The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-05-30

VIC oil oai eyes iAto bluthlSoS
we made out the shape Of an automo-
bile just ahead. It's lights had been
extinguished and It's engine was dead.
Wait here" Davis again command
ed as he crept silently toward it to
make sure hat the onnea was un-
minute.
Let me have that lamp OF yours,
Kent" he whispered, at the same time
lighting a cigarette.
rs that safe?" | exclaimed Ia sur
| prise, amazed that he would dare to
smoke when he had been taking such
precautions against our being discoy-
cred.
Sure" he replied laconically. Who
ever was In that automobile Is at least
half a mile away By now. The glass
on the front lamps is nearly cold. /
want to see the number, though. We
may find it useful"
| Taking my little electric lamp he ad-
vanced toward the machine again,
flashing the light for d second on the
number, and hen peering by It's light
into the tonneau, e~Aclaiming as he
Strengthened up Il thought So"
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 We're beside him.
What did you fndo" | asked, won
dering at his exclamation.
What ! expected" he replied en-
igmatically.
The n Of his answe provoked
me and | determined then and there
to have 1t out with him.
Look here, Davis" | said; II
brought you into this case and l do not
like the way you have acted about 1t.
| have freely told you everything |
have discovered and have aided you
in every way | can Before ! 60 a step
farther or this trip | want to know
about it"
What is 1t you wish to know" he
asked. The constable edged nearer
for fear he might miss something Of
our conversation.
First. where are we going2"
ITO what is known as the deserted
cottage. about a half mile farther on,
at the edge Of this clearing, a shack
that was built for a shelter for lum-
bermen or quarrymen-Which was 1t,
Dodds?"
Built for one and used by t'other."
the constable replied, but faint been
used by either, SO far as | know, for
a dozen years"
How do you know the missing post
master is there?'
Traced him.
How"
Bicycle tracks," he answered with
a chuckle. You were not the only
person who discovered that Rouser,
when he disappeared, Went on bicycle.
In fact, Kent, you are a little slow as
a detective. BY the time you had as
certained that much, | ascertained
where the bicycle tracks led 10 and
had even gone SO far as to have Dodds
get warrants for Rouser and his ac-
complice."
Il still do not see how you got evil
dence enough to get a warrant for
Crandall. Did you find him out here
with the missing postmaster
Il didn't say ! had a warrant for
Crandall." replied the inspector sharp
~. Did o ever hear of a John Doe
warrant"
How do o know they are out here
now" | asked.
Vel soon find out. Come on he
answered. starting across the clearing
almost at a dog-trot.
There were many more questions I
wanted to put to him, but there vas
no opportunity. and, besides, | doubted
much II he would have answered them.
At first he made little effort to move
quietly, but after WI had gone a
quarter of a mile or more he called
back in a whisper. Quietly now
We had come W a path which led
us through a short thick growth OF I'M
derbrush. As %noiselcssly as Indians
following a trail we felt our way along,
the silence broken now and then by
the sound Of a bough bent back. or a
rustling leaf. Soon the path brought
us out on some rising ground. Not fifty
yards ahead OF as appeared the de
serted cottage.
That's It," whispered Dodds.
SSH" answered Davis. Wait
here."
We stopped there just at the edge
OF the underbrush, peering into the
darkness. straining our eyes to seo
and our ears TO hear. From the one
window In the side Of the one-story
log hut a 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 \
sharp crack, like tho breaking OF I
twig that had been stepped on.
The sound, SO far as l could fudge.
cane from the other path, apparently
q hundred feet away from the cotta r..
turned toward Davis and saw that