Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-10-06
CHAPTER ".

~ tary arrest was far more pOr-
tentOus in sound that in effect.
something in Hates determined sileuc 9
ana Miriam'S inSistence added to the
effect of these rumors
Then another thing weighed heavily
upon the brave heart of this loving
friend and mother. Never had she
known her child to be so silent, so
strange. as now. Ever since Friday
night she seemed to avoid all mention
OF the affair. to shrink from the sub
ject-she who had ever been frankness
itself, she who had never had a
thought the mother did not share. She
seemed oppressed with some secret.
But why should the situation so
strangely affect her daughter? Could
it be that she. too. cared for Bob La
nier?
She was writing her reply to his
note when Maggie again appeared
1.-TWO gentlemen to see the captain,
num-" and Mrs. Sumter hurriedly
closed the note and went below stairs
to meet them. She knew we'll who
they were and why they had come.
A branch Office of the Rocky Mountain
Detective agency had been maintained
long months at the great and growing
railway station. They had been sum-
moned by her husband, and that was
enough.
They asked to be shown the room,
with the storm battered dormer, by
this time emptied Of its load Of snow.
They asked to see Miriam's desk.
They smiled at the idea Of the pay
master being held up and robbed in
broad daylight by any gang in their
neighborhood.
While they were vet at their work
there came sounds Of stamping feet
at the front door, and in came Sumter,
stiff from cold. but br1mful Of energy.
Found Scott and his clerk, at least"
he cried Most dead and half frozen!
The drivers gone. fear. He was
blown or pitched off. The mules ran
away before the gale. Those inside
the ambulance were helpless. Two
dropped off behind and are lost The
thing finally capsized and went to
pieces, and they managed to reach a
little cattle shack two miles south of
town. They've found Lanier's striker,
too-what's left of him."
stairs.
"Have they found Rawdon? she
asked fearfully.
"No. not sign of him anywhere"
''Is that the young fellow that those
sergeants have been hunting for"'
asked one Of the detectives. 1--WE
managed to find out about him. He
was in town as early as o'clock Fri
day, and he left on No. 6 that night"
do you mean to tell me-" said Sum-
ter, gazing blankly at the speaker,
"that he wasn't out here when-this-
happened?
mot unless he had wings! That
train leaves at II 40"
Another day went by. Major Scott
and his clerk, under Larrabee'S skill
full touch. were gradually rega1n1ng
strength and beginning to answer
questions. The ambulance was cur
tanned in even at the rear. through
which the two scared troopers had
managed to slip to their doom. Not
until the SHOWS melted in the spring
and the contents of the ravines should
be revealed was it likely they would
be heard of again. The railway was
still blocked. The wires were still
down. Fort Gushing stood isolated from
the outer world. and no less than five
of it's garrison were absent and unac-
counted for. The two men detailed to
drive in with the paymaster, two bac-
chanalians who, being in town when
the storm broke, had dared each other
to face the gale and tramp out. and