Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-01-26
CHAPTER TX.

Nathaniel Letton was talking when
the door opened: he ceased, and with
his two companions gazed with con.
trolled perturbation at Burning Day
light striding into the room. The free,
swinging movements of the trail-trav.
eler were unconsciously exaggerated In
that stride of his. In truth, 1t 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,
striding 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 lazily, with
an appearance Of fatigue. The leather
grip he had brought into the room he
dropped carelessly beside him on the
floor.
I've sure been going some," he sigh.
ed. I'VE sure trimmed them beautifully.
1t was real slick. And the beauty of the
play never dawned on me till the very
end. 1t was pure and simple knock
down and drag out. And the way they
fell for 1t was amazin'."
Letton 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 a
pleasant way.
Didn't l. thought" he proclaimed,
jubilantly. "And didn't we fool 'em!
! was teetotally surprised. l never
dreamed they would be that easy.
And now" he went on. not permit
ting the pause to grow. awkward, I'VE
all might IS well have an accounting.
I'm pullin' West this afternoon on
that blamed Twentieth Century" He
tugged at his grip, got 1t open. and dip
ped into 1t with both his hands. But
don't forget. boys. when you-all want
me to hornswoggle Wall Street anoth-
er %fiutter. all you-all have to do is
whisper the word. I'll sure be right
there with the goods"
His hands emerged. cmtching a
great mass of stubs, check-books, and
brokers' receipts. These he depos.
tied In a heap on the big table. and
dipping again. he fished out the stsag.
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-eiyht
cents is my igurin' on my expense.
OF course that-alrs taken from the
winnings before we-all get to figurin'
on the whack-up. Where's your az.
ures? 1t must a been q mighty big
cleanup"
The three men looked their beuaz.
element at one another. The man ras
a bigger fool than they had ima%.n.
ed, or else he was playing a game
which they could not divine.
Nathaniel Letton moistened his Inns
and spoke up.
1T will take some hours vet. MIR.
Harnish, before the full accounting can
be made. Mr.. Howison is at work upon
1t now. We-ah--as you say, 1t has
been a gratifying cleanup. Suppose
we have lunch together and talk It
over I'll have the clerks work through
the noon hour so that you will have
ample time to catch your train"
DOwseu and Guggenhammer mani.
Il relief that was almost OBJ
vious, The situation was clearing. II
was d~iscohcerting, under the circum.
stances, to be pent in the same room
with this heavy-muscled, Indian.lik
whom they had robbed. They re
unpleasantly the many stor-
Of his strength and recklessness. II
could only put him of long
enough for them to escape into the DO.
Iced world outside the office door. all
would be we'll; and Daylight showed
all the signs Of being put on.
I'm real glad to hear that" he said.
i don't want to miss that train, and
you-an have done me proud. gentle