm.
The drinkers at The Spaniards Inn had
started to search the Heath, and had
discovered a fellow in rough costume,
whose person was unknown to them,
hastily quitting a spot where, beside a
rifed 'poeketbook and q blood-stained
whip, lay a dying man.
The web of circumstantial evidence
had enmeshed him. An hour ago es-
cape would have been easy. He would
have had but to cry, II am the son of
Sir Richard Devine. Come with me to
yonder house and / will prove to you
that l have just quit it," to place his
innocence beyond immediate question.
That course of action was impossible
now. Knowing Sir Richard as he did,
and believing, moreover, that in his rag
ing passion the old man had himself
met and murdered Lord Bellasis, he saw
himself in a position which would COM
pei him to sacrifice himself. He knelt,
stupetied, unable to speak or move.
Come" cried Mogford, again; SAY,
my lord, is this the villain?"
Lord Bellasis rallied his failing senses,
his glazing eyes stared into his sons
face with a horrible eagerness; he shook
his head, raised feeble arm as though
to point elsewhere, and fell back dead.
IF you didn't murder him, you rob-
bed him." growled MOgford, "and you
shall sleep at Bow street tonight. Tom,
run on to meet the patrol, and tell him
to leave word at the Gate-house that
I've q passenger for the coach! Bring
him on, Jack! What is your name,
ehT'
He repeated the rough question twice
before his prisoner answered, but at
length Richard Devine raised a pale
face which stern resolution had already
hardened into defiant manhood, and
said, "Dawes-Rufus Dawes"
His new life had begun already; for
that night one Rufus Dawes, charged
with murder and robbery, lay awake in
prison, waiting for the fortune Of the
morrow.
Two other men waited as eagerly.
One, Mr.. Lionel Crofton; the other, the
horseman who had appointment with
the murdered Lord Bellasis under the
shadow, of the fr-trees on Hampstead
Heath AS for Sir Richard Devine, he
waited for no one, for upon reaching
his room he had fallen senseless in a fit
of apoplexy.
CTo be continued.l