The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-05-07

building one up. Oh, he isn't fool
If | could once get him where he woult
have to listen, | know l could MAKE
him understand. He's pretty cold
blooded, and he doesn't realize. HI
only sees straight ahead, not al
around, like all these superhumanly
clever thieves; they have mighty stu
pid streaks. Well, I've got him now
and 1t is kill or cure for him. He cam
make a rifle. l knew l couldn't de
anything alone; | had to wait. | hat
to have stronger men than l am tC
help. By and by they tried their jack
al business on a real lion-on Tracy
They wanted to steal his road. | got
on to them first. | see heap of peo
pie in heap of different businesses
the little people who talk. They no
tice all right, but they can see only
their own little patch. | was the fel
low riding round and seeing the town.
ship. / pieced together the plot and
told Endy Tracy. He wouldn't believe
me at first, because his father had
given Keatcham his first start and
done hundred things for him. To be
sure, his father has been obliged as
an honorable man to oppose Keatcham
burn him out that way. But he soon
found that was precisely what Keatch-
am did mean. Then he was glad
enough to help me save his father. The
old man doesn't know a thing; we
don't mean he ever shall know. We
let him put up the best sort of fight
a man can with his hands tied while
the other fellow is free. My hands
are free, too. | don't respect the
damned imbecile laws that let me be
plundered any more than they do; and
since my poor mother died last sum
mer l am not afraid of anything; they
are; that's where | have the choice of
weapons | tell you, sub, nobody is
big enough to Cypress desperate
mani Keatcham had one advantage
he had unlimited money. But Aunt
Rebecca helped us out there. Colonel,
| want you to know l didn't ask her
for more than the bare grub-stake; it
was she herself that planned our stock
deal"
She is a dead game sport the
colonel chuckled 81 believe you
"And I hope you don't allow that I
was willing to have her mix herself
in our risks. She would come; she
said she wanted to see the fun"
81 believe you again. the colonel as
sured him, and he remembered the odd
sentence which his aunt had used the
first night of their journey, when she
expressed her hankering to match her
wits against those of a frst-class Grim
inal.
I'VE didn't reckon on your turning
up, or the complication with Archie.
wish to God we'd taken the boys own
word! But, now you know all about
it, will you keep your hands off? That's
all we ask"
"Well,"-the colonel examined his
finger nails, rubbing his hands softly,
the back of one over the palm of the
other-"well, you haven't quite told
me ALL Don't, unless you are prepared
to have it used against you, as the po-
licemen say before the sweat-box
What did you do to Keatcham to get
him to go with you so like Mary's lit
tie lamb"
Il learned of a little device that
looks like tiny curry-comb and is so
fiat and small you can bind it on a
mans arm just over an artery. Just
press on the spring and give the
least scratch, and the man falls down
in commissions. l showed him a rat
had had fetched me, and killed 1t like
a flash. He had his choice of walking
out quietly with mel had my hand
on his arm-or dropping down dead.
He went quietly enough"
THAT was the meaning of his look
at me, was it?" Winter thought He
said only: did Endicott Tracy know
about that?"
"Of course not" Mercer denied. do
you reckon | want to mix the boy up
in this more than l have? And Arnold
only knew | was trying some kind of
bluff game"
81 will lay odds, though" the colo
mel ventured, in his gentlest tone,
tone, that Mr.. Samurai, as Haley calls
him, knew more. But when did you
get rid of Atkins?"
MIR. Keatcham discharged him at
Denver. l met Mr.. Keatcham here;
it was arranged on the train. We had
1t planned out. If that plan had failed
had another"
Neat Very neat. And then you
became the secretary"
Mercer flushed in an unexpected
fashion. Certainly mott" he said,
with emphasis. DO you think l would
take his wages and not do the work
faithfully? No. sub. | assumed to be
his secretary in the office: that gave
me a chance to arrange everything.
But | did il to oblige him. l never
touched a cent of his money. | paid.