Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1907-01-12
CHAPTER VII

stuck out stifly from under his fur cap
red, dubious nose, and shifty suspi-
cious eyes. He snluted us with touch
Of his cap in military fashion.
And what is your business, gentle
men?" he asked.
1T is less business than gratitude"
said Graden courteousy. I'VE have
made this little pilgrimage to thank the
producer Of the Lems1orf hams"
"You are not dealers. then?"
mo, but H."
"Then take yourself of /"
Herr Drobinr
"Gol clear outl Do not make myself
plainT he cried, his flushed face nod
ding in time to his violent gesticulations.
Il will have no spies about the placer
Graden sprang out Of the sleigh aud
strobe up TO the angry farmer. For
moment | thought there would be
scrimmage; but the huge bulk of his an
tagonis; was not without its effect upon
the German. l have often noticed that
great stature has q curiously soothing in
fuence on the bad temper of an oppo-
nent
WHY did you call me a spy7" demand
ed my cousin
THE people about here gossip Of some
secret | hold" he answered sulkly.
Perhaps they speak true; perhaps false
Who can sayf At least, l am no longer
fool; my eyes have been opened. You
have a good thing here, Herr Drobin.
There Is great future before you, If
only you keep your knowledge to your
self, said the Englshman to me- If
strangers come asking questions, they
will be spies; send them away 1t was
fine advice he gave me; anyone can see
that. SO be off with you"
Il am an Englshman myself, Herr
Drobin. May ask my compatriot's
nameY
81 do not remember"
"What, then, was he likeT
81 cannot describe him."
"You are discreet herr Drobin. Come.
now, let us strike bargain. l will
make guess at your secret; II l am
right. you will tell me what you know
of this Englshman."
The German started back, staring at
Graden with little, bloodshot eyes, in
which surprise and fury were oddly min
gled. Then. side by side, they stepped
Into the shadow of the pines, whispering
together.
They are all liars, these Germans"
said our driver conhdentlally, turning to
me. For myself. am a Pole"
'You heard what was said Do you
know anything of this English visitor to
Herr Drobin?"
Most certainly, mine Herr. He was
of the name Of Wakefield. He has stay
ed several nights at the Golden Adler
For the rest, he has been the guest of
him who lived out there" and he made
a gesture down the road that we had
come.
A nameess fear took me by the throat
"a fear of unknown possibilities.
would have questioned the man more, but
at that moment Graden and the farmer
emerged from the shadow of the pines.
The latter had abandoned his truculent
manner. Indeed. he seemed oddly sub
seryient. As Graden stepped into the
sleigh, the man bowed low curtsy.
which my cousin answered with a curt
nod Of dismissal.
Drive onl' he cried, and once more
We were ploughing our way back to the
Lemsdorf road,
ibid you ever study the properties of
the root called madden, commonly known
rs dyer asked my cousin suddenly.
nNo."
"Then ! must explain from the begin
ming. II Is right that you should hear"
He pulled the flaps of his deerstalker
cap over his ears-indeed, II was bitter
cod-and settled himself amongst the
rugs. ! caught the outline of his face
as jaws set. the cheeks drawn, the eye
hard and keen. the whole purposeful and
Femorseless.
'When ! was sliclng the ham to-day"
be continued. ian odd thing happened
My knife struck the bone and passed
through il as If II had been putty. At
a second glance ! noticed that the inte-
ror Of the section so divided was of a
brownish red. 1t set me thinking.
began to remember certain facts. The
talk of the old servant concerning a
secret held by the owner of the pig farm
at Gran concentrated my suspicious. the
proximity Of the dye-works confirmed
them. was almost certain Of Herr
Drobins secret before he charged me
with coming 20 steal it.
.Let me explain. Nader is a dye.
as you know. But administered TO man
or beast, II has the Curious effect of
coloring and pulping the bones to a girls
tie. 1t is used sparngly on few South
German pig farms, that the hams may
appear attractive when carved. Herr
Drobin introduced il into German Po-
land He obtained the root as he reonir-
ed It by arrangement with the dye works.
Perhaps their presence suggested the
idea TO him.
whether or no Marnac knew of the
uses Of madden before he came to Lens
dorf, | cannot tell. From my talk with
Drobin 1t would seem that his visit to his
farm was more or less Of an accident.
But, either way, the visit gave him the
weapon by which he might make a toad
Of his enemy. That bitter criticism, you
may be sure. was for ever running in
bis diseased brain. The practical details
be learned at the farm would help him in
what he had undertaken. His advice
to that old German was sound move.
designed to cover his visits to the farm
and the suspicious they might afterwards
have excited.
His method Of getting into touch with
bis victim was simple. He introduced
himself as an Englshman by a letter
which he himself wrote in his capacity
Of Heidelberg professor, well knowing
that the police had not made public their
suspicious Of him. He assumed the name
of Wake6ed-the first that suggested
itself to him-and the nationality Of an
Englishman. for, as we know. he spoke
the language to perfection He admins
tered madden in some form until Mecher-
sky grew III; after which, in his position
Of medical attendant the rcst was easy.