The Elbert County tribune., 1910-08-26
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Battle of the Raccoon.

Mrs. Atchison met the returning ad-
venturers at the door.
Your conduct. Jerry Dangerfield, is
beyond wordsi" she exclaimed, seiz-
ing the girls hands. And SO you real
ly locked that horrid person in real
jail Well. we shan't miss him! We
have been kept up all night by the
arrival here of other prisoners
brought in like parcels from the gro
GERS"
More prisoners" shouted Ard
more.
The captain of the battery whose
guns frowned upon the terraces came
up and saluted.
"Mr. Ardmore," he said, 'I have
been trying for several hours to see
Gov. Dangerfield, but this lady tells
me that he has left Ardsley."
THAT is quite true: the governor
was called away last night on official
business, and he will not return for
an hour or two. You will kindly state
your business to me-"
The captain was peevish from loss
OF sleep, and by no means certain that
he cared to transact business with Mr.
Ardmore. He glanced at Miss Danger
field, whom he had met at Raleigh,
and the governors daughter met the
situation promptly.
Capt. Webb. what prisoners have
you taken. and why are they not
gagged to prevent this hideous noise?"
Seemingly from beneath the ample
porte-cochere, where this colloquy oc-
Cured. rose yells, groans and curses,
and the sound of thumps. as of the
impact of human bodies against re-
mote subterranean doors.
They're trying to get loose, Miss
Dangerfield. and they refuse to stay
tied. The fiercest row is from the
fellows we chucked into The coal bins"
IT'S excellent anthracite, the best
can buy; they ought to be glad it
isn't soft COAL" replied Ardmore de-
fensively. who are they?"
They're newspaper men, and
they're most terribly enraged." an
swered Capt. Webb. I'VE picked them
up one at time in different places on
the estate. They say they're down
here looking for Gov. Dangerfield."
you have done well, Capt. Webb"
said Jerry with dignity, land shall
urge your promotion upon papa at the
earliest moment possible. Are these
newspaper gentlemen your only pris-
oners?"
No; we gathered up two other par
ties. and one of them is In the serv-
ante laundry; the other, a middle
aged person. / locked In the tower.
where he can enjoy the scenery The
prisoner up there made an awful rum
pus. He declares he will ruin the
whole state of North Carolina for this.
Here is his card which, in com
paratively lucid interval. he gave me
to hand you at the earliest possible
moment" and Capt. Webb placed a
visiting card in Ardmores hands.
A smile struggled for possession of
Ardmore's countenance. but he re-
gained control of himself promptly.
and his face grew severe.
He gave the card to Jerry, who
handed it to Mrs. Atchison, and that
lady laughed merrily.
Your prisoner. Capt. Webb, is
George p. Billings. secretary of the
Bronx Loan and Trust Company of
New York. What was he doing when
you seized him?" demanded Ardmore
He was chasing the gentleman
who's resting on the anthracite. He
chased him and chased him, around a
teahouse out here somewhere on the
place; and finally this person in the
coal hole fell. and they both rolled
over together. The gentleman in the
GOAL hole declares that he's Foster.
the state treasurer Of North Carolina.
but his face got 30 scratched on the
that he doesn't look in the
least like kr. FostAr."
Il have sent HIN witch basel and
esuTt plaster. ard ~ can gst . les-