The Tupelo journal., 1909-04-30

al business on q real IlOH-OH Tracy.
They wanted to steal his road. ! got
on to them first. l see a heap of peo-
pie in a heap of different businesses
the little people who talk. They no.
tice all right, but they a see only
their own little patch. | was the fel-
low riding round and seeing the town
ship. / pieced together the plot and l
told Endy Tracy. He wouldn't believe
me at first, because his father had
given Keatcham his first start and
done a hundred things for him. To be
sure, his father has been obliged as
an honorable man to oppose Keatcham
lately, but Keatcham couldn't mean to
burn him out that way. But he soon
| found that was precisely what Keatch-
am did can 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 a fight
a mar can with his hands tied while
the other fellow is free. My hands
are free, too. l don't respect the
damned imbecile laws that let me be
plundered any than they do; and
since my poor mother died last sum-
mer l am not afraid of anything; they
are; that's where l have the choice of
weapons. l tell you, sub, nobody is
big enough to Cypress a desperate
man! Keatcham had n advantage
he had unlimited money. But Aunt
Rebecca helped us out there. Colonel,
l want you to know l didn't ask her
for more than the bare grub-stake; it
was she herself that planned III stock
DEAL"
she is a dead game sport" the
colonel chuckled. 81 believe you"
and l hope you don't allow that
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
expressed her hankering to match her
wits against those of a first-class Grim
inal.
1--WE didn't reckon on your turning
up, or the complication with Archie. l
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 owe 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 a 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
l had had fetched me, n killed it like
a flash. He had his choice of walking
out quietly with mel had my hand
on his arm-or dropping down dead.
He vent 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 l want to mix the boy up
In this more than / have? And Arnold
only knew was trying some kind of
bluff game"
Il 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?"
"Mr. Keatcham discharged him at
Denver. l met MI. Keatcham here;
it was arranged on the train. We had
it planned out. If that plan had failed
| had another"
Meat. Very neat. And then you
became the secretary"
Mercer flushed in an unexpected
fashion. Certainly not!" he said,
with emphasis. do you think / 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 l did it to oblige him. / never
touched a cent of his money. / paid,
in fact, for our board out of our own
money. 1t would have burned my fin
gers, subj"
"And the valet? Was he in your
plot? Don't answer if you"
HE was, suh," replied Cary Mercer.
"He is a right worthy fellow, and he
thought, after he had seen to the tick
ets-which he did very carefully-and
given them to me, he could go off on
the little vacation which came to him
by his master through me-"
That's a little bit evasive. How
ever, / haven't the right to ask you
to give away your partners, anyhow"
He was peering at MERGERS face be-
hind his glasses, but the pallid, tired
features returned him no clew to the
thoughts in the head above them.
What have you done with Mr.. Keatch-
ann" he concluded, suddenly.
The question brought no change OF
expression, and Mercer answered read
lily: Il put him on by himself, where
he sees no one and hears nothing. /!
/ read a good deal about prisons and
the most effectual way Of tanning men,
and solitary confinement is econ
mended by all the authorities. His
meals are handed to him by-by a me-