The Washington herald., 1912-07-14

return to Lac Bain-but how! Ths
was the question which puzzled hin
he still had thirteen months of servic
ahead of him. He was not in line fo
furlough. 1t would take at lea:
three months of official red tape to pur
chase his discharge These facts ros
like barriers in his way. 1t occurred t
him that he might confde in MacGreg
or, and that the inspector would max
an opportunity for him to return int
the north Immediately. MacGregor ha
the power to do that, and he believe,
that he would do it. But he hesitate
to accept this last alternative
And then, all at once, Sergt Moody
words came back to hir,l-"Theyve go
track of DeBar again, up near Lac /.
Biche." The idea that burst upon hin
with the recalling of those words stop
ped Philip suddenly. and he turned bacl
toward the barracks. He had heard
great deal about DeBar, the cleveres
criminal in all the northland. and whom
no man or combination of men hat
been clever enough to catch And nov
this man was near Lac la Bichc, in tn,
Churchill and Lac Balm country. II h,
could get permission from MacGrego
to go after DeBar his own difficult,
would be settled in the easiest possibl,
way. The assignment would take hin
for long and indefinite time into The
north. 1t would take him back to Iso.
bel Becker.
He went Immediately to his room
upon reaching the barracks, and wrote
out his request to MacGregor He sen,
it over to headquarters by a rookie
After that he waited.
Not until the following morning did
Moody bring him a summons to appear
in MacGregor's Office. Five minutes
later the inspector greeted him with
outstretched hand, gave him a grip tha,
made his fingers snap, and locked the
Office door He was holding Philips
communication when the young man
entered
Il don't know what to say to this,
Steele" he began. seating himself at
his desk and motioning Philip to a
chair. ITO be frank with you, this
proposition Of yours is entirely against
my best judgment
I'm other words, you haven't suffi-
cient confidence in me-" added Philip.
No, | don't mean that. There isn't
man on the force in whom l have
greater confidence than you. But, if |
was to gamble, I'd wager ten to one
that you'd lose out if sent you up to
take this man DeBar."
I'll accept that wager-only reverse
the Odds" said Philip daringly.
The inspector twisted one of his long
red mustaches and smiled a little grim
ly at the other
III | were TO follow my own judg-
ment I'd not send one man, but two"
he went on. Il don't mean TO underes-
tinate the value of my men when !
say that our friend DeBar, who has
evaded us for years, is equal TO any
two men I've got. l wouldn't care to
go after him myself-alone I'd want
another hand with me, and a mighty
good one-a man who was cool, eau
tious, and who knew all Of the ins and
outs of the game as well as myself.
And here" He interrupted himself,
and chuckled audibly, here you are
asking permission to go after him
alonel Why. man. its the very next
thing TO inviting yourself to commit sui
eide! Now, if | were to send you, and
along with you good, level-headed
81 have had enough OF double-har-
ress work, unless | am commanded to
go, Mr.. MacGregor." interrupted Phil
ip. Il realize that DeBar is a danger
ous man, but | believe that can bring
him down. Will you give me the op-
portunity?"
MacGregor laid his cigar on the edge
OF the desk and leaned across toward
his companion. the long white fingers
OF his big hands clasped in front OF him.
He always took this position. with a
cigar smoldering beside him. when about
to say those things which he wished to
be indelibly impressed on the memory
Of his listener.
Yes, I'm going to give you the op-
he said slowly. "and | am
going to give you permission to change
your mind after | have told you some
thing about DeBar, whom we know as
the Seventh Brother. ! repeat that, if |
you go alone, its just ten to one that |
you don't get him. Since 90 four men
have gone out after him, and one has
come back. There was Forbes, who |
went in that year; Bannock, who took |
up the trail in 1902; Fleisham in 1904. |
md Gresham in 1907. Since the time
II Gresham's disappearance we have !
OSl slsill VI hCDdi, dllu Oilly lCNcilliN.
IS you know, have We got trace of him
lgain. He is somewhere up on the
.dge of the Barren Lands. l have pri-
'ate information which leads me TO be-
ieve that the factor at Fond du Lac
an take you directly to him"
MacGregor unclasped his hands to
'ick up worn paper from small pile
m the desk
HE is the last of seven brothers,
lie added. His father was hanged
"A good beginning interjected Phil
p.
There's just the trouble" said the
Inspector quickly 1T wasn't a good
eginning This is one of those pc
uliar cases of outlawry for which the
aw itself is largely responsible, and
ont know of any one / would say
his to but you. The father was hang
d, as | have said Six months later
was discovered, beyond a doubt. that
he law had taken the life of an inno-
ent man. and that DeBar had been
ent to the gallows by a combination of
vidence fabricated entirely by the per-
ury of enemies The law should have
indicated itself But it didn't. Two
f those who had plotted against De-
'ar were arrested, tried-and acquitted.
tact which goes to prove the state
lent OF a certain great man that half
the time law is not justice. There
no need of going into greater detail
bout the trials and the popular senti-
lent afterr,rJ T., Doen,,bar of srSl