Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-01-20

made her anxious. Moreover, she was
in a way committed, for she could not
now emerge without being seen AS
she waited n man came from the path
and joined the others. The sky had
been overcast and gloomy. but the
moon drew out just then. and she saw
that the newcomer. evidently Il patrol.
carried rifle in the hollow of his arm
She also saw that one of the first three
was the automobiles owner
For some minutes they conversed in
undertones. whose very secrecy in.
famed her Imagination. 1t seemed to
her that they made some reference tc
the tlnme. Had there been another rob.
berry of the sluice boxes and could
they still suspect Hugh:
Dread and Indignation made her
bold. When they turned into the path
she followed. treadiug uoiscessly, till
she was close behind them. They had
stopped again and were looking intent.
ly at shadowy gray something that
moved in the bottom below
She heard the man who carried the
rifle say, with smothcrod laugh:
Its only Barney McGinn's Old white
horse taking a drink ont Of the sluice
box. He often does that"
Then the sherlff's voice said: mic.
Ginn's horse is in town tonight. with
Barney on her back Horse or no
horse. I'm going to- The rest was lost
In the swift action with which he
snatched the liroarm from the first
speaker. sighted and fired
In the still night the concussion
seemed to rock the ground and reused
a hundred echoes 1t startled and
shocked the listening girl. but not so
much as the sound that followed it
n cry that had nothing animal like and
that sent the men running down the
slope toward an object that lay hud-
died by the sluice box.
In Mortified curiosity .lcssica follow
ed. slipping from shadow to shadow
She saw the sheriff kncc down and
draw a collapsed and empty horse
skin from a ngure whose thieving Gun.
ming it would never cloak again.
so 1t was You, after all, Prondcr-
CAST. the sheriff said contemptuously
The white face stared up at them.
venomouS and writing. turning about
the circle as though searching for some
bne who was not there.
How did-you guess"
The sheriff. who had been making n
swift examination. answered the pant
ed question. "You have no time to
think OF that now" be said
A sinister look dartcd into the film
ing yellow eyes. and hatred and GER
tainty fckindled them Prendergast
struggled TO Il sitting posture, then
fell back, convUlSed "liugh Stires.
He WAS the only--onc who knew-how
it was done. He's clever. but he can't
get the best of prendcrgast" \ spasm
distorted his features. "Wait-wait"
lie fumblcd in his breast, and his
fingers brought forth crumped piece
Of paper He thrust it into the sher-
IFS hands.
Look. Look" he gasped. THE
man they found murdered on tho claim
thcre"-hc pointed wildly up the hill
slde-"l)r. Morcau. found him-dy-
ing! Stires"-
strength was fast failing him. lie
tried again to speak, but only inartlcu-
late sounds came from his throat.
A blind terror had clutched the heart
or the girl leaning from the shadow.
"Dr. Morenu'--'murdered Why, he
had been one OF Hugh's friends why
did this man couple Hughs name with
that worst of crimes? What dreadful
thing was he trying to tell? She hard
~ repressed desire to scream aloud.
be careful what you say. Prender-
CAST said the sheriff sternly.
Tho wretched man gathered force
for last effort. His voice came in a
cronklng whisper;
1T was stircs killed him, Moreau
wrote 1t down-and kept the paper.
I'll Hurh-we break-eyen"