The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-09-09


JUDsoN BACKED AWAY AND STARED AGAIN.
shade was Rankin Hallock he could
not doubt. The bearded chin, the puffy
lips and the prominent nose were all
shadowgraph. But the hat was worn
at an unfamiliar angle. and there was
something in the erect. bulking figure
that was still more unfamiliar. Judson
backed away and stared again. mutter-
ing to himself. If he had not traced Hal
lock almost to the door Of Flemister's
quarters there might have been room
for the thin edge of the doubt wedge.
The unfamiliar pose and the rakish
tilt of the soft hat were not among the
chief clerks remembered characteris-
tics; but. making due allowance for the
distortion Of the magnified facial out
line. the profile was Hallock's.
Having definitely settled for him,
self the question of identity. JudsoH
renewed his search for some caves
dropping point Of vantage. Riskins
the moonlight, he twice made the cir
cult Of the occupied end of the build
ing. There was a line of light show
ing under the Ill fitting door. and, with
the top step of the downhill fight for
a perching place, one might lay an ear
to the crack and overhear. But door
and steps were sharply struck out in
the moonlight, and they faced the min
ing hamlet, where the men Of the day
shift were still stirring.
Judson knew the temper Of the I'll
manyoni miners. To be seen crouch
Ing on the boss doorstep would be to
take the chance of making a target OF
himself for the first loiterer Of the dag
shift who happened to look his way.
Diminishing the risky expedient. be
made q third circuit from moon glare
to shadow, this time upon hands and
knees. To the lowly come the rewards
of humility. Framed level upon stout
log pillars on the downhill side, the
headquarters warehouse and Office
sheltered space beneath its floor
which was roughly boarded up with
slabs from the log saving. Slab by
slab the ex-engineer sought for his
rat hole, trying each one softly in its
turn. When there remained but three
more to be tugged at the loosened one
was found. Judson swung it eau
tiously aside and wriggled through
the narrow aperture left by its remov
al A crawling minute later he was
crouching beneath the loosely jointed
floor of the lighted room, and the ave
nue. Of the ear had broadened into a
fair highway.
Almost at once he was able to verify
his guess that there were only two
men In the room above. At all events
there were only two speakers. They
were talking in low tones. and Judson
had no difficulty in identifying the
rather high pitched voice Of the owner
Of the Wire Silver mine. The man
whose profile he had seen on the win
dow shade had the voice which belong
ed to the outlined features. but the
listener under the floor bad a vague
| impression that be was trying to dis
guise 1t. Judson knew nothing about
the letter in which Flemister had
promised to arrange for q meeting be,
| tween Lidgerwood and the ranchman
| GrOfleld. What he did know was that
he had followed Hallock almost to the
| door Of f'lemister's Office and that he
had seen Swallowed face on the Of
| fee window shade which could be no
other than the face of the chief clerk
| 1t was in spite OF all this that the i'm
| preston that the second speaker was
| trying to disguise his voice persisted
But the eSengineer OF fast passenger
trains was able to Danish the impress
| sion after the first few minutes OF
eavesdropping.
Judson had scarcely found his breath
ing space between the floor tinbers
| and had not yet overheard enough &c
| give him the drift of the low toned talk
| when the bell of the private line tele
| phone rang in the room above It was
| Flemister who answered the bell ringer.
| Hello. Yes. this is Flemister
| What's that? A message about Mr.
| Lidgerwood? All right; fire away"
| who Is it," came the inquiry in the
| grating voice which fitted and yet die
| not fit the other man
The listener heard the click Of thu
telephone earpiece replacement.
H,H~ -.