Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-01-23

i
/ 3. 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 his
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 a view to
clearing up the matter definitely. X
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 to
twit such Of the enemy as he might
meet. 1t Glanced 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 1t, 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.. Sci
! fish," he groaned. 1t was one Of his
/ pleasant ways to affect difficulty OF
/ hearing and dullness Of understand
ing, so that he 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
err than you ever were, Judging by your
looks"
"Then my looks lie to beat the devil,
Mr.. Selfish"
"My name is Selfridge," explained
Wally, trifle irritated.
Holt put cupped hand to his ear
anxiously. "Shellfish, did you say?
THAI S right. How come to forget?
The old mans going pretty fast, Mr..
Shellfish. No more memory than a
jackrabbit. Say, Mr.. Shellfsh, 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 q 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-stGined
teeth in grin splenetic. "Oh. That's
all. I didn't know but what you
might be expecting visitor"
Selfridge flashed a sharp sidelong
glance at him. "What do you mean-a
visitor"
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 wonder, Holt. Pity you don't
start a 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 a 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 at
once with plans to abduct Holt. "We'll
send the old man off on a prospecting
trip with some Of the boys" explained
Selfridge to Rowland. "That way Well
kill two birds. He's back on his as
sessment work. The time limit will be
up before he returns and Wen start a
contest for the claim"
Rowland made no comment. BE was
an engineer and not politician. In
his position 1t was impossible for him
not to know that a good deal about
the legal status Of the Macdonald
claims was irregular. But he was
a firm believer in a wide-open Alaska,
in the use Of the territory by those
who had settled it.
Better arrange it with Big Bill,
then, but don't tell me anything about
it. I don't want to know the Details"
he told Selfridge.
Big Bill Macy accepted the job with
a grin. He had never liked old Holt,
anyhow. Besides, they were not going
to do him any harm.
Holt was baking match Of sour
dough bread that evening when there
came knock at the cabin door. At
sight Of Big Bill and his two compan-
ions the prospector closed the oven
and Strengthened with alert suspicion.
He was not on visiting terms with any
of these men. Why had they come to
see him?
"We're going prospecting up Wild
Goose creek, and we want you to 60
along, Gid" explained Macy. "You're
an old sour-dough miner, and VEAL
agree we'd like to have you throw in
with us. What say?"
The old miners answer was direct
but not flattering. "What do want to
go on wild-goOse mush with bunch
of buns for?" he shrilled.