Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-06-07

In three minutes Macdonald Joined
the marshal and walked down with
him to the bank. He unlocked the
front door and turned to the little
crowd that had gathered.
Better wait here, boys. Gopher and
I will go in. l expect everything is
all right, but We'll let you know about
that as soon as we find out"
The bank president opened the door,
let the officer enter, and followed him
self.
The sun had not yet risen and the
blinds were down. Macdonald struck
a match and held 1t up.
Banks been robbed" he announced
quietly.
Looks like" agreed Jones. His
voice was uneven with excitement.
The ScOtch-Canadian lit another
match. In the flare of 1t he saw that
the steel grill cutting Off the alcove
was open and that the door had been
blown from the safe.
The marshal clutched at the arm al
the banker. did you see-that? he
whispered.
His finger pointed through the dark
ness to the other end of the room. In
the faint gray light Of coming day
Macdonald could see huddled mass
on the floor.
There has been murder done. I'll
get light. Don't move from here,
Jones. l want to look at things before
We disturb them. There's no danger.
The robbers have been gone for hours"
BY the light Of another match the
mine-Owner crossed the room into the
sitting room of the cashier. Presently
he returned with a lamp and let It's
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 1t. They were
probably here when he reached home.
My guess is he heard them right away.
got his gun, and 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,"
II 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.
| "Wish I'd been here instead of him, !"
Macdonald said grimly. His eyes soft
ened as he continued to look down at
the employee who had paid with his
life for his faithfulness. ut wasn't an
even break. Poor old fellow! You
weren't built for a job like this, Robert
Milton. but you played your hand out
to a finish. That's all 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 70 the bank
by a miner. He collected the others.
Evidently the bandits had torn OF the
rubber, glanced over one or two to
see II they had any cash value. and
tossed the package into the air as q
disguised gambler does q pack Of
cards.
The bank president stepped to the
door and threw 1t open. He explained
the situation In three sentences.
II 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 all help. Keep your eyes
open. II you have seen any suspicious
characters around. let me know. Or
II anyone has left town In a 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 a feed corral near
the edge of town. 81 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 known
THAT dog team he bought from Tim
Ryan Well, he's been keeping 1t In
my corral. When l 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, I don't. But he had
key to the barn where the sled was
Holt has been putting M at the hotel
reckon II is easy to find out II he's
still there"
Macdonald's keen brain followed the
facts as the nose of bloodhound does