La Junta tribune., 1908-01-04

came and went gisd aBd unquest3oar
Ing. What,sI asked myself. could J. q.
Rookshaw. Al l!xniGct. middle aged
and evidently prosperous man, who
Rcemed OF sound mind and appetite
when met at tile dining table. want OF
fresh caught hawks. blueiays. robins
and even oriinar! English sparrows! :!
Why, too. after he had got them. did
he release them: | w;ss loath to ac
cent insanity MS the solution since
prided myself on having scented a
deeper mystery.
In my own mind had n xuspiclon
that they might lie trained as carriers
OF messages. Yr; ! could see no rca-
son why such secrecy should te 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
plicabie. l was convinced that In some
manner j. $. Rookshaw was connected
with the premc,litatcd rebellion.
On the tenth day. during the absence
Of Mr.. Rookshaw. the landlord admit
ted me To the room OF his strange
boarder. In one corner | found 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 filed wastebasket 1 Immediately
seized and carried In triumph TO my
room, spending hours In sorting what
seemed TO furnish the only promise Of
u clew.
All the specimens of handwriting !
found were torn into small bits. As,
however. no two pieces of paper can
he torn in exactly the same manner
as regards Mt. I managed to so piece
them together that could make out
such terms AS rising. flight. flee, bold
stroke. triumph. difficulties overcome
and few others Of no less suspicious
import Such discriminating fragments
as these l carefully preserved to send
to the chief ut Washington with my
report. The rest, which We're of no
value. burned.
On the morning following my Sc
curing this evidence j. 8. Rookshaw
knocked ut my door, which I opened,
Mt the same time inviting him to enter.
He did so. breathed deep sigh OF re-
lief and wiped the pcrspiration from
his brow with red bandanna After
n few preliminary remarks he again
rendered his apologies for having dis
turbcd me from time to time and
alluded with - sly wink to his ''in-
somnia." lie concluded by inviting me
to accompany him after breakfast on
a drive.
To-day he exclaimed pompOusly.
yet in II low tone. as II he were fearful
OF being overhcarti-'.today secs the
crownlng Of my labors with success!"
AS lie finished he stared at me very
hard, and IN spite of myself. started
with surprise. Was the rebellion. l
wondered. TO 80 soon set up its daring
standard? II did not seem probable.
Yet felt certain that l had within my
grasp. as 1t We're, the man who con-
irollcd whatever segments of the revo-
lution;uy circle lay scattered among
the BERKSHIRE hills. determined TO
surprise my adversary.
& sWhat.', | cried pointedly. You ex-
pcct success 80 soon:''
He jumped as II given Il violent
shock. at the same time turning that
peculiar hue of red assumed by lob
stcr squirming In the boiling pot be-
fore the cover Is put on.
"You have guessed! You knowT" he
whispered hoarscly.
Yes l responded grimly.
''And your advice?' he asked.
"Is for you In fly" l had no instruc-
tions to arrest the fellow. An Ill ad-
vised arrest might influence the result
Of the coming state campaigns. for the
food trust. powerful though It was. had
not then dared to deprive the people Of
the voting franchise.
II intend 10 do so,' he admitted
frankly in tone was at loss to
comprehend.
He ended the conversation by once
more inviting me TO accompany him
on an after breakfast carriage drive,
intimating that should he a witness
of his success. Still unable to catch