The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-06-01

preston that with an affair or this
importance happening here you should
have larger force.
He Is reluctant to send ar, entire
troop Of cavalry, here because that,will
make 1t necessary to send q yapta,n
In command, and he has been so %.
vorably impressed with the way vnn
have handled tho situation since Won
nave neen here that he does not wish
TO supersede you IL it can be avoided
l may add that he suggested to me-
tnat | should drop you hint to the
ehect that he wanted you to know
tnat ne appreciates the manner in
winch you have conducted affairs dur.
ing the past six months"
hynaston flushed warmly. Words ne
appreciation are rare in military life
Wnere the efficient performance of
duty is assumed. Neglect or dere,,c.
tion Is rarity. But the present de.
partment commander believed that
Just ae commanding officer should be
quick to reprehend, so also he should
not be chary Of appreciation. The re.
suit was that his subordinates ,vore
more than willing to work themselves
10 shadow to carry out his faipteat
hint. o"'
You see, Kynaston," went on the
stair officer. I'VE have had several
nints to the effect that attempts were
pelng made to smuggle money across
the line, SO when your telegram came
the general sent me off hot foot How
many OF these prisoners are there?"
kynaston told him.
And three pack-mules. Where did
they como from ?"
hynaston answered briefly, and fol-
lowed his report with an account of
the priests arrival and the discovery
or the valuable emerald that had set
two continents agog three hundred
years before
so you see, sir" he concluded "J
couldn't properly turn the thing over
to the priest, though believe his CLAIM,
Is correct and just"
Ever hear Of him before?" asked
Major Updyke sharply.
Never, sir. Why?"
Nothing. 1t just occurred to me
that In order to obtain possession Of
jewel like that almost anyone would
or could tell an interesting yarn. Have
you ever been in Trocanto-didn't you
say that's the namo Of the place the
man says he came fron?"
"Trocanto. yes-no, five never been
there. And I've never heard Of 1t eli.
ther. How about yeu?"
Same"
"of course" kynaston hesitated,
that actually proves nothing"
The staff of1icer laughed.
All the same" he cried, "I'm glad
camo down here, If you were really
SO worked on by the old fellow that
you thought about giving the stone to
him. You'd have found yourself in a
pretty pickle If you'd let him have 1t.
and then a claim had been made by
your prisoners that you'd taken the
stone. 1t would have cost you your
| commission, or at least"
Like to see the stone, sir?"
"Of course l should, but I'd like ever,
better to have drink and something
to eat"
Kynaston produced his last bottle,
and. bidding his Striker" improvise a
supper sat chatting with his visitor
TIL the meal was ready. When Major
Updyke was through and had rolled a
cigarette. the youngster sent trum.
peter to give his compliments to the
priest and to ask him to come to the
tent.
The old padre, hearing the summons,
came slowly from his hot little tent
and picked his way painfully across
the stones of the trail
Il heard thee asking for me, my son.
I am here"
This is the priest was telling you
Of, SIR"
Major Updyke shook hands with the
| Old man, who peered at him from un.
dor bent brows with the peculiarly in
| tent look Of the blind. The padre
seated himself for moment upon a
great rock. clasping his hands loosely
across his knees.
Presently, in answer to a question,
the old man began to talk, and for an
hour the staff officer sat, an interested
listener, while the old man made his
appeal for the restoration to his shrine
of the priceless jewel that Kynaston
had taken the day before.
| But the proof, man, the proof! Thou
must understand, padre, that American
law upon whose Justice we pride our
selves, requires proof. How canst
thou prove that this stone Is indeed
the stone that thou hast described?
What is that Kynaston? It sounds
like firing breaking out in the south.
east"
1t did sound like rifle firing. The
low, thunderous, reverberating crackle
that they knew 80 we'll brought every
man out of the encampment as stick