Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-02-08

q blanket q little higher
across the sleeping mans
shoulder, while Steve contin-
ued silently to study Garry's face
Even in Inconsistencies a family
crooked smile of skepticfsm still chung
to the lips.
1T was ike him." Steve remarked
at last very soberly. Somehow the
minute he began to speak l knew it
was exactly the sort of thing expect
ed him to say The probability of
death is q much more amusing pros
pect to some men. Joe, than the per-
plexity Of living"
Fat Joe flashed a swift. half puzzled
glance at his chiefs face. He started
to ask a question. then scoWled and
checked himself and turned instead to
kindle a fire in the stove OF the lean
to kitchen Of the cabin But a half
hour later he was still murmuring he
last phrase over to himself perDlcEed-
~ when Steve came leading the horse
Ragtime up to the open door. S2ddlGd
and with reins ATRIAL, the animal had
about the upper end Of the construc-
ton camp clearing At the sound of
hoofbeats outside Fat Joe left the
stove and the half cooked breakfast
he had set himself to prepare.
$50 that's the way one of 'em come"
he mUrnlurcd 81 was wondering
some. Last night | didn't notice the
horse, being mite too hurried 10 give
ample attention to details, as it were.
But ain't-ain't this one OF Allison's
horses?"
"No, joe Steve answered heavily.
"Ee is from AllisOn's stables. but we
have him to thank, just the same,
along with Garry, for our blue prints
ard estimates 1t was Mr. Devercau
whom he brought up here last night
and in fairly good time should judge,
too, from the pace at which they set
out Garry turned him into the hill
road and he must have stuck to it
blindly until he struck our fork
And, after longer pause, "The horse
is Miss AlIisons own property" he
added quietly.
Joe pursed his lips. Instantly at the
mention OF the girls name he felt him
self better equipped to understand
both the lack Of immediate action and
the seeming preOccUDied Indifference
Of his superior which, in the face Of
the nights developments. would have
been otherwise utterly unaccOuntahle
that morning.
The probable nearness Of him who
had gone bounding away empty hand
ed from the lighted shack was Of far
less moment than the possible identity
of the one who had furnished the in
SEPARATION Of that night raid. And to
Steve the need Of assuring that t2ll
girl with the vivid lips and coppcry
hair Of Garry Devere0u'S safety bulk
cd quite rs important as lid the adj
visibility of seeking Immediately al
informal interview with Dexter Ali
son, such as the latter himself had so
genially suggested.
Il happened to run into HarriGan
this morning" Fat Joe said in an uD-
concerned manner.
AS disinterestedly as had Joe, Steve
now drained his coffee cup and waited,
|'He was down to the cook shanty,"
Fat Joe rambled on. cts an hour
since he'd ought to have been out there
with the powder squad in the north
cut and when / asks him if he was
feelin' indisposed this morning he says
no, but the supply teams was going out
and one of the drivers had told him
that | was sending him along to help
with the loadin He had such nice
frank, open faced way of lying that
couldn't bring myself to correct him.
| just let it stand that way and told
him such was the arrangement" Joe
saw swift satisfaction play across
Steve's face. Gle had a bandage
around his head not much different
from this one our friend here is wear
ing. But he said he was scratched by
q tWig"
The room was very quiet for
breath That thin note had crept into
Fat JOe's tenor voice-thin and chill
and nlcnacing. And there as abruptly
as he had assumed it he flung aside
his mask OF disingenuous Trelevance.
Fat Joe wheeled, put both elbows upon
the table edge and leaned forward
heavily. 1t was much as though he
were setting himself to shoulder by
sheer weight through the discourage
ing wall Of Indifference behind which
the other was apparently withdrawing
once more
"But as for me''-his high voice rang
a little-'but as for me, we'll I always
did pride myself that / could shoot
some whether it was by daylight or
dark
And the only result which that state
ment achieved was an answering, med
itative nod. Fat Joe subsidized. All
that he could say had been said and
they finished breakfast as they had
begun it, in absolute silence.
Stephen O'Mara touched a match to
the dry grains Of tobacco which he
had been tanping into the bowl of his
pipe. He swung slowly around toward