Tombstone epitaph., 1918-06-09

-t3-
 Hoit Frees his Mind.
 Macdonald whiried In his tracks.
 Old Gid Holt was leaning on his el bow with his head out of the win dow. You better come and beat m up first. Mac" he jeered. I'm al stove up with busted laig. so you cal wailop me good. I'd come out there but I'm too crippled to move"
 You're not too crippled to go bacl % Scs;as w!:h .:e. Y yor csnt walk e.u'll ride. But back you go."
 Fine. l been worrying about how to get there. It's right good of you tt bring one of these here taxis for me, a, the old sayin' is."
 Where have you cached the gold you stole?'
 "I ain't seen the latest papers. Mac What is this stun about robbin' bani and shootin' Milton?"
 You're under arrest for robbery and murder"
 -Am IT Unload the particulars When did I do it allY'
 You know when. Just before you left town"
 Holt shook his head slowly. "No sir. can't seem to remember 1t Sure it ain't some one else you're thinking abouff Howcome you to flx on me as one of the bold. bad banditsr'
 Because you had not sense enough to cover your tracks. You might just as well have left . note saying you did 1t. First. you come to town and buy one of the fastest dog teams in Alaska. whyr'
 That's an easy one. I bought that team 10 win the Alaska sweepstakes from you. And I'm goin' to do 1t. The team wasn't handled light or it would nave won fast time. I got to muffin t over and figured that old Gid Holt was the dog puncher that could land those huskies in front. Seer
 "You bought 1t to make your get away after the robbery" retorted Mac donald.
 Its . difference of opinion makes horse races. What else have you got against usT
 We found in your room one of the sacks that had held the gold you took from the bank"
 That's right. I took 1t from the bank in the afternoon. where I had had It on deposit. to pay for the team ! bought. Aifton's books will show that But you didn't lind any sack took when your bank was robbed-if 1t was robbed" added the old man signifi- cantly.
 -Of course, knew you would have an alIbi. Have you got one to explain why you left town % suddenly the night the bank was robbed? Milton was killed after midnight. Before morning you and your friend Elliot routed out Ackroyd and bought . lot of supplies from him for . hurry-up trip. You slipped around to the corral and hit the trail right into the blizzard. VII, you tell me why you were in such . hurry to get away. if 1t wasn't to es- cape from the town where you had murdered . decent old fellow who aevef had harmed . soulr'
 Sure I'll tell you" The black eyes of the E:Sie man snapped eagerly. T came SO ?. q. q. because that side pard- Ter of mine Gordon Elliot wouldn't let me wait till mornin'. He had . reason for leavin' town that wouldn't walt c minute. one big enough to drive him right into the heart of the blizzard. Me, tagged along"
 T can guess his reason" jeered the Scotsman. ~But I'd like to hear you put . name to it."
 Holt grinned maliciousiy and waved . hand toward the girl who was pillow ing the head ef her lover. 'The name of his reason is Sheba O'Neill, but it's to be sheba Elliot soon, looks like"
 You mean@ The little miner took the words tri- out of his mouth. He leaned forward and threw them into the face of the man he hated. T mean that while you was dancin' and philan- derfn' with other women, Gordon Elliot was buckin' . blizzard to save the life of the girl you both claimed to love. He was mushin' into fifty miles of frozen hell while you was hllin' up with potted ro0oe and champagne l with the lane goose and | the monkey Sngiestep you was doin', this lad was windjammin' through | white drifts He beat you at your l DIV. same. man. You're . bear for | the outdoor stun. they tell me. You chew up . blizzard for breakfast and | throttle . pack Of wolves to work up m appetite for dinner. It's your spe- i ciaity. All right. Take your hat oR | to that cheehacko who has just whaled | voa blind. He has outgamed you, Col by Macdonald. You don't run h nis i riassl see he is holding hIs haid ID aeain. Give him another haif-hour and | heTI be ready to Q to the nat witA vou again." The big AIaskan paahed sway . fear lhaf had been lineesing in his mind ever Iinee he had stumbled oo that body buried in the 0ow yesterday affer. noea. Was h1s sneny golag to escape him, sfe9 anS Could Holt bs tslling Ihs tsus sseaa v1u thsy hs1 le1 tUWD