Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-01
make clear. 1t can be sadd in

make clear. 1t can be said in a
word
The grim doctors eye flashed an
grily and I stopped.
Were you detective from the dis.
trict attorneys office in New York,
sent ON with special powers to exam
inc him, should still say what I am
going to say now. While Mr.. Fair
brothers temperature and pulse re-
main where they now are, no one shall
see him and no one shall talk to him
save myself and his nurse"
turned with a sick look of dtsap-
pointment toward the road UP which l
had so lately come.
Have painted, sweltered, trem-
bled, for three mortal hours on the
worst trail a man ever traversed to go
back with nothing for my journey ?
That seems to me hard Lines. Where
is the manager of this miner"
The doctor pointed toward man
bending over the edge of the great
hole from which, at THAT moment, a
line of Mexicans was issuing, each
with sack on his back which he flung
down before what looked like fur
mace built of clay.
That's he. Mr. Haines, of Pihila-
delrhta. What do you want of him?'
Permission to stay the night. Mr.
FairbrotheT may be better tomorrow. I"
II won't allow 1t and I ann master
here, so far as my patient is con-
cerned. You couldn't stay here with
out talking, and talking makes excite
ment, and excitement is just what he
can not stand. A week from now I
will see about it-that is, If my pa
tinues to improve. am not sure that
he will
Let me spend that week here. I'll
not talk any more than the dead.
Maybe the manager will let me carry
Sacks"
Look here" said the doctor, edtging
me farther and farther away from the
tent he hardly let out of his sight for
a moment. You're a canny lad, and
Shall have your bite and something to
drink before you take your way back.
But back YOU go before sunset and
with this message: No man from any
paper north or south will be received
here till hang out a blue flag. l say
blue, for that is the color of my
bandana. When my patient is in a
condition to discuss murder I'll hoist
it from his tent-top. It cam be seen
from the divide, and If you want to
camp there on the lookout, we'll and
good. AS for the police, that's another
matter. will see them IL they come,
but they need not expect to talk to my
patient. You may say so down there.
1t will save scrambling UP this trail
to no purpose"
you may count on me-" said /;
trust a New York correspondent to
do the right thing at the right time to
head off the boys. But doubt if they
viii believe me"
I'm that case shall have barr-
cade thrown up fifty feet down the
mountain SIDE said he.
"But the mail and your supplies?"
"oh, the burros can make their way
UP. We shant suffer-"
''You are certainly MASTER" I re-
marked.
All this time had been using my
eyes. There was not much to see, but
what there was was Economically in
teresting. Aside from the furnace and
what was going ON there, there was
little else but a sleepingtent, a cook
ing-tent, and the small one | had
come on first, which, without the least
doubt, contained the sick man. This
last tent was of peculiar construc-
ton and showed the primitive nature
Of everything at this height. 1t con-
sisted simply of cloth thrown over a
thing like a trapeze. This cloth did
not even come to the ground on either
side, but stopped short a foot or so
from the fiat mound of adobe which
serves as a base or floor for hut or
tent in New Mexico. The rear Of the
simple tent abutted on the mountain
sidei the opening was toward the val.
ley. felt an intense desire to look
into this opening, 80 intense that I
thought would venture on an at
tempt to crafty 1t. Scrlltindzing the
resolute face of the man before me
and fattering myself that detected
signs OF humor underlying his profess
stonal bruskness, asked, somewhat
mournfully If he would let me go
away without so much as a glance at
the man I had come SO far to see.
"a glimpse would satisfy me now" I
assured him, as the hint of a twinkle
flashed in his eye. Surely there will
be no harm in that. I'll take 1T in,
stead of supper"
He smiled, but not encouragingly,
and was feeling very Disappointment,
indeed, when the canvas on which our
eyes were fixed suddenly shook and
the calm figure of woman stepped
out before us, clad in the simplest
garb, but showing in every line of
face and form character of mingled
kindness and shrewdness. She was
evidently on the lookout for the doc
tor, for she made a sign as she saw
him and returned Instantly into the
tent
"Mr. Fairbrother has Just fallen
asleep" he explained. ut isn't dis
cipine and shall have to apologize
to Miss Sierra, but If you will promise
not to speak nor make the least dis
turbance will let you take the one
peep YOU prefer to supper"