The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1913-03-20
Johnston.


Wait here" Davis again command
ed - be crspt silently toward 1t to
make sure that the tonneau was un-
occupied He was hack with US in .
minute.
Let Ne have that lamp Of yours.
Kent" hs whispered. At the same time
lighting . cigarette.
is that safer I exclaimed in sur
prise, amazed that he would dare to
smoke when he had been taking such
precautions against our being discov-
sred.
Sure" As replied laconically. Who
ever was In that automobile IL At least
half . mile away by now. The glass
ON the front lamps 10 nearly cold. l
want to sse the number. though. We
may ind It useful"
Taking my little electric lamp he ad-
vanoed toward the machine again.
flashing the light for . second on the
number. and then peering by its light
into the tonneau. exclaiming a. he
straightened up: Il thought co."
II 1t was safe for him to smoke. the
constable and felt that 1t was safe
for us. too. to relax our precautions,
and together We had advanced until
We were beside him.
what did you nndf" I asked. won
dering at, his exclamation.
What expected" he replied en-
igmatically.
The manner OF his answer provoked
me and l determined then and there
to have 1t out with him.
Look here, Davis" l said; II
brought you into this case and do not
like the way you have acted about 1t.
have freely told you everything l
have discovered and have aided you
in every way can. Before 90 . step
farther ON this trip I want to know
moro about 1t"
What IL It you wish to knowf" he
asked. Tho constable edged nearer
for fear he might miss something ol
our conversation.
"Tirst, where are We goins?"
| ITO what 10 known ~ the deserted
cottage, about half mile farther on.
at the edge Of this clearing. = shack
that was built for . shelter for lum.
bermen or quarrymen-which was 1t.
Dodds?"
Built for one and used BY t'other.
the constable replied. but 'tain't been
used by either. SO far as l know. for
dosen years."
How do you know the missing post.
master 10 there?"
Traced him."
Howl"
Bicycle tracks," he answered with
a chuckle. You were not the only
person who discovered that Rouser,
when be disappeared. went on bicycle.
In fact. Kent, you are little slow a
. detective. BY the time you had AZ
certained that much, l ascertained
where the bicycle tracks led to and
had even gone 20 far a. to have Dodds
get warrants for RouSer and his ac-
complioe"
Il still do not see how you got evi-
dence enough to get a warrant for
Crandall. Did you find him out here
with the missing postmaster"
Il didn't say had warrant for
Crandall." replied the inspector sharp
ly. Did you ever hear Of John Doe
warrant?"
How do you know they are out here
now" asked.
We'll soon find out. Come on" he
answered. starting across the clearing
almost at dog-trot.
There were many more questions |
wanted to put to him. but there was
no opportunity. and, besides. l doubted
much II he would have answered them.
At first he made little effort to move
quietly, but after we had gone a
quarter Of q mile or more be called
back in whisper. Quietly now"
We had come to a path which led
Us through short thick growth Of un.
derbrush. As noiselessly a. Indians
following trail We felt our way along,
the silence broken now and then by
the sound Of bough bent back, or a
rustling leaf. Soon the path brought
us out on some rising ground. Not fifty
yards ahead Of us appeared the de-
selted cottage.
| That's it," whispered Dodds.
SSH" answered Davis. wait
here!"
We stopped there Just at the edge
Of the underbrush. peertng into the
darkness. straining our eyes to see
and our ears to hear. From the one
window In the side Of the one-story
log hut dim light shone, proving that
the place was either occupied or had
been very recently. As we became
more and more accustomed to the
darkness could see that there were
apparently two paths. the one on
which we were standing and another
leading of at about right angle.
As We looked and listened heard q
sharp crack. like the breaking Of a
twig that had been stepped on.
The sound. so far as l could Judge,
came from the other path, apparently
hundred feet away from the cottage,
turned toward Davis and saw that