Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-10-17

came and went, glad and unquestion-
ing. What, l asked myself, could j. S.
Rookshaw, a dignifed, middle aged
and evidently prosperous man, who
seemed Of sound mind and appetite
when met at the dining table, want of
fresh caught hawks, bluejays, robins
and even ordinary English sparrows?
Why, too, after he had got them, did
he release them? 1 was loath to &C.
cept insanity as the solution since 1
prided myself on having scented a
deeper mystery.
In my WI mind 1 had a suspicion
that they might be trained as carriers
of messages. Yet 1 could see no rea-
son why such secrecy should be ex.
ercised when a private code and the
telegraph might be more safely and
more conveniently used. Though the
whole thing was, on the surface, mex.
plicable, I was convinced that in some
manner ]. S. Rookshaw was connected
with the premeditated rebellion.
On the tenth day, during the absence
of Mr.. Rookshaw, the landlord admit
ted me to the room Of his strange
boarder. In n corne I found q few
feathers; in another were feathers and
sawdust. A hairbrush, afterward care.
fully cleaned, had been used to sweep
up the debris. The contents of the
well filled wastebasket I Immediately
seized and carried in triumph to my
room, spending hours in sorting what
seemed to furnish the only promise of
a clew.
All the specimens Of handwriting
found were torn into small bits. AS,
however, no two pieces Of paper can
be torn in exactly the same manner
as regards fit, I managed to SO piece
them together that I could make out
such terms as rising, flight, flee, bold
stroke, triumph, difficulties overcome
and a few others Of no less suspicious
import. Such discriminating fragments
as these l carefully preserved to send
to the chief at Washington with my
report. The rest, which were of nc
value, I burned.
On the morning following my Sc
curing this evidence ]. s. Rookshaw
knocked at my door, which I opened,
at the same time inviting him to enter.
BE did So, breathed q deep sigh of re.
lief and wiped the perspiration from
his brow with a red bandanna. After
a few preliminary remarks he again
rendered his apologies for having dis.
turbed me from time to time and
alluded with a sly wink to his "in-
somnia." He concluded by inviting me
to accompany him after breakfast on
a drive.
Today" he exclaimed pompously,
yet in a low tone, as if he were fearful
Of being overheard-"today sees the
browning of my labors with SUGGEST"
AS he finished he stared at me very
hard, and, in spite of myself, 1 started
with surprise. Was the rebellion, ]
wondered, to SO 500 set up its daring
standard? 1t did not seem probable
Yet I felt certain that I had within my
grasp, as 1t were, the man who con.
trolled whatever segments Of the revo
lutionary circle lay scattered among
the Berkshire hills. determined tc
surprise my adversary.
"What!" 1 cried pointedly. "You ex
pect success so soon?"
He jumped as if given a violent
shock, at the same time turning thai
peculiar hue of red assumed by a lob
ster squirming in the boiling pot be
fore the cover is put on.
"You have guessed? You know?' he
whispered hoarsely.
eyes," I responded grimly.
"And your advice" he asked.
"Is for you to fly" I had no instruc
lions to arrest the fellow. An i'll ad
vised arrest might influence the result
Of the coming state campaigns, for the
food'trust, powerful though it was, ha6
not then dared to deprive the people Of
the voting franchise.
II intend to do So" he admitted
frankly in a tone I was at a loss tt
comprehend.
He ended the conversation by once
more inviting me to accompany hin
on an after breakfast carriage drive
intimating that 1 should be a witness
of his success. Still unable to catcl