The state herald., 1918-05-03

= AhohtAs dUiI bdt OOWu DeIOE6 ul8
stove to read one Of the newspapers he
had brought from the office. It was
the P.-I. On the NTH page was Q
little story that gave him his clue.
LELL5oT LadnoT TO INVyEsTIGATE NV M ATE
Ths reopening of the controversy as
TO the Macdonald claims. which had
boen clear-listed for patent by Harold
=. Winton. the Commissioner Of the
General Land Office. takes on another
phase with tho appointment Of Gordon
the validity of the holdings. Tho new
held agent won reputation by his
work In unearthing the Oklahoma
Gold Brick" land frauds.
Elliot leaves Seattle In tho Queen
City Thursday for tho North. where
he will mako a thorough Investigation
Of the whole situation with view to
clearing up the matter definitely. II
his report 10 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 to
twit such of the enemy as he might
meet. 1t chanced 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, Holtf Fine and
dandy. eh7" 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 sroaned It was one of his
pleasant ways to affect q difficulty of
hearing and q dullness Of understand
ing. 20 that be could legitimately call
people by distorted versions Of 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 u Selfridge." explained
Wally. . tribe irritated.
Holt put a cupped hand to his ear
anxiously. "Shellnsh. did you sayf
Tha' o right. How come I to forgetf
The old mans going pretty fast. Mr..
Shellnsh. No more memory than a
JackIsbbit Say. Mr.. Shellfish, what's
the idee Of all this here back-to-the-
people movement a. the old sayin' Isl"
n don't know what you mean. And
my name 10 Selfridge. I tell you"
snapped the owner Of that name.
"'Course I amt got NO more sense
than thA No. ArvA-A TU1 . kvy0w~ ~
haid. but me kinder got to millin' It
over and In respect b these here local
improvements. a. you might say. Tn
doggoned II I sahe the whyfor."
"Just some buEness changes."
Holt showed his tobacco-stained
teeth In q grin splenetic. ''Oh. That's
all. I didn't know but what you
might be expecting . visitor"
Selfridge flashed Q sharp sidelong
glance at him. what DO you mean-a
visitorr
II Just got q notion mebbe you might
be looking for one. Mr.. Pelfrich. Like
AZ not you amt fixing up for this Cor
don Elliot a-tnll."
wally had no comeback. unless II
was one to retort In ironic admiration.
"You're wonder. Holt. Pity you don't
start a detective bureau"
The old man went away cackling.
II Selfridge had held any doubts be-
fore. he discarded them now. Holt
would wreck the whole enterprise,
were he given . chance. II would never
do to let Elliot meet and talk with him.
He knew too much. and he was eager
to tell all he knew.
Macdonnld's lieutenant got busy at
once with plans to abduct Holt. "wsll
send the old man on on prospecting
trip with some Of the boys" explained
Selfridge to Howiand. ''That way we'll
hill two birds. He's back on his as-
sessment work. Tho time limit will be
up before he returns and we'll start
contest for the claim"
Howland made NO comment. He was
an engineer and not q politician. In
his position II was impossible for him
not to know that . good deal about
the legal status Of the Macdonald
claims was irregular. But he was
4 frm believer In Q wide-open Alaska.
In the use Of the territory BY those
who had settled Il.
'Better arrange II with Big Bill.
then. but don't tell me anything nbout
II I don't want to know the Details"
he told Selfridge.
Big Bill Macy accepted the Job with
q grin. He had never liked old Holt.
anyhow. Besides, they were not going
to do him any harm.
Holt wns baking . match Of sour
dough bread that evening when there
came q knock at the cabin door. At
sight Of Big Bill and his two compan.
Ions the prospector closed the oven
and stfaightened with alert suspicion.
He was not ON visiting terms with any
Of these men. Why had they coynO TO
zee himf
syUesro poinv urosnectinO mn wild