The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-08-27
MIR. Luker informed me, sir, that he

to me. Mr.. Luker is quite mistaken iii
sending you here. I am trusted, like
other men of my profession, with mon
ey to lend. But l never lend it to
strangers, land l lend it on such q
security as you have produced"
viii your condescension toward q
stranger excuse my asking one ques-
t1on.' he said. "before l take my leave? ?"
l bowed acquiescence.
"Supposing, sir. it had been possible
and customary for you to lend me the
money" he said. Gin what space of
time would it have been possible and
customary for me to pay it back?"
According to the usual course pur.
sued in this country" I answered, "you
would have been entitled to pay the
money back If you liked in one years
time from the date at which it was
first advanced to you"
The Indian made me a last bow. the
lowest of all, and suddenly and softly
walked out of the room.
His face, voice and manner while I
was in his company We're under such
perfect control that they set all scru-
tiny at defiance. He had not shown
the slightest sign of attempting to fix
anything that l had said to him in his
mind until l mentioned the time at
which it was customary to permit the
earliest repayment on the part of the
debtor of money that had been adj
vanced as a loan. When l gave him
that piece of information he looked me
straight in the face while l was speak
ing for the first time.
had satisfied myself of the correct
ness of this conclusion and was trying
to get on a step further and penetrate
the Indians motives next when a letter
was brought to me from Mr.. Septimus
Luker. He asked my pardon and as
sured me that he could explain matters
to my satisfaction if l would honor
him by consenting to q personal inter-
view.
l made another unprofessional sacri-
flee to mere curiosity. l honored him
by making an appointment at my office
for the next day.
Mr.. Lul1er was in every respect such
an inferior creature to the %Indian-he
was SO vulgar so ugly, so cringing and
so prosy-that he is quite unworthy of
being reported at any length in these
pages. The substance Of what he had
to tell me may be fairly stated as fol-
lows:
The day before I had received the visit
of the Indian Mr.. Luker had been IA
vored with Il call from that accom-
plished gentleman. In spite Of his Eu-
ropean disguise. MI. Luker had instant
ly identified his visitor with the chief
of the three Indians who had formerly
annoyed him by lettering about his
house and who had left him no alterna-
tive but to consult a magistrate. From
this startling discovery he had rushed
to the conclusion. naturally enough, l
own, that he must certainly be in the
company of one of the three men who
had blindfolded him, gagged him and
robbed him of his bankers receipt.
The result was that he became quite
paralyZed with terror and that he firm
ly believed his last hour had come.
Va liz siOC. lAC 414u4du pACSCl GU luC
character of a perfect stranger. He
produced the little casket and made ex-
actly the same application which he
had afterWard made to me. AS the
speediest way Of getting rid of him Mr..
luker had at once declared that he
had no money. The Indian had there
upon asked to be informed of the best
and safest person to apply to for the
loan he wanted. Mr.. Luker had an
Swered that the best and safest person
in such cases was usually a respectable
solicitor. Asked to name some one indi-
vidual of that character and profess
sion, Mr.. Luker had mentioned me-for
the one simple reason that in the ex-
tremity of his terror mine was the first
name which occurred to him. The
perspiration was pouring off me like
rain. sir" the wretched creature con-
Guided. 81 didn't know what l was
talking about. And l hope you'll look
over it. Mr.. Bruff, sir, in consideration
of my having been really and truly
frightened out of my wits"
l excused the fellow graciously
enough.
The Indian had put precisely the
same question to Mr.. Luker at parting
which he had put to me, receiving. Of
course the same answer as the answer
which l had given to him.
When the gentlemen We're left by
themselves in the dining room l found
myself sitting next to Mr.. Murthwaite.
If l am not mistaken, Mr.. Murth-
waite" l began. you were acquainted
with the late Lady Verinder, and you
took some interest in the strange sue
cession Of events which ended in the
loss of the m~oonstone:'
The eminent traveller did me the
honor of waking up in an instant and
asking me who l was.
informed him Of my professional
connection with the Herncastle family.
Mr.. Mnrthwaite shifted round in his
chair so as to put the rest of the COM