Gilpin observer., 1917-06-21

sensing the danger In which he stood,
jerked out the drawer of the table be-
side which he STOOD. The next instant
he had the Indian covered with an au.
tomato.
If you're not out Of this house in
thirty seconds, I'll put bullet into
you," he snarled. "Damn your impu-
dence, thinking you could blackmail
me under my own roof. Out Of here
now, before send for the police"
| The Indian, as regardless of the pis-
tol -as though it did not exist, picked
up his hat and moved slowly toward
the door. At the door he turned.
"You cheated my father of his land
and murdered him." he said. II shall
not forget"
AS the door closed behind him,
Holmes sank back in his chair and
wiped the perspiration from his fore
head, for years of easy living had
sapped his courage. So Virginia was
dead. Thank heaven for that! But
was his secret safe? 1t would have
been wiser, perhaps, If, instead of an
gering the Indian, he had bought his
silence.
One evening, not long after Little
Bears return from his unsuccessful
interview with Rupert Holmes, a man
knocked at Dave Dawson's door and
whined an appeal for food.
"Sure," said Dave. "Come in.
reckon mother here can find some
thing for you."
The man, furtive. blear-eyed fel-
low, whose clothes were in rags, ate
like famished wolf. At last he pushed
back his chair with sigh Of content.
"Any chanct of my gettin' a job
round here?" he asked.
You might go over and see Mike
Morrissey in the morning." Dave sug-
gested. perhaps he can do something
for you. Ordinarily you wouldn't have
any trouble getting work, but the
Holmes crowd have been making a
heap Of trouble lately for the independ-
ents, and they've been laying off men
instead Of hiring 'em."
''That amt Rupert Holmes, by any
chanct, Is it?" asked the stranger
"Him that used to have a camp on the
Calapooia."
"The same man." said Dawson. "Do
you know him?"
do know him?" the man repeated
with bitter oath. 1--WE worn stripes
for twenty years, thanks to him-blast
his soul! But never you fear-Tll get
even with him some day. He's bad
actor, is Dollar Holmes. l knew him
when he was called the River Pirate
and the name fitted him, too. There
was nothing that he would stick at to
get what he wanted. The timber lands
over on the Calapooia that gave him
his start in life he got by cheating
Chief Sleepy Dog"
| "What do you know about Chief
Sleepy Dog?" interrupted Little Bear,
who had been listening to the CONVEX
satiOn.
Il know lot about how Holmes
cheated him out Of his land" said tle
stranger mysteriously.
SLEEPY Dog was my father" Little
Bear quietly remarked.
swell, I'll be d-d" the man ex-
claimed. $50 you're the papoose
used to see Sleepy Dogs squaw toting
round the camp" He lapsed into si-
lence. After little time he reused
himself from the reverie into which
he had fallen.
| you've treated me white" he said,
addressing himself to Dawson, "and
I'm goin' to tell you something that
may interest you. / take 1t from your
talk that you don't like Rupert Holmes
any better'n l do-and, God knows,
I've got reason enough to hate him.
My name is Dill-Jake Dill. Twenty.
four years ago was over on the Gala
poOia boot-legging. One day Holmes
caught me sellin' whisky in his camp.
He gave me the choice Of goin' to Jail
or Of slippin' up to the camp of the
| klamath Injins. which was up the
river piece, an gettin' 'em drunk. II
amt hard fer you to guess which
chose. The chief, Sleepy Dog, as
away at the time, an Holmes scheme
was to get the Injins drunk SOS he
could buy their land. 1t all worked
out jest as he planned. Holmes had
the transfer papers ready and he paid
the bucks fifty dollars apiece to sign
'em. l was one Of the witnesses, and
Holmes Scotch foreman was the 9TH
er. And when Sleepy Dog came back
| to find his land gone, Holmes pushed
him over the edge Of the cljff."
"And what did Holmes DO for you,
Mr.. Dill?' asked Helen, who had lis
tened with breathless attention to the
vagrant's story.
HE double-crossed me, that's what
he DONE" the man answered bitterly.
HE trumped up some charges against
me and railroaded me to prison."