The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-02-20

every word that passed When he
came to get sight of the men he saw
that they were hard cases. They had,
as was soon related, committed rob
berry and perhaps a murder ON the
highway a few miles distant. They
had shot a horseman out of his sad
die. plundered his person and left him
where he fell. The money taken from
him had been concealed In a deserted
hut and over and over again the trio
pledged themselves at their dagger
points to be faithful to each other in
the division of the spoils No single
one of them was to visit the hut with
out the consent of the other two. If
one proved a traitor the others were to
hunt him to his death. After the hue
and cry was over they were to divide.
The manner in which those fellows
talked Of the crime made the Ameri-
cans hair stand up, and he was only
too glad when they finally left the inn
without knowing that the next room
was occupied. When they had gone
Fowler lay awake for hours wonder
ing what he had best do in the matter
He had heard the men call each other
by their first names. He could give
the police a minute description of
them. He knew that they were to sep
arate and where each one was to pass
the next month. They had even nam
ed the man they had robbed and per-
haps murdered. The student had only
to 60 to the police and state his case,
and all the clews would be in their
hands He had about decided to do
this when he went down to breakfast,
but a little circumstance changed his
mind. The landlord himself brought
his breakfast and after a word or two
about the weather carelessly observed:
II trust that the senior slept well last
nightT"
Every well, indeed" was the reply.
'"There were some late travellers.
hope they did not disturb you2"
mot at ALL"
The landlord looked at him sharply
and then seemed satisfied. After that
there was no doubt in Fowler's mind
that his host knew Of the crime and
was accessory before or after. 1t was
already known In the. village that a
prominent citizen of the province had
been fatally shot and plundered on the
highway the night before, but the land
lord said nothing about it. An hour
later Fowler got the information from
| others He now decided to say moth
| Ing to the authorities about the affair.
and in setting off on his daily tramp
he babe the landlord such a cheerful
! adleu and spoke so many words in
/ praise of his house that the man could
have no suspicious of him. Neverthe-
| less he had reasons to believe that he
was logged and kept track OF for the
next three days.
The crime had excited widespread IN
terest. The victim was prominent in
| church and state, and the money he
was carrying belonged to the former.
This made the crime a helnous one in
the eyes of the masses. A large re-
ward was offered, the police melted to
do their best. and 1t was believed that
the criminals would soon be captured.
Fowler heard everybody talking about
the affair, but had little to say about
1t himself.
The crime OF the highway was a
week old when a strange freak seized
the American. He decided to go back
over his road and visit the hut in
which the plumber was concealed. The
men had located 1t so closely that he
knew he could find 1t. He wanted to
see II the plumber was really there. II
was the most extraordinarily foolish
thing he could have thought OF. but be
yielded TO the impulse. In returning
he took the train instead of making
the journey ON foot. and. leaving II
] nhnnt Sly miles from the hut he chi