The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-07-08
CHAPTER xv-continued.

petent witness, you'll admit" the man
Went on calmly. He and his wife and
w boys will swear that Tom and 1
We're in their house until 10 o'clock.
when we went up to bed, and that we
came down and. ate breakfast at 6
some lively work IL we went to Sugar
Valley and back-40 odd miles each
way, over the DEVILS own make Of
roads,, in the dark, in eight hours. Now,
you've got a telephone here. I'll wait
for you to phone the Squire right Off
now before l leave the store"
glum and black.
Very we'll. The Squire's in his Of
fee by this time and you can get him
II you wish. You can call my bluff
in just one minute If you care to.
Furthermore, l can bring 100 Of the
best men In Paoli. where I've lived
for 20 years and where the boys have
lived all their lives till they came here,
any man could ask for. I'll give you
the names Of some Of them who've got
telephones and you can get 'em right
off now on the long distance IL you
want to. There's another way you can
call my bluff. All right: you can do
as you please. Now a man don't US
ually defend himself until he's given
the evidence against him. but things
have been going mighty strange down
here and they're going to stop now,
right-of-short."
The words snapped like trap teeth.
you can bring any charge against me
n my bows, Squire Hartswick, but I
give you fair warning that it'll go hard
with you If you fail to prove your case.
My boys mean a good deal to me, and
they are going to have fair play"
It's a TANNED bluff" sneered the old
man, "a devilish bluff" His face was
fairly blu with rage. The veins stood
out plump and black on his forehead.
I've given you a way TO call my
bluf II you care to. II you don't, you
place yourself in a serious position, as
you'll admit. If you fail to make your
that it's going hard with you. I shall
push 1T to the very limits OF the law,
n I'm somewhat Of a lawyer myself.
I know perfectly well what I'm about.
Do any Of you wish anything Of me be-
fore I go?"
He arose and swept a keen glance
over the crowd. There was thai in his
and look that awed and domi-
mated them.
Here. hold right on there" The
Squire was regaining. his self-posses-
sion. How about Jim? The evidence
all points to him. What have you got
TO cay about Jtm?"
He VAS at home last nioht with his
mother"
How do you know he was? You
want there"
His mother II testify to it. OF
course he was there"
Wal. he want, that's all. Wait q
minute, men. See he don't get away"
He hustled v e to the telephone and
called for Lawyer Troutman.
ssIYn114s Z <h1t ,,~.,p -,S.o Co.. 4
Al Farthing and Tom spend the night
with you last night? . f. . Heigh? .
Jest what time was 1t? . Sure, are
yeh?.. -" Then the old man hung up
the receiver with an angry jerk and
wheeled about.
Wal, that don't make any difference
with JIM" he snapped. THAT won't
Is against him."
will o kindly explain?"
Yes, sir, l will, and you won't want
to hear it, either. In the first place, as
I said. Jim want at home last night.
We car prove by two good men that at
&c. o'clock he was driving with his colt
down towards Sugar Valley. Then he
is enough to convict him. He's hated
Karl like hell all the spring, n he's
threatened him. He could have done
that job himself alone; he's stout
enough to. Then, as a clincher, a
hammer with your letters or it was
found close to the body. What have
you got to say to that?" The confidence
Of the man weakened q little at the re-
cital. He turned slightly pale.
Il don't know anything about this
he said perplexedly. but my boy
didn't do it; l know that. There's a
mistake somewhere"
It's as clear as daylight. Jim's the
man, and Well have him before sum
down."
you'll have him before then" He
stepped toward the door. but turned
short about. I'll bring Jim right down.
There's a mistake, that's all, n I'll
clear 1t up, Ira Hartswick, to your full
satisfaction. There won't be any sneak
ing OF lodging about this. It's going
to be fought in the open, and you're
going to fight fair" He went straight
out through the door and no one OBJ
posed him.
There was silence for the space Of
10 pipe-puffs. Then Amos raised his
voice:
Observation-Disclosures"
He's q cold-blooded, desperate man."
exploded the Squire. Hes the coolest,
brazenest devil / ever met in all my
ute and not size him up as IN expert
enced criminal you're a pack of fools.
But he cant fool me. I called his bluff
for him. See how he backed down,
did yeh? He knew jim vas in a trap
and he came in here to brazen us. but
It didn't go. He's gut the wrong man.
BY mighty, I'll run this gang down IL
1t costs my whole property" Again he
smote the counter with resounding fist.
Nov, I amt quite so sure, Squire"
drawled Amos. %refiectively. Wed bet
ter go q little slow, don't yeh think?
The man kinder looked to me as If he
was honest in what he said. and l amt
very often deceived in a man." He was
rubbing his chin absorbedly. a puzzled
scowl on his face. He seemed to be
thinking aloud. Now what could he
want to blum US FOR? That's what I
don't understand. He cleared himself
and Tom all right, but how could he
think he al going to get Jim out Of
1t? How was 1t goin' to help the BUSH
ness BY comm down here. BY hunkey
II looks to me as IL he believed Jim was
innocent. don't get fooled very often.
and 1t looks to me as IL them proofs
ag'in Jim was all new to him. They
kinder PASSED him. I'll bet g u Of
beans he'll have Jim here on schedule
49, vi rYAS- HNEHE