Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-10-27


wire set up for himself on Little
Crawling Stone"
81 have noticed that fellows ranch"
remarked McCIoud.
81 couldn't leave him at Sinclair's,"
continued Whispering Smith, frankly.
''The fellow was on my mind all the
tine. / felt certain he would kill Sin
claiI or get killed if he stayed there.
And then, when | took him away they
sprang Tower w on me! That is the
price, not of having a conscience,
for l haven't any, but of listening to
the voice that echoes where my con-
science used to be-" said the railroad
man. moving uneasily in his chair.
Bucks broke the ash from his cigar
into the tray on the table. "You are
restless tonight, Gordon-and it isn't
like you, either"
1T is in the air. There has been
a dead calm for two days. Something
is due to happen tonight. I wish l
could hear from Banks; he started
with the papers for Sinclair's yester-
day while l went to Oroville to sweat
Karg. Blood-poisoning has set in and
1t is rather important to us to get a
confession. There's a horse!" He
stepped to the window Coming fast,
too. Now, l wonder-no, he's gone
by"
Five minutes later a messenger
came to the car from the Wickiup with
word that Kennedy was looking for
Whispering Smith. Bucks, McCloud
and Smith left the car together and
walked up to McCloud's Office
Kennedy, sitting on the edge of the
table. was tapping his leg nervously
with a ruler. bad news, Gordon"
mot from Ed Banks?"
"Sinclair got him this morning"
Whispering Smith sat down. Go
on"
Banks and picked up Wickwire
on the Crawling Stone early, and we
rode over to the Frenchman. Wick
wire said Sinclair had been up at
Williams Cache the day before, and
he didn't think he was home. Of
course l knew the Cache was watched
and he wouldn't be there long, so Ed
asked me to stay in the cottonwoods
and watch the creek for him. He and
Wickwire couldn't find anybody home
when they got to the ranchhouse and
they rode down the corral together to
look over the horses"
Whispering Smiths hand fell help
lessly on the table. Rode down to-
gether! For Gods sake, why didn't
one Of them stay at the house?"
sinclair rode out from behind the
barn and hit Wickwire in the arm be-
fore they saw him. Banks turned and
opened on him, and Wickwire ducked
for the creek. Sinclair put soft bull
let through Banks shoulder-tore it
pretty bad, Gordon-and made his get
away before Wickwire and l could
reach the barn again. / got Ed on his
horse and back to Wickwire's, and
we sent one of the boys to Oroville for
a doctor. After Banks fell out of the
saddle and was helpless Sinclair talked
to him before came up. You ought
to have kept out of this, Ed he said.
This is a railroad fight. Why didn't
they send the head of their own gang
after me?'-naning you.'' Kennedy
nodded toward Whispering Smith.
Naming me-
Banks says: I'm sheriff of this
county, and will be a long time YETI
l took the papers from his breast
pocket" continued Kennedy. "You
can see where he was hit" Kennedy
laid the sheriffs pacAet on the table.
Bucks drew his chair forward and,
With his cigar between his fingers,
picked the packet up and opened it.
went on: ED told Sinclair
if he couldn't land him himself that
he knew a man who could and would
before he was a week older. He meant
you, Gordon, and the last thing Ed
told me was that he wanted you to
serve the papers on Sinclair"
A silence fell on the company. One
of the documents passing under Bucks
hand caught his eye and he opened it.
1t was the warrant for Sinclair. He
read it without comment, folded it,
and, looking at Whispering Smith,
pushed it toward him. "Then this, 1
guess, Gordon, belongs to you"
Starting from a reverie, Whispering
Smith reached for the warrant He
looked for a moment at the blood
stained caption. "Yes," he said, this,
[ guess, belongs to me-"
CHAPTER X<XIII.