New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1916-01-15

r.
~ dressing for bed when he first
heard the voices through the
wcathcrboard walls. In less
than a minute. there was knock at
his door.
Here's Mr. IIardcastle from Ko-
sauna. sir. He.says he must see you at
once.
The deuce he.does! What about"
"He SAYS he'll only tell you. but he's
ridden over in three hours. and he
looks like the dead
Give him some whisky. Tyler. and
tell him III be down in two ticks"
So saying. the gray bearded sergeant
of the New South Wales mounted y"
lice tucked his nightgown into his cord
brecchcs. slipped into his tunic and
FASTENED to the parlor which served
as courtroom, on occasion. buttOninS as
he went. Mr.. Hardcastle had IA glass
to his lips as the sergeant entered. lie
was a very fine man OF forty. and his
massive frame was crowned with
cOuntenance as handsome as it was
open and bold. but at Il glance it was
hausted and in no mood to hide either
his fatigue. or his distress. Sergeant
Cameron sat down. on the other side
Of the oval table with the faded cloth:
the younger constable had left the
room when uardc;Estle called him
back.
Don't go. Tyler" said he. "You
say. lists Stin"aree"
The name WIS echoed in incredulOuS
undertones.
But he's down in Vic" urged the ser
geant Hes been giving our chaps a
devil Of Il time. down there"'
Hes come back. I've seen him
with my own eyes. But I'm beginning.
ut the wrong end first" said the squat
ter. taking another sip and then sittin.
back to survey his hearers. lyon know
old Duncan. my overSeer?"
The sergeant nodded.
'Of course you know him." the other
continued. land SO does the whole back
country and did even before he won
this fortune in the Melbourne Cup
sweep l suppose you've heard how he
took the news? He was fuuGling him ,
self from his own bottle on Sunday
afternoon when the mail came. The
first l knew Of it was when | saw him f.,
sitting with his letter in one hand and
throwing out the rest Of his grcg with
the other Then he told us he had won
the first prize of 100000 and that b"
had made up his mind to have his next
drink ut his own place in Scotland. He
coach and go down to Sydney for his
money. He ought to have been back
this evening before shutdown"
The sergeant put in his word:
THAT he ought. for saw him come !
OH the coach and start for the station
as soon as they'd run up the horse he
left behind him at the pub. l won
dered what had brought him If he was
so set ON getting back to the old coun
try"
II could tell YOU" said Hardcastle
after some little hesitation. land may |
as well. Poor old Duncan was the
most generous of men. and nothing
would serve him but that every soul on
ROsanna should share more or less in
his good fortune am ashamed to tell /
you how much he spoke Of pressing on
myself. You have probably heard that
one Of his peculiarities was that he
would never take payment by check.
like other people? believe it was be-
cause he had knocked down too many
checks in his day. In any case. we
used to call him Hard Cash Duncan in
ROsanna. and l am very much afraid
that when you saw him he must have
had the whole OF his 100000 upon him
in the hardest form Of cash."
But what has happened. Mr.. Hard
castle?"
1.-THE very worst" said Hardcastle.
stopping to sip. The three heads came
closer together across the faded table
cloth. There was no sign Of him at I:
he ought to have been with us before 6
We had done our best to make it an Oc.
casion. and it seemed that the dinner
would be spoiled. So at young Ev
ans. my store keeper. went off ut gal
lop to meet him. and at twenty-five
past he came galloping back leading a
riderless horse. 1t was the one. you
saw Duncan riding this afternoon
There was blood upon the saddle.
found It. And within another hour we
had found the poor old boy himself
dead and cold in the middle Of the
track with bullet through his heart"
The squatter's voice trembled with an
emotion that did him honor in his hear
ers' eyes. and the gray bearded ser
geant waited q little before asking
questions.
What makes you think It is Stinga-
see!" be inquired at length.
II tell you ! cav him on the run.