The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-03-14

heart. He could not be sure whether
he felt it beating or whether the throb-
bling came from the pulses in his finger
tips. AS well as he could he bound up
the wounds with handkerchiefs and
stanched the bleeding. With ice-cold
water from the stream he drenched
the bruised face. A faint sigh Quiv-
cred through the slack, inert body.
Gordon hoisted Macdonald across
the saddle and led the horse through
the ford. He walked beside the animal
to town, and never had two miles
seemed to him SO far. With one hand
he steadied the helpless body that lay
like sack Of -four balanced In the
trough OF the saddle.
Kusiak at last lay below him, and,
when he descended the hill to the sub;
urbs almost the first house was the one
where the Pagets lived.
Elliot threw the body across his
shoulder and walked up the walk to
the porch. He kicked upon the door
with his foot. Sheba answered the
knock, and at sight of what he car
ried the color faded from her face.
Macdonald has been hurt-badly,"
he explained quickly.
'"This way" the girl cried, and led
him to her own room.
Get Diane-and DOCTOR" ordered
Gordon after he had laid the uncon-
scious man on the white sheet.
While he and Diane undressed the
mine owner Sheba got doctor on the
telephone. The wounded man opened
his eyes after a long time, but there
was in them the glaze Of delirium. He
recognized none Of them. All night
he raved. and his delirious talk went
back to the wild scenes Of his earlier
life. Sometimes he swore savagely !;
again he made quiet, deadly threats !;
but always his talk was crisp and
clean and vigorous. Nothing foul or
Shiny came to the surface In those
hours Of unconscious babbling.
The doctor would make no promises.
"He's mighty sick man. The cuts
| are deep, and the hammering must
have Jared his brain terribly. II IT
was anybody but Macdonald, I wouldn't
give him a chance" he told Diane
when he left in the morning to get
breakfast. "But Macdonald has ire
mendous vitality. OF course If he lives
1t will be because Mr.. Elliot brought
him In so soon."
Gordon walked with the doctor az
far as the hotel. A brown, thin
leathery man undraped himself from
chair in the lobby when Elliot opened
the door. He was officially known az
the chief Of police Of Kusiak. Incl
dentally he constituted the whole pc
lice force. Generally he was referred
to as Gopher Jones on account Of his
habit Of spasmodic prospecting.
Il got to put You under arrest, Mr.
Elliot" he explained.
what forf demanded Gordon, sur
prised.
doc thinks it will run to murder
I reckon"
The field agent was startled. "Yor
mean-A1acdonald2'
The brown man chewed his quil
steadily. 'You done guessed it."
THAT'S absurd, you know. VIVA,
evidence have you got?''
"First of, you'd had trouble will
him. 1t was common talk that whel
you and Mac met, guns were going t.
pop. You bought an automatic re
volver two days ago. You was seer
practicing with it."
"He had threatened me-"
"You want to be careful what 70,
say, Mr.. Elliot. It will be used agains
you" Gopher shot a squirt Of to
bacco unerringly at the open door o
the stove. "vo1 was seen talking
with Trelawney and Northrup. None.
passed from you to them"
II gave them a loan Of ten dollar
each because they were broke. Is tina
criminalT" demanded Gordon angrily
That's your story. You'll git
chance to tell it to the jury, shouldn'
wonder. Mebbe they'll believe 1t. 70,
never can tell"
Believe it! Why, you muttonhead
I found him where he was bleeding Il
death and brought him In"
| "That's what heard say. Kinde
queer, amt it, you happened to be til,
man that found him?"
| Nothing queer about 1t. was RID
ing In from Seven Mile Creek camp.
Gordon was exasperated, but not at al
alarmed.
$50 you was. While you was out a
the camp you asked one Of the boy
how big the pay roll would be-"
'Does that prove was planning
hold-up? Isn't that the last thing
would have asked If had intende,
robbery
"Don't ask me. I amt no psycholo
gist. All ! know is you took an inter
est in the bank roll on the way
I'm here for the government inves
tgating Macdonald. I was getting In
formation earning my pay. Can 70,
understand that?'
Gopher chewed his cud impassively
"Sure I can, and been earning mine