The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-04-04

light fall upon the figure lying slumped
against the wall. A revolver lay close
to the inert fingers. The head hung
forward grotesquely upon the breast.
The dead man was Milton. His en-
ployer saw nothing ridiculous in the
twisted neck and sprawling limbs. The
cashier had died to save the money
entrusted to his care.
Macdonald handed the lamp to the
marshal and picked up the revolver.
Every chamber was loaded.
''They beat him to it. They were
probably here when he reached home.
My guess is he heard them right away,
got his gun, ana came in. He's still
wearing his dress suit. That gives us
the time, for he left the club about
midnight. Soon as they saw him they
dropped him. wouldn't have had this
happen for all the money in the safe."
"How much was there in it?''
Il don't know exactly. The books
will show. I'll send Wally down to
look them over"
"Shot right spang through the heart,
looks like" commented Jones, follow
ing with his eye the course Of the
wound.
swish I'd been here instead Of him."
Macdonald said grizzly. His eyes soft
ened as he continued to look down at
the employee who had paid with his
life for his faithfulncss. ut wasn't an
even break. Poor old fellow! You
weren't built for job like this, Robert
Milton, but you played your hand out
to finish. That's oil any man can
do"
He turned abruptly away and began
examining the safe. The silver still
stood sacked in one large compart-
ment. The bank notes had escaped the
hurried search of the robbers, but the
gold was practically all gone. One
sack had been torn by the explosion
and single pieces of gold could be
found all over the safe.
Macdonald glanced over the papers
rapidly. The officer picked up one of
dozens scattered over the floor. 1t was
mortgage note made out to the bank
by miner. He collected the others.
Evidently the bandits had torn off the
rubber, glanced over one or two to
see If they had any cash value, and
tossed the package into the air as
disguised gambler does a pack of
cards.
The bank president stepped to the
door and threw it open. He explained
the situation in three sentences.
Il can't let you in now, boys, until
the coroner has been here" he Went on
to tell the crowd. "But there is one
way you can oil help. Keep your eyes
open. If you have seen any suspicious
characters around, let me know. Or
If anyone has left town in hurry
or been seen doing anything during the
night that you did not understand at
the time"
A man named Fred Tague pushed to
the front. He kept feed corral near
the edge of town. II can tell you one
man who mushed out before five o'clock
this morning-and that's Gid Holt"
The eyes of Macdonald, cold and
hard as jade, fastened to the man.
"How do you know?"
'"That dog team he bought from Tim
Ryan Well, he's been keeping 1t in
my corral. When / got there this
morning it was gone. The snow hadn't
wiped out the tracks of the runners
yet, so he couldn't have left more than
fifteen minutes before"
"You don't know that Holt took the
team himselfY'
"Come to that, don't. But he had
a key to the barn where the sled was.
Holt has been putting up at the hotel.
/ reckon 1t is easy to find out If he's
still there"
Macdonald's keen brain followed the
facts as the nose of n bloodhound does
trail. Holt, an open enemy of his,
had reached town only two days be-
fore. He had bought one of the best
and swiftest dog teams in the North
and had let slip before witnesses the
remark that Macdonald would soon
find out what he wanted with the out
fit. The bank had been robbed after
midnight. To file open the grill and to
blow up the safe must have taken sew
eral hours. Before morning the dogs
Of Holt had taken the trail. II their
owner were with them, 1t was a safe
bet that the sled carried forty thou
sand dollars in Alaska gold dust.
So far the mind Of the Scotsman fol-
lowed the probabilities logically, but
at this point it made jump. There
were at least two robbers. He was
morally sure Of that, for this was not
a one-man job. Now, If Holt had with
him companion, who of all those in
Kusiak was the most likely man? He
was q friendless, Grabbed old fellow
Since coming to Kusiak old Gideon had
been seen constantly with one man.
They had been with each other at din
mel. and had later left the hotel to-
gether. The name of the man who had
been so friendly with old Holt was
Gordon Elliot-ahd Elliot not only was
another enemy of Macdonald, but had
very good reasons for getting out Of
the country just now.
The strong jaw Of the mine-owner
stood out saliently as he gave short,
sharp orders to men in the crowd. One
was to get the coroner, second Wally
Selfridge, another the United States
district attorney. He divided the rest
into squads to guard the roads leading
out of town and to see that nobody
passed for the present.
The coroner took charge Of the body
I'll, - III hn yha