The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-05-27
0 the good, and what dye think

did?"
Arendson adopted a bored ex.
preston and shook his head.
Il dropped stone dead there,
Arendsen. / became corpse.
said the long goodbye to poor old
Dominic Saeger, and in damned
hurry. That was the idea that
took me back to the danger zone.
1t was the only way to prevent the
Frenchmen from following me to a
finish.
ut had to be a quick change, of
course, and l hadn't leisure to sort
out my few belongings, SO / slowed
them about the body wholesale as
soon as Id emptied its pockets.
left 1t completely equipped for iden-
tification, and as for appearance it
had been so messed about by the
niggers that it might have passed
for anyone in the wide world.
Then l tramped about in the
mud bit, first in my own boots
and then with bare feet, snapped
twigs and branches, and left all
the marks of a life-and-death strug-
gle. Then l drove the canoe at
the bank in dozen places to show
that feet of savages had lately
landed there and gone on again
after doing the white man up, and
as / was drawing back from the
last bump, heard a voice in the
thicket behind me. My God! that
gave me bad start, Arendsen.
l dug out for the nearest cover,
and chung to leafy bough scarce
ly daring to breathe.
II had over-estimated my time
allowance, and it was too late then
to break for the open. In half a
minute the first of the Frenchmen's
black boys were yelping about the
body, and their zap brought up the
rest of the expedition at dog
trot-a dozen whites and maybe 20
natives all told.
There was great palaver over
their find, and they seemed disap-
pointed to think that they hadn't
been there in time to shoot me
themselves. They never doubted
that 1t was me, for of course they
searched the body and held a sort
Of an inquest, and the first thing
they came across was my papers.
That clinched it. 1t made them
mad to see from these what a big
trade I had been driving in guns
and cartridges, and that was quite
natural, since it was precisely what
they were shaving there to pre-
vent. However. they were well
enough pleased to think they had
heard the last OF me, and so had
their niggers dig a neat hole in the
mud and tuck poor old Dominic
tidily into it. I came near to hav-
ing blind staggers while l looked
on and listened to the damned
crabs all crunching their claws.
For the funeral was within few
yards Of me, and 1t wasn't nice to
have to attend a dress rehearsal
Of what might happen to me yet at
any moment.
But in the end the Frenchmen
turned tail and made off, in des-
perate hurry to get back beyond
the German border. And l was
saved. was saved!
Dye know that l felt pretty
good then. Arendsen? Yes. sir,
felt pretty good! I've often faced
close call. but that one was just
a triflle too near the edge.
well. after I'd Quieted down
again. I began to wonder who
was anyhow, and what I'd better
do next. This is where you begin
to come In. Arendsen, and you'll
see that I haven't been telling you
silly stories for nothing. as you
seem to think. I've brought you
up to the moment when l first
opened the papers l had inherited
from the dead man. There was a
heap of them in the canoe, besides
what I'd found in his pockets.
THAT fellow must have been
born unlucky. He held royal flush
of the finest at the identical instant
when he was put out of action. It's
mine now, and here are the cards
diamonds all and ace high--with
which you and I are going to sweep
the board clean"
He was speaking excitedly now,
as he recalled the prospect which
had been tempting enough to bring
him back within reach of Black
Dirck, and that individual also
would seem to have been infected
by his obvious faith in his errand
AT any rate he did not take any
advantage Of the fact that Seager
had once more pocketed his re-
volver and produced In its place
the package of. papers.
Draw in" said the latter. land
go through them one by one
They're all in order from first to
last. Begin with that one, and
don't say a word till you've got
to the end. Then tell me whether