Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-04-19
Holt Frees His Mind.
CHAPTER XXIIl.

Macdonald whirled In his tracks.
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. 'Tm 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' is"
"Where have you cached the gold
you stole?"
What is this stuff about robbin' bank
and shootin' Milton?"
you're under arrest for robbery and
murder"
"Am I? Unload the particulars.
When did do it allT"
"You know when. Just before you
seft town."
Holt shook his head slowly. mo,
sir. I can't seem to remember IT.
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
20 cover your tracks You might just
as well have left note saying you did
it. First, you come to town and buy
ore of the fastest dog teams In Alaska.
Why?"
"That's an easy one. bought that
team to win the Alaska sweepstakes
from you. And I'm goin' to do 1t. Inc
team wasn't handled right or 1t would
have won last time. 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 1t to make your get
away after the robbery" retorted Mac
donald.
"It's a difference of opinion makes
horse races. What else have you got
against us?"
"We found IN your room one or the
sacks that had held the gold you TOOK
from the bank"
THAT'S right. I took 1t from the
bank In the afternoon, where had mao
# on deposit, to pay for the team
bought. Millions books will snow tnat
But you didn't find any sack L TOOK
when YOUR bank was robbed-if 1t was
robbed" added the old man signln
cantly.
"Of course, I knew you would nave
an alibi. Have you got one to explain
why YOU left town so suddenly the
night the bank was robbed? Mlltor
was killed after midnight. Before
morning you and your friend Elliot
routed out Ackroyd and bought lo
of supplies from him for hurry-uI
trip. You slipped around to the cora
and hit the trail right into the blizzard
VIII you tell me why you were in sucf
n hurry to get away, if it wasn't TO es
cape from the town where you na'
murdered q decent old fellow wh'
never had harmed soulT
"Sure I'll tell you" The black eye
of the little man snapped eagerly.
came so %. d. q. because that side para
ner of mine Gordon Elliot wouldn't lie
me wait till mornin'. He had reason
for Ieayin' town that wouldn't wait
minute, one big enough to drive mn
right into the heart of the blizzard. Me
I tagged along"
sT can guess his reason" jeered tn
Scotsman. "But I'd like to hear yo'
mt a name to it."
Holt grinned maliciously and wave'
n hand toward the girl who was pho"
ing the head of her lover. 1.-The mann
of his reason is Sheba O'Neill, but 1t
70 be Sheba Elliot soon, looks like"
"You mean"
The little miner took the words tri
umphantly out of his mouth. III
teamed forward and threw them Int
tbe face of the man he hated. Il meal
chat while you was dancin' and philan
.larin' with other women, Gordon Eliio
was buckin' blizzard to save the lii
of the girl you both claimed TO love
He was MUSLIN into fifty miles
frozen hell while you was film u
With NOTED grouse and champagne
Simultaneous WltH lHe idhhC SooSS go
the monkey singlestep you was dom
xhis lad was windjammin' throug
wbite drifts. He beat you at you
own game. man. You're bear 10
the outdoor stuff, they tell me. 70
chew ND O blizzard for breakfast an
throttle a pack of wolves to work u
an appetite for dinner. It's your spe
cialtv. All right. Take your hat OF
20 that chechacko who has just whale
Won blind. He has outgamed you, Co
nv Macdonald. You don't run in nj
class. l see he is holding his hald
ogain Give him another half-hour an
beu he ready to go to the mat wit
you again"
The big Alaskan pushed away Tea
that had been lingering in his mind eve
s;nca he had stumbled on that boa
hrr;ad I'm the snow yesterday aftel
ICON was his enemy going to escap
him after all? Could Holt be tellin
the true reason why they had LETT 10"