Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-11-08
CHAPTER TX.

Nathaniel Letton was talking when
the door opened; he ceased, and with
his two companions gazed with con-
tTOlled perturbation at Burning Day
light striding into the reora. The free.
swinging movements of the trail-trav-
eIeT were unconsciously exaggerated in
that stride of his. In truth, it seemed
TO him that he felt the trail beneath
his feet.
"HOwdy, gentlemen, howdy." he re-
marked, ignoring the unnatural calm
with which they greeted his entrance
He shook hands with them in turn,
Btriding from one to another and grip
ping their hands so heartily that Ma
thaniel Letton could not forbear to
vince. Daylight flung himself into a
massive chair and sprawled iazily, with
an appearance of fatigue. The leather
grip ne had brought into the room he
dropped carelessly beside him on the
floor.
| 1--WE sure been going some" he sigh
ed. I'VE sure trimmed them beautifully
il was real slick, And the beauty of the
end, 1t was pure and simple knock
down and drag out. And the way they
fell for it was amazin'.'
! Lection made a dry sound In his
throat Dowsett sat quietly and wait
ed, while Leon Guggenhammer strug-
gled into articulation.
You certainly have raised Cain" he
said
Daylight's black eyes flashed in q
pleasant way.
Didn't /, thought" he proclaimed
Jubilantly. "And didn't we fool EN-!
D was teetotally surprised. never
dreamed they would be that easy
And now,'' he went on, not permit
ting the pause to grow awkward, eve
all might as we'll have an accounting.
Pm pullin' West this afternoon on
that blamed Twentieth Century" He
tugged at his grip, got 1t open. and dip
ped into it with both his hands. "But
don't forget, boys, when you-all want
me to hornswoggle Wall Street anoth-
er futter, all you-all have to do is
whisper the word. I'll sure be right
there with the goods
His hands emerged clutching a
great mass OF stubs, chech-books. and
brokers' receipts. These he depos-
ited in heap on the big table, and
dipping again, he fished out the strag-
glers and added them to the pile. He
consulted a slip Of paper, drawn from
his coat pocket and read aloud:
'"Ten million tWenty-seven thousand
and forty-two dollars and sixty-eight
cents is my figurin' on my expense.
OF course that-alPs taken from the
winnings before VEAL get to figurin'
on the whack-up. Where's your fig
ures? 1t must a been a mighty big
cleanup"
The three men looked their bepuz-
element at one another. The man was
a bigger fool than they had imagin-
ed, or else he was playing q game
which they could not divine.
Nathaniel Lection moistened his lips
and spoke up.
cit will take some hours yet, Mr..
Harnish, before the tulI accounting can
be made. Mr.. Howison is at work upon
it now. We-ah--as you say, it has
been a gratifying cleanup. Suppose
we have lunch together and talk it
over. III have the clerks work through
the noon hour so that you will have
ample time to catch your train"
Dowsett and Guggenhammer mani
Tested a relief that was almost OBJ
vious. The situation was clearing. It
was disconcerting, under the circum-
stances, to be pent in the same room
with this heavy-muscled, Indian-like
man whom they had robbed. They re-
membered unpleasantly the many stor-
Hes Of his strength and recklessness. II
Lection could only put him off long
enough for them to escape into the po-
diced world outside the Office door, ell
would be well; and Daylight showed
all the signs Of being put of.