The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-05-09
.But he rnust have

ane explained. "But he laust have
recognized the men. There are many
footprints at the ford. showing how
they moved over the ground as they
fought. So he could not have been
unconscious from the first blow"
"Unless they were masked he must
have known them. 1t was light
enough" agreed Elliot.
"Peter is still trying to get the Off
GERS to accept bail, but l don't think
he will succeed. There is good deal
of feeling in town against you"
Because I am supposed to be an
enemy to an open Alaska. judge"
MAINLY that. Wally Selfridge has
been talking a good deal. He takes it
for granted that you are guilty. Wen
have to wait in patience till Mr.. Mac
donald speaks and clears you."
Gopher stuck his head in at the door.
you'll have to go. ladies'. Times up"
When Sheba bade the prisoner good
by 1t was with phrase Of the old
Irish vernacular. "GOd save you
kindly"
He knew the peasants answer to the
wish and gave it. "And you. too"
The girl left the prison with mist
in her eyes. Her cousin looked at her
with a queer, ironic little smile of at.
lection. To be in trouble was a sure
passport to the sympathy of Sheba.
Now both her lovers were in sad
way. Diane wondered which Of them
would gain most from this new twist
of fate.
Selfridge had been shocked at the
sight of Macdonald. The terrible beat
ing and the loss of blood had sapped
all the splendid, vital strength of the
Scotsman. His battered head was
swathed in bandages, but the white
face was bruised and dlsfigured. The
wounded man was weak as a kitten:
only the steady eyes told that he was
still strong and unconquered.
II want to talk business for min
ute, Miss Sedgwick. VIII you please
step out?" said Macdonald to his
nurse.
She hesitated. 1.-THE doctor says"
"Do as say, please"
The nurse left them alone. Wally
told the story Of the evidence against
Elliot in four sentences. His chief
caught the point at once.
After Selfridge had gone, the wound
ed man lay silent thinking out his pro-
gram. Not for n moment did he doubt
that he was going to live, and his brain
was already busy planning for the fu-
ture. He knew now that in the vio-
lence of his anger against Elliot he
t,o To III cd
his rival would have been fatal to the
Kamatlnh coal claims. would have
alienated his best friends, and would
have prejudiced hopelessly his chances
with Sheba. Fate had been kind to
him. He had been In the wrong and It
had put him in the right. By the same
cut Of the cards young Elliot had been
thrust down from an jmpregnable po-
sition to one in which he was dis
credited suspect. With all this evi.
dence to show that he had conspired
against Macdonald, his report to the
department would be labor lost.
Diane came into the slckroom strip
ping her gloves after the walk. Mac
donald smiled feebly at her and fired
the first shot Of his campaign to de-
feat the enemy.
"Has Elliott been captured YETI? he
asked weakly.
The keen eyes of his hostess fas-
tened upon him. Captured! What
do you meant It was Gordon Elliot
that brought you In and saved your
life"
Brought me from where?"
"From where he found you uncon.
scious-at the ford"
"That's his story, is itC'
The young woman stood with her
gloves crushed tight in both hands, II
was her nature to be always parti.
san. Without any reserve she was fol
Gordon in this new fight upon him.
What had Wally SelfrIdge been saying
to Macdonald? Did the mine owner
mean to suggest that he had identified
Elliot as one of his assailants? The
thing was preposterous.
And yet-that was plainly what he
had meant to imply II he told such .
story. things would go hard with Cor
don. In court 1t would clinch the case
against him by supplying the one miss
ing link in the chain of circumstantial
evidence.
Diane. in deep thought, frowned
down upon the wounded man, who
seemed already to have fallen into
light sleep. She told herself that this
was some Of Wally Selfridge's devil
try. Anyhow, she would talk 1t over
with Peter.
The reason Wally was SO pleased
with himself was that no hod .1,o,,,>.S
a hint into the ear Of the wounded
man not to. clear Elliot Of complicity
in the attack upon him. The newa
that the special Investigator had been
arrested for robbery and attempted
flashed all over the United
States, would go far to neutralize an,