The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-03-29
CHAPTER TX.

Nathaniel Letton was talking when
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. II 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 10 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 We sure trimmed them beautifully.
II was real slick. And the beauty OF the
play never dawned on me till the very
end II was pure and simple knock
down and drag out. And the way they
fell for II was amazin'."
Letton made 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
Daylights black eyes flashed in
pleasant way.
Didn't |. though" he proclaimed,
| jubilantly. And didn't we fool EN-!
was teetotally surprised never
dreamed they would be that easy.
And now" he went on. not permit
ting the pause 10 grow awkward. we
all might as we'll have an accounting.
I'm pullin' West this afternoon on
that blamed Twentieth Century" He
tugged at his grip, got II open, and dip
ped into II with both his hands. But
! don't forget, boys. when you-all want
me TO hornswoggle Wall Street anoth-
er flutter. all you-all have TO do 10
whisper the word. I'll sure be right
there with the goods"
His hands emerged. clutching 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 strag.
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-eight
cents is my figurin' on my expense,
OF course that.alrs taken from the
winnings before veal get TO figurn
on the whack-up. Where's your fig.
ures? II must a been a mighty big
| cleanAp"
The three men looked their bepuz.
element at one another. The man was
bigger fool than they had imagin-
ed, or else he was playing game
which they could not divine.
Nathaniel Letton moistened his lips
and spoke up.
1T will take some hours yet, Mr..
Harnish. before the full accounting can
be made. Mr.. Howison is at work upon
II now. We-ah-as you say, II has
been q gratifying cleanup. Suppose
we have lunch together and talk II
over. I'll have the clerks work through
the noon hour so that you will have
ample time to catch your train"
Dowsett and Guggenhammer mani.
tested a relief that was almost OBJ
vious The situation was clearing. II
was disconcerting. under the circum.
stances. to be pen: In the same room
with this heavy-muscled. Indian-like
man whom they had robbed They re-
membered unpleasantly tho many stor.
les OF his strength and recklessness. II
Letton could only put him of long
enough for them to escape into the DO
Iced world outside the Office door, all
would be well: and Daylight show ed
all the signs Of being put on
I'm real glad to hear that" he said.
Il don't want U miss that train. ami
you-al hav. dcu7 M proud. gentle