The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-04-19
Holt Frees His Mind.

MaCUOudlu WulTleu III his ITdCkS.
Old Gid Holt was leaning on his ell
bow with his head out of the win
dow. "You better come and beat me
up first, Mac" he jeered. 'Pm all
stove up with busted laig, so you can
wallop me good. I'd come out there,
but I'm too crippled to move"
you're not too crippled to go back
to Kusiak with me. If you can't walk,
you'll ride. But back you CO."
"Fine. 1 been worrying about how
to get there. It's right good Of you to
bring one of these here taxis for me, as
the old sayin' u.s."
"Where have you cached the gold
you stole?"
81 amt seen the latest papers, Mac.
What is this stuff about Robin bank
and shootin' Milton?"
you're under arrest for robbery and
murder"
cam I? Unload the particulars.
When did do it all?"
"You know when. Just before you
left town."
Holt shook his head slowly. "No,
sir. / can't seem to remember 1t.
Sure it >ain't some one else you're
thinking about? Howcome you to fix
on me as one of the bold, bad bandits?"
Because you had not sense enough
to covsr your tracks. You might just
as well have left note saying you did
Il. First, you come to town and buy
one of the fastest dog teams In Alaska.
Why?"
"That's an easy one. bought that
team to win the Alaska sweepstakes
from you. And Tn goin' to do it. The
team wasn't handled right or 1t would
have won last time. I got to mullin' 1T
over and figured that old Gid Holt was
the dog puncher that could land those
huskies in front. See"
! "You bought 1t 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 us?''
"We found in your room one OF the
sacks that had held the gold you TOOK
from the DanK.
'That's right. took 1t from the
bank in the afternoon, where had had
It on deposit, to pay for the team
bought. Millions books will show that.
But you didn't find any sack took
when your bank was robbed-if 1t was
robbed" added the old man signifi-
santly.
"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
IF supplies from him for hurry-up
rip. You slipped around to the corral
md hit the trail right into the blizzard.
Will you tell me why you were in such
hurry to get away, if 1t wasn't to es-
ape from the town where you had
murdered a decent old fellow who
never had harmed a soul?"
"Sure I'll tell YOU" The black eyes
a, IF the little man snapped eagerly. 81
came so p. d. q. because that side pard-
aer of mine Gordon Elliot wouldn't let
ne wait till mornin'. He had reason
.or leavin' town that wouldn't wait q
minute, one big enough to drive him
light into the heart of the blizzard. Me
tagged along"
81 can guess his reason" jeered the
Scotsman. "But I'd like to hear you
put name to it."
Holt grinned maliciously and waved
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 tri
1mphantly out of his mouth. He
leaned forward and threw them into
the face of the man he hated. II NEAR
that while you was dancin' and philan
1erin' with other women, Gordon Ellio
was buckin' blizzard to save the life
of the girl you both claimed to love
He was MUSLIN into fifty miles Of
frozen hell while you was film W
with potted grouse and champagne
Simultaneous with the lame goose ant
the monkey singlestep you was dom
this lad was windjammin' through
white drifts. He beat you at you
own game. man. You're a bear TO
the outdoor stuff, they tell me. 70,
chew up blizzard for breakfast ant
throttle pack of wolves to work VI
an appetite for dinner. It's your spe
cfalty. a.. right. Take your hat of
t3 that chechacko who has just whale,
you blind. He has outgamed you, Col
by Macdonald. You don't run in hi
class. see he is holding his haid vi
again Give him another half-hour an,
he'll be ready to go to the mat witt
you again."
The big Alaskan pushed away fea
that hae been lingering in his mind eve
since he had stumbled on that bod
buried in the snow yesterday after
noon. Was his enemy going to escap
him, after all? Could Holt be tellin
the true reason why they had left tow
SO hurriedly? He would not let him
self believe it.
"You ought to work up better stor
than that" he said contemptuously
'You can throw husky through tn
holes in it. How could Elliot know
for instance, that Miss O'Neill was no
safer
"The same way you could a know
it," snapped old Gideon. ''He phone
to Smiths Crossin' and found tn,
stage hadn't got in and that there wa
whale of q storm up in the hills"
2 Macdonald set his face. "You'r
lying to me. You stumbled over tn
stage while you were making your ge