The Tomahawk., 1918-02-14
u1te. He Knew sst.j tEiss When he
hod II an6 he ,nennt tO sit tight e..

nEte. He Knew i ses.i tug when he
had it, and he meant to sit tight. 90
The adherents Of the company might
charge that Holt was cracked in the
upper story, but none of them denied
he was sharp as street arab. He
guessed that all this preparation was
not for nothing. Kamatlah was being
dressed up to impress somebody who
would shortly arrive. The first thought
of Holt was that group of big capt.
talists might be coming to look over
their investment. But he rejected this
surmise. There would be no need to
try any deception upon them.
Mail from Seattle reached camp once
q month. Holt sat down before bis
stove to read one of the newspapers he
had brought from the office. 1t was
the P.-I. On the fifth page was a
little story that gave him his clue.
ELLIOT TO 1NyEsT1GATE.
MACDONALD COAL CLAIMS
The reopening of the controversy as
to the Macdonald claims. which had
been clear-listed for patent by Harold
b. Winton, the Commissioner Of the
General Land Office, takes on another
phase with the appointment of Gordon
Elliot as special field agent to examine
the validity Of the holdings. The new
field agent won a reputation by MS
work in unearthing the Oklahoma
"Gold Brick" land frauds
Elliot leaves Seattle in the Queen
City Thursday for the North. where
he will make a thorough investigation
of the whole situation with we" 20 20
clearing up the matter definitely. II
his report is favorable to the claimants
the patents will be granted without
further delay.
This was too good to keep. Holt
pulled on his boots and went OUT 10
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 it, Holt? Fine and
dandy, eh?" inquired Wally with the
professional geniality he affected.
The old miner shook his head dole
fully. II done bust my laig, Mr.. Sell
fish," he groaned. It was one OF MS
pleasant ways to affect difficulty or
hearing and dullness of understand
ing. so that he could legitimately call
people by distorted versions or 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 is Selfridge," explained
Wally, a trifle irritated.
Holt put a cuppcd hand to his ear
anxiously. "Shellfish, did you say7
Tha' s right. How come I to forget!
The old mans going pretty fast, Mr..
Shellfish. No more memory than n
jackrabbit. Say, Mr.. Shelltish, what's
the idee of all this here back-to-the-
people movement, as the old sayin' is?'
II don't know what you mean. And
my name Is Selfridge, tell you,
snapped the owner of that name.
"'Course I amt got no more sense
than the law allows. I'm a buzzard
haid, but me I kinder got to millin' 1t
over and in respect to these here local
improvements, as you might say. I'm
doggoned If sabe the whyfor."
"Just some business changes"
Holt showed his tobacco-stained
teeth in a grin splenetic. "Oh. That's
all. I didn't know but what you
might be expecting visitor"
Selfridge flashed sharp sidelong
glance ut him. "What do you mean-a
visitor2''
II Just got 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 1t
was one to retort in ironic admiration
you're a wonder, Holt. Pity you don't
start q detective bureau"
The old man went away cackling.
If Selfridge had held any doubts be-
fore, he discarded them now. Holt
would wreck the whole enterprise
were he given 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 mt
once with plans to abduct Holt. "We'l
send the old man off on a prospecting
trip with some of the boys" explained
Selfridge to Rowland. '"That way we'll
kill two birds. He's back on his as
sessment work. The time limit will be
up before he returns and we'll start
ronto1t for the claim" ~
Rowland made no comment. He was
an engineer and not q politician. In
his position 1t was impossible for him
not to know that good deal about
the legal status Of the Macdonald
claims was irregular. But he was
q firm believer in q wide-0pen Alaska,
10 the use of the territory by those
who had settled 1t.
"Better arrange 1t with Big BIZ,
then, but don't tell me anything about
It. don't want to know the details"
he told Selfridge.
Big Bill Macy accepted the job with
, or;n No had never liked old Holt