The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-08-08
ELLIOT TO INVESTIGATE
MACDONALD COAL CLAIMS

little story that gave him his clue.
| M Eah5SE IL I so1s a2Alas
The reopening Of the controversy as
to the Macdonald claims. which had
been ciear-iisted for patent by Harold
b. winton, the Commissions OF the
General Land ofhcc. takes on another
phase with the appointment OF Gordon
Elliot as special feid agent TO Examine
the validity Of tho holdings. The new
field agent won n reputation by his
work in unearthing the
Gold Brick" and u
Elliot leaves Seattle In the Queen
City Thursday for the North. where
he will mako n thorough INVESTIGATOR
OF the whole situation with a view 20
clearing up the matter definitely. II
his report 10 favorable to the claimants
tho patents win DO granted without
further delay.
This was too good to keep. Holt
pulled On his boots and went out to
twit such Of the enemy as he might
meet. 1t CHANGED that the first OF them
was Selfridge. whom he had not seen
since his arrival, though he knew the
little man was In camp.
How goes II, Holti Fine and
dandy, ehT inquired wally with the
professional geniality he affected.
The old miner shook his head dole
fully. II done bust my lnig, Mr.. Sell
fish," he groaned. II was n OF his
pleasant ways to affect n dificulty OF
hearing and a duilness Of understand
Ing, 90 that he could legitimately call
people by distorted versions Of their
names. "The old man don't amount to
much nowadays"
Nothing to that. Gid. You're young.
er than you ever were, Judging by your
looks"
Then my looks lie to beat the devil,
Mr.. Selfish"
MY name 10 5elfridge." explained
Wally, a trifie irritated.
Holt put a cupped hand to his a
%nnxiously. "Shellfsh. did you sayf
Tina s right. How come ! to forgetf
Tho old mans going pretty fast, Mr..
Shell6sh. NO more memory than a
jackrabbit. Say, Mr.. Shellfsh, what's
the idee Of all this here back-to-the-
people movement. al the old say in isf"
II don't know what you mean. And
my name 10 Selfrdge. I tell you"
snapped the N Of that name.
"'Course I ain't got no more sense
than the law allovA I'm a bussard
haid, but me I kinder got to miliin' II
over and In respect to these here local
improvements. a. You might say. Tn
dogsoned II I sabs the whyfor."
"Just some business changes."
Holt showed his tobAcco-stained
teeth lI q grin splenetic. "Oh. That's
all. didn't know but what you
might be expecting a visitor"
Selfridge flashed a sharp sidelong
glance at him. "What do you mean-a
visitorf"
II Just got a notion mebbe you might
be looking for one, Mr.. Pelfrich. Like
rs not you amt fixing up for this Cor
don Elliot a-tall."
Wally had no comeback, unless II
was one to retort In iron!c admiration.
you're a wonder, Holt. Pity you don't
start n detective bureau"
The old man went away cackling.
II Selfridge had held any doubts be-
fore, he discarded them now. Holt
would wreck the whole enterprise,
were he given a chance. II would never
do to let Elliot meet and talk with him.
He knew too much, and he wal eager
to tell all he knew.
Macdonald's lieutenant got busy at
once with plans to abduct Holt. "We1l
send the old man OF on a prospecting
trip witt some of the boys" explained
Selfridge to Rowland. ''That way wen
kill two birds. He's back on his as
sessment work. The time limit will be
up before he returns and Wen start n
contest for the claim"
Rowland made no comment. He was
an engineer and not n politician. In
his position II was impossible for him
not to know that n good deal about
the legal status OF the Macdonald
claims was irregular. But he vas
a firm believer In a wide-open Alaska,
in the use Of the territory by those
who had settled It..
Better arrange II with Big BIZ,
then, but don't tell me anything about
II. ! don't want to know the details"
he told Selfridge.
Big Bin Macy accepted the Job with
a grin He Ind never liked old Holt,
anyhow. Besides. they were not going
to do him any harm.
Holt was baking II match of sour.
dough bread that evening when there
anne n knock ut the cabin door. At
sight Of Big Bill and his two compan.
ions the prospector closed the oven
and Strengthened with alert suspicion.
He was not on visiting terms with any
Of these men. Why had they come to
see himf
"we're going prospecting up Wild
Goose creek, and we want you L go
along. Gid" explained Macy. you're
an old sour-dough miner. and VEAL