The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-08-27

ana been cHngfn Dy my eyeiaSneS
ever since till the postman give me q
/ lift. I'm a bit done, same's you'd be.
but 1 ask no odds from God or man
/ and / don't take none from such as
| You. Hi. you monkey. Where's that
whisky"
Undaunted. the Elixir stood. his
soulful eyes fixed on the poor fellow
in mistaken sympathy. The half-caste
| was ambling slowly across the room
| with bottle and glass. The man on
the bench sat glazing with bloodshot
| eyes at the Elixir. Just as the Inn
keeper reached him he muttered:
| Didn't | tell yer to-er- Ye lob
| ster-eyed-er-"
With words still gurgling In hts
throat he fell over on the bench un.
| conscious.
ut is better So" the Elixir said.
gently stuffing a blanket under his
head for a pillow and lifting his feet
to the bench. sleep will help him
more than that hell-fire you call whis-
ky. Go heat up some of the stun you
said was soup this noon."
The Elixir returned to the window
and his newspaper. watched the
unconscious face till the CLINT of the
freight across 1t dazzled me and the
hypnosis of his steady snoring made
| me sleepy. l was beginning to doze
when the Elixir touched my arm,
pointing to something he had writ
ten on the margin of the paper OPP
posite the description Of the murder
er: Compare this with the man on
the bench. and II. you agree with me
pass it on to Father Belcher."
The only thing which astonished
me was that had not thought of 1t
before or that the mans own account
of himself had not suggested it. The
priest read 1t carefully, then went
| over to the bench and read 1t again.
He crossed himself and muttered a
| prayer. Allowing for such days and
nights as he had spent out In the
storm the pen picture was perfect.
The Elixir stood up and, looking out
of the window, said:
A red sunset and fair tomorrow.
so we shall part i'm the morning. Let's
| have breath of fresh air together
| first"
We understood and followed him
| outside. Close upon the horizon the
masses of gold and crimson cloud
were following the sun away. The
Elixir cast one admiring glance over
the glorious wilderness, then his be
ing changed to something entirely
new, even after all that he had been
before. He spoke rapidly and earn
estly:
That fellow is stark mad" he said
"He was demented when he did IT, /,
is like the work of a maniac. Per
haps he'd lost everything up there
and charged IL to Sir Robert. Be
sides he is heipless1y i'll. Do unto
others as ye would. applies to us. II
We leave him here and go our ways
him In pieces. II he Is crazy h,
ought at least to have show of jus
tice, and We can secure 1t for him Il
you will help me. | have handled
maniacs several times and always
successfully. We two can easily ge
him to the coast If We are not over
taken by a mob from behind. Yo,
ing, Father, and will doubtless NEE
searching parties coming down. 1
will insure success II you viii tel
them that the man Is already cap
tured. in safe hands. and well on hi.
way to the coast by way of the Low
er Fork. where he will be given into
custody. Keep them from following
Ii possible. II not. then send then
by the Lower Fork. The day iafteD
tomorrow wire privately to some on.
you can trust. Say that the prisoner
will be at Raldwin's by Friday noon
Tell them OF his condition. so tina
they will be prepared to care for hin
properly"
After little narley the priest con
scented. and did his work so well tina
the plan worked out to the end. Il
did not rouse the man, even wher
the Elixir made him drink the souI
and relieved him of rusted revolver
some cartridges. an ugly knife with
blackred rust spots on the blade
Then the moon rose In n elean-swsp
sky, and the Elixir proposed that Wi
start at once, lest the people of kal
goory do the same.
We borrowed a cob from the half
caste for the prisoner. who was eyi
IDENTIFY an old horseman for he sal
the saddle by instinct. He would mo-
pay the slightest attention TO me, but
needed every suggestion of the Elixir
to whose watchfulness he owed his
life many times over during that rap
Id and dangerous journey.
The officers with a physician mel
US at Baldwin's. but for the first time
the prisoner became obstreperous. He
chung to his deliverer. fighting and
yelling. and kicking every one else
till for the sake of peace they per
suaded him to continue with them
and We parted abruptly, l at leasi