Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-05-08

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'You know when. Just before you
left town."
Holt shook his head slowly. "No,
sir. can't seem to remember 1t.
Sure 1t amt some one else you're
thinking about2 Howcome you to FIX
on me as one Of the bold, bad bandits?"
Because you had not sense enough
70 cover your tracks. You might just
O. well have left note saying you did
Il. First, you come to town and buy
one Of the fastest dog teams in Alaska.
Whyr
That's an easy one. bought that
team to win the Alaska sweepstakes
from you. And I'm goin' to do It The
team wasn't handled right or It would
have won last time. I got to mullin' Il
over and figured that old Gid Holt was
the dog puncher that could land those
huskies in front. Seer
"You bought It to make your get
away after the robbery" retorted Mac
donald.
'Tt's a difference Of opinion makes
horse races. What else have you got
against usi"
1--WE found in your room one Of the
sacks that had held the gold you took
from the bank"
that's right. I took It from the
bank In the afternoon, where / had had
It on deposit, to pay for the team I
bought. Milt0n's books will show that.
But you didn't find any sack took
when your bank was robbed-if it was
robbed" added the old man signif-
cantly.
"Of course, / knew you would have
. an alibi. Have you got one to explain
why you left town so suddenly the
night the bank was robbed? Milton
was killed after midnight. Before
morning you and your friend Elliot
routed out Ackroyd and bought lot
Of supplies from him for hurry-up
trip. You slipped around to the corral
and hit the trail right into the blizzard.
VIII you tell me why you were In such
hurry to get away, IL it wasn't to es-
cape from the town where you had
musdered decent old fellow who
never had harmed a soulr'
"Sure I'll tell you" The black eyes
OF the little man snapped eagerly. Il
came SO p. d. d. because that side pard-
ner Of mine Gordon Elliot wouldn't let
me wait till mornin'. He had a reason
for leavin' town that wouldn't wait a
minute, one big enough to drive him
right into the heart Of the blizzard. Me,
I tagged along"
II can guess his reason" jeered the
Scotsman. "But I'd like to hear you
put name to It."
Holt grinned maliciously and waved
q hand toward the girl who was pillow
ing the head Of her lover. The name
Of his reason Is Sheba O'Neill, but It's
to be Sheba Elliot soon, looks like"
"You mean"
The little miner took the words TIL
umphantly out Of his mouth. He
leaned forward and threw them into
the face Of the man he hated. II mean
that while you was dancn' and philan-
derin' with other women, Gordon Elliot
was buckin' blizzard to save the life
OF the girl you both claimed to love.
He was mushin' into fifty miles Of
frozen hell while You was film up
with potted grouse and champagne.
Simultaneous with the lame goose and
the monkey singlestep you was dom,
this lad was wind1ammin' through
white drifts. He beat you at your
own game, man. You're q bear for
the outdoor stun, they tell me. You
chew up blizzard for breakfast and
throttle pack Of wolves to work up
an appetite for dinner. It's your spe-
cialty. All right. Take your hat OF
to that chechacko who has Just whaled
you blind. He has outgamed you, Col
by Macdonald. You don't run in his
class. I see he Is holding his haid up
again. Give him another half-hour and
he'll be ready to 60 to the mat with
you again."
The big Alaskan pushed away fear
that had been lingering in his mind ever
since he had stumbled on that body
buried in the snow yesterday after
noon. Was his enemy going to escape
him, after all? Gould Holt be telling
the true reason why they had left town
so hurriedly? he would not let HIM
self believe II.
'rYou ought to work up better story
than that" he said contemptuously.
''You can throw husky through the
holes In It. How could Elliot know,
for instance, that Miss O'Neill was not
safe2'
s9The same way you could a. known
Il" snapped old Gideon. "He phoned
to Smiths Crossin' and found the
stage hadn't got In and that there was
q whale Of q storm up In the hills"
Macdonald set his face. you're
lying to me. You stumbled over the
stage while you were making your get
away. Now you're playing It for an
alibi."
Elliot had risen. Sheba stood beside
him, her hand In his. She spoke quietly.
'sIt,s the truth. Believe 1t or not as
you please. We care nothing about
that"
The stab of her eyes, the carriage Of
The slim, plant figure with its sugges-
lion Of fine gallantry, challenged her
former lover to do his worst.
On the battered face Of Gordon was
q smile. So long as his Irish sweet
heart stood by him he did not care IL
be were charged with high treason. It