Mexico Missouri message., 1913-01-09
CHAPTER v-(continued).

ATTRACTIONS of the game laws.
CHAPTER V-(Continued).
At last | saw him halfway amen
able to reason. Now that he was out
OF the shadow, saw too, more clear
ly. what manner Of man he was. His
head, as | had already discerned 1t
through the gloom. was abnormal!y
large, yet not out of proportion with
his herculean torso. His red hair,
frowsy, unkempt, was OF such abund-
ance that, in the dark its outline had
given me grotesquely magnifed im-
preston. His red beard, too, was
thick, long, and untrimmed. What lit
tie of his face showed, was sunburned
TO what, in the dim light. seemed the
color Of ripe russell apples. His eyes
were nearly indiscernible, deep set,
under bushy red brows.
IF you had shown the least bit Of
humanity to brother men in distress"
] responded. in a half jocular vein,
I'D probably never thought Of this
being your place. and you being you;
and the incident of the morning
might have been forgotten"
thought ] heard his teeth grit to-
gether in his effort TO suppress a ris-
ing rage. certainly saw his hands
Clench: and then, with an assumption
of indifference, he took a final puff
at his cigar and tossed it. sparkling,
among the weeds of his lawn.
II was evident TO me, now, that in
spite of the nonchalance he affected
my reference to the Chinaman'E
poaching, and his presence at Crag
holt. had aroused his interest, and Sc
hoping TO draw him out, | continued
Your man told the Iodge-keeper
that you sent him over TO borrow q
rife"
you don't mean to tell me you'd
believe a Chinaman. do you?" he re
turned.
1t wasn't for me TO believe OF dis
believe. The lodge.keeper believed
him"
And so he borrowed a rife. and
then with one of Cameron's own in.
stuments OF destruction proceeded
30 destroy Cameron's game? Is that
1t? What did he shoot? A deer or
dogs that Cameron has following him
about"
Apparently Murphy knew much
more of my friend than my friend
knew of Murphy.
Neither, ! fancy. In fact. I'm not
sure Just what he did shoot in the
way of game. hut he seems 10 have
fndulged in a bit OF target practice
He found a piece Of an old portrait
tackled it to a tree. and shot holes in
It. Rather silly. eli? Foolish for him
10 chance getting into trouble for
Child's play of that sort"
How do you know that?" be
Erowled, with an inadvertent drop
ping of his mask. There was no mis-.
taking, now, that had made captive
his attention.
Il saw the target" answered,
simply.
That's like saying, I caught a
twelve-pound bass. Here's the hook
and line TO prove it,"
Il have scale Of the bass"
"A WHAT"
Something your Chinaman dropped
D3blQF the tree.
Phlegmatic though he was, some
thing very like a start followed upon
my words. Then, as il to cover the
movement. he shrugged his shout
ders, and chuckled ponderously.
His visiting card, l suppose"
Nearly as good" ! supplied. The
bowl Of his opium pipe"
At that moment Jerry came around
ahe corner OF the house and stopped
abruptly. stupehed by surprise; for
from the open mouth of the giant
there issued a roar OF bass laughter,
that reVerberated in weird discord-
anoe through the night silences.
You bally idiot" he cried, his Auf.
Iaw ended. Il suppose no persons ex-
cept Cinnamon smoke opium. Ell!
And that being so, no Chinaman but
my Chinaman could have made a tar
get OF piece of an old portrait and
dropped his pipe bowl at the foot Of
a treel Go on with you, you make
Tle sickl" And then, seeing Jerry.
who had quickly Joined me: Didn't
md him, Ell? Well. that's not strange.
1iaving lost the bowl Of his pipe, he's
Drubably gone 10 borrow another
from a iaundyman friend in Cos
Cob: and that, by the way, is about
the neares; place for you to buy Gss,
-oiene"
The next DAY J spent al my office.
In New York, husy with The hundred
details that 90 to the making Of a