Cheyenne record., 1918-05-02

6urmlee. Iuer6 WOulO DC no ueeu "
Try any deception upon them.
Mall from Seattle reached camp once
q month. Holt sat down before his
stove to read one OF the newspapers he
had brought from the ONCE. It was
the P.-L On the nth page was q
little story that gave him his clue.
14d59ExE1D 1HI;a59T T1 1SyHgf5eAHns EYES gf.A1as
ne rsopehins Of the controversy as
70 the Macdonald claims. which had
been clear-listed for patent by Harold
= Winton. the Commissioner Of the
General Land Ofnce, takes on another
phase with the appointment Of Gordon =
Elliot a. special held agent to examine
the validity of the holdings. The new
neid agent won. q reputation by his
work in unearthing- the Oklahoma
'0old Brick" land frauds.
Elliot leaves Seattle in the Queen
City Thursday for tho North, whore
he viii make thorough Investigation
Of the whole situation with view to
clearing up the matter definitely. II
his report 70 favorable to the claimants
the patents win be 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. It chanced 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 It, Holtf Fine and
dandy, eh7" inquired Wally with the
professional geniality he affected.
The old miner shook his head dole
fully. II done bust my laiga Mr.. Sell
fish," he groaned. It was one Of his
pleasant ways to affect a difficulty Of
hearing and q dullness Of understand
ing. 30 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 II selfridge," explained
Wally. q tribe irfitated.
Holt put q cupped hand to his ear
anx1ously. "Shellhsh, did yoQ sayf
Tha' 3 right. How come I to forget1
The old mans going pretty fast, Mr..
Shelldsh. No more memory than
jackrabbit. Say. Mr.. Shellfish, what's
the idee Of all this here back-to-the-
people movement, as the old sayin' isf'
II don't know what you mean. And
my name 10 Selfridge, I tell you"
snapped the owner Of that name.
"'Course amt got no more sense
than the law allows. I'm q buxxard
haid, but me kinder got to millin' 1t
over and in respect to these here local
improvements, AZ you might gay, I'm
doggoned Il I sahe the whyfor."
"Just some business changes.n
Holt showed his tobacco-stained
teeth in grin splenetic. "Oh. That's
all. I didn't know but what you
might be expecting visitor"
Selfridge flashed a sharp sidelong
glance at him. "What do you mean-a
visitorr
II Just got q notion mebbe you might
be looking for one, Mr.. Pelfrich. Like
as not you amt fixing up for this Cor
don Elliot a-tall."
Wally had no comeback, unless It
was one to retort In ironic admiration.
you're a wonder, Holt. Pity you don't
start 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. It would never
do to let Elliot meet and talk with him.
He knew too much, and he was eager
to tell all he knew.
Macdonald's lieutenant got busy at
once with plans to abduct Holt. EVEN
send the old man OF ON prospecting
trip with 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
contest for the claim"
Rowland made no comment. He was
an engineer and not Q politician. In
his position It was impossible for him
not to know that Q good deal about
the legal status Of the Macdonald
claims was irregular. But he was
a firm believer in wide-open Alaska,
in the use of the territory BY those
who had settled It
Better arrange Il with Big Bill,
then, but don't tell me anything about
1t. don't want to know the details"
he told Selfridge.
Big Bin Macy accepted the job with
q grin. He had never liked old Holt,
anyhow. Besides, they were not going
to do him any harm.
Holt was baking q match Of sour
dough bread that evening when there
came a knock at the cabin door. At
sight Of Big Bin and his two compan-
ions the prospsctor closed the oven
and straightened with alert suspicion.
He was not on visiting terms with ahy
OF these men. Why had they com0 to
see himf