Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-11-08

d - IERLEItAINI SIAM LhO-< was ui-
IN dressing for bed when he first
|. heard the voices through the
weatherboard walls. In less
than a minute there was knock at his
door.
"Here's Mr.. Hardcastle from Rosanna,
sir. He says he must sec you at once
''1'he deuce ne does! What about
"Hc says he'll only tell you. But he's
ridden over in three hours, and he
looks like the dead
"Give him some whisky, Tyler. and
tell him I'll be down in two ticks"
So saying the gray bearded sergeant
Of the New South Wales mounted po-
lice tucked his nightgOwn into his cord
breeches. slipped into his tunic and
fastened to the parlor, which served as
courtroom on occasion, buttOning as
he went Mr.. Hardcastle had a glass
to his lips as the sergeant entered. He
was very fine man Of forty, and his
massive frame was crowned with
cOuntenance as handsome as it was
open and bold, but at q glance it was
plain that he was both shaken and eX-
hausted and in no mood to hide either
his fatigue or his distress. Sergeant
Cameron sat down on the other side
of the oval table with the faded cloth
The younger constable had left the
room when Uardcastle called him back
Don't go, Tyler" said he. "You may
as we'll both hear what I've got to say.
Jt's-it'S Stinyarpef'
The name was echoed in incredulous
undertOnes,
"But he's down in Vic urged the
sergeant. He's been giving our chaps
q devil of q time down there.
Hes come back" I've seen him WITH
my own eyes. But I'm beginning at
the wrong end first" said the squatter.
taking another sip and then sitting
back to survey his hearers. You know
old Duncan, my overseer:
The sergeant nodded.
cot course you know him., the other
continued. and so does the whole back
country, and did even before he won
this fortune in the Melbourne cup
sweep. ! suppose you've heard how he
took the news? He was fuddling him
self from his own bottle on Sunday
afternoon when tho mail came. The
first knew Of it was when | saw him
sitting with his letter in one hand
and throwing out the rest of his grog
with the other. Then he told us he
had won the first prize OF 100000 and
that he had made up his mind to have
his next drink at his own place in
Scotland He left us that afternoon
to catch the coach and so down to
sydney for his money. He ought to
have been back this evening before
sundOWn.'
The sergeant put in his word:
THAT he ought, for | saw him come
off the coach and start for the station
as soon as they'd run up the horse he
left behind him at the pub. Won
dered what had brought him if he was
so set on getting back to the old coun-
try"
II could tell you said Hardcastle
after some little hesitation, land l
may as we'll. Poor old Duncan was
the most generous of men. and nothing
would serve him but that every soul
on Rosanna should share more or less
in his good fortune. | am ashamed
to tell you how much he spoke OF
pressing on myself. You have prOba-
bly, heard that one of his pecuiiarities
was that he would never take payment
by check like other people? l believe
it was because he had knocked down
too many checks in hisNday. In any
case, we used to call him Hard Cash
Duncan Oh ROsanna, and | am very
much afraid that when you saw him
he must have had the whole of his
$40 coo upon him in the hardest form
OF cash
"But what has happened, Mr.. Hard
castle?"
.'rhe very worst" said Hardcastle,
stooping to sip. The three heads came
closer together across the faded table
cloth. There was no sign of him at
:. He ought to have been with us be-
fore G. We had done our best to make
il an occasion. and it seemed that the
dinner would be spoiled. SO at young
Evans, my storekeeper. went off at a
gallop to meet him, and at twenty-five
past he came galloping back leading
riderless horse 1t was the one you
saw Duncan riding this afternoon.
There was blood upon the saddle.
found it.
ITO be continued.l