The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-02-28
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Battle of the Raccoon.

'S odSt'S VI A'S tdSSOO's
Mrs. Atchison met the returning ad
venturers at the door.
Your conduct, Jerry Dangerfield, is
beyond words," she exclaimed, seiz-
ing the girls hands And so you real
ly locked that horrid person in a 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, II 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.
Its excellent anthracite, the best
I can buy; they ought to be glad II
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 l shall
urge your promotion upon papa at the
earliest moment possible. Are these
newspaper gentlemen your only pris
oners?"
mo; we gathered up two other par
ties, and one of them is in the serv
ante laundry; the other, middle
aged person, l 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 a com
paratively lucid interval, he gave me
to hand you at the earliest possible
moment" and Capt Webb placed g
visiting card in Ardmore's hands.
smile struggled for possession 81
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, Il
George P. Billings, secretary of the
Bronx Loan and Trust Company O.
New York. What was he doing wher
you seized him." demanded Ardmore
HE was chasing the gentleman
who's resting on the anthracite. He
chased him and chased him, around
Toulouse ont here sOmewhere IN thf
place; and finally this person in the
coal hole fell, and they both rolled
over together. The gentleman in the
coal hole declares that he's Foster
the state treasurer of North Carolina
but his face got so scratched on the
shrubbery that he doesn't look in the
least like Mr.. Foster"
81 have sent him witch hazel an(
curt plaster, and We can get doc