Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-11-29
By REX E. BEACH.
get enough in my own busi-

nut, see mere, argued the other,
'swe've got to send him SO he can make
. powwow to the big legal smoke in
Frisco. We've been cold decked with
bum judge. They've got US into a
corner an over the ropes"
'I'm sorry can't help you, Dextry,
but ! got mixed up in one of your
scrapes and that's plenty"
This amt no stowaway. There's no
danger to you." began Dextry, but the
officer Interrupted him:
There's no~need OF arguing. won't
do IT."
"oh. you won't, eh?' said the old
man. beginning to lose his temper.
well. YOU listen to me for a minute.
Everybody in camp knows that me an
the kid is OH the square an that we're
gettin' the bunk passed to u.s. Now,
this lawyer party must get away to
night or these grafters will hitch the
horses to him on some phony charge so
he can't get to the upper court. tn be
him to the bird cage for ninety days.
He's goin' to the States, though, an
he's goin'-in-your-wagon! I'm talk
In to yOu-man to man. n you don't
take him. I'll go to the health inspector
he's friend of mine-an' I'll nut a
crfmp In You an. your steamboat. /
don't want to do that-it amt my reg
Tar graft by no means but this bet
goes through as she lays. l never
belched up ii secret before. No, sir. I.
am the human huntin' case watch, an.
I won't open my face unless you press
me. but II ! should. you'll see that It's
time for you to hunt new Job. Now.
here's my scheme" He outlined his d.
rections to the sailor, who had fallen
silent during the warning. When lie
had done, Stephens said:
never had man talk to me like
that before, sir-never. You've taken
advantage of me, and under the cir
cumstances can't refuse. I'll do this
thing not because of your threat, but
because | heard about your trouble
over the Midas and because can't
help admirins your blamed insolence."
He went back into his stall.
Dextry returned to Wheaton's office.
As he neared 1t lie passed lounging
figure In an adjacent doorway.
'The place Is watched" he announc-
ed as lie entered. Have you got
back door? Good! Leave your light
burning and we'll go out that way"
They slipped quietly into an inky, tor
tuous passage which led back toward
Second street. Floundering through nj
lcys and over garbage heaps. by cir
cuitous routes they reached the bridge,
where in the swift stream beneath they
saw the lights from Macs tug.
Steam was up, and when the captain
had let them aboard Dextry gave him
instructions. to which he nodded ac-
quiescence. They babe the lawyer
adieu, and the little craft slipped its
moorings, danced down the current
across the bar and was swallowed up
in the darkness to seward.
''I'll put out Wheaton's light so
they'll think he's gone to bed.''
Yes, and ut daylight I'll take your
place in McNamara's loft" said Glen
lister. There will be doings tomorrow
when they don't find him."
They returned by the way they had
come to the lawyers room, extinguish.
ed his light. went to their own cabin
and to bed. At dawn Glenister arose
and sought his place above McNa-
mara's Office.
To lie stretched ut length on sin
gle plank with eye glued to n crack is
not comfortable position. and the
watcher thought the hours of the next
day would never end. AS they drag
ged YEARLY past his bones began to
ache beyond endurance, yet owing to
tho flimsy structure OF the building he
dared not move while the room below
was tenanted. In fact, he would not
have stirred had he dared, SO Intense
was his interest IN the scenes being
enacted beneath him.
First Ind come the marshal, who re-
ported his failure to find Wheaton.
HE left his room some time last
night. My men followed him in and
saw light In his window until
o'clock this morning. At Z o'clock we
broke in, and he was gone"
"He must have got wind of our plan.
Send deputies aboard the Santa Maria.
Search her from keel to topmast. and
have them watch the beach close or
he'll put off in a small boat. You look
over the passengers that go aboard
yourself Don't trust any Of your men
for that. because he may try to slip
through disguised. He's liable to make
mp like a woman. You understand
there's only one ship in port, and-he
mustn't get away
"He won't" said Voorhees,, with con-
viction. and the listener overhead
smiled grinly to himself, for at that
moment, twenty miles offshore, lay
Macs little tug hove to In the track of
the outgoing steamship. and in her tiny
cabin sat Bill Wheaton eating break
fast
AS the morning wore by with no
news Of the lawyer, McNamara's un-
easiness grew. At noon the marshal
returned with 1: report that the pas.
sengers were all aboard and the ship
about to clear.
by heavens! He's slipped through
you stormed the politician.
no. he hasn't. He may be hidden
aboard somewhere among the coal
bunkers, but think he's still ashore
and aiming to make a quick run Just
before she sails. He hasn't left the
beach since daylight, that's sure. I'm
going ont to the ship now with four
men and search her again. If we don't
bring him off. you can bot he's lying
out somewhere In town. and we'll get
hin, later Jsyn- stofIoool NM, q lo,, !,