The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-03-15

Ooiuol Ndlkeu WIFI tiic uOStoi as
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 as
the chief of police of Kusiak. Incl
dentally he constituted the whole po-
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, MI.
| Elliot" he explained
what forY demanded Gordon, sur
prised.
doc thinks it will run to murder.
I reckon"
The field agent was startled. 'You
L1ean-Macdonald?
The brown man chewed his quid
steadily. "You done guessed it."
'"That's absurd, you know. What
evidence have you got?"
"First off, you'd had trouble with
him. 1t was common talk that when
you and Mac met, guns were going to
pop. You bought an automatic re-
volver two days ago. You was seen
practlclng with 1t.
"He had threatened me-"
"You want to be careful what you
say, Mr.. Elliot. 1t will be used against
you" Gopher shot squirt Of to-
bacco unerringly at the open door OF
the stove. "YOu was seen talking
with Trelawney and Northrup. Money
passed from you to them"
II gave them a loan Of ten dollars
each because they were broke. Is that
criminal?" demanded Gordon angrily
) 'That's your story You'll git g
chance to tell it to the jury. shouldn't
wonder. Mebbe they'll believe it. Yor
never can tell"
believe it! Why, you muttonhead
!. I found him where he was bleeding tt
! death and brought him in"
. "That's what I heard say. Kinder
J queer, amt it, you happened to be thu
, man that found him?'
Nothing queer about 1t. 1 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 I 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
tigating Macdonald. was getting in
earning my pay. Can 70
understand that?"
Gopher chewed his cud impassivel!
"Sure I can, and l been earning min,
By the way. how come you to be bea
up so bad, Mr.. ELLIOTT"
81 had fight with the robbers"
"Sure it wasn't with the robbed
That split lip Of yours looks to M
plumb like Macs John Hancock"
Elliot flushed angrily. "Of course
you intend to believe me guilty"
"Now, there amt no manner o. us
in gettin' het up. young fellow. Me-
be you did it; mebbe you didn't. An.
how, you'll gimme that gat you bee
toting these last few days."
Gordon's hand moved toward h
hip. Then he remembered.
81 haven't it. I left It"
"You left 1t at the Forthwith OF
shell empty. That's where you lie
N it," interrupted the officer.
sr "Yes. I fired at Northrup as l
Is rushed me-"
le 'Um-hu," assented Jones, impudel
le unbelief in his eye. "At Northrup
at Macdonald"
le "What do you think did with Il
le money, then? Did eat it?'
IN "Not so you could notice it. Sin
le you put it to me flat-foot. you ga
e, it to your pardners. You didn't wa
it. They did. They have got Il
p, horse too-and they're hitting Il
hit high spots to make their getaway"
lie Elliot was locked up in the film
IN jail without breakfast. He was flu
a Gus, but as he paced up and down t
narrow beat beside the bed his ang
ly gave way to anxiety. Surely the Pa
he cts could not believe he had done Sill
en- a thing. And Sheba-wOuld she 6
OF cept as true thi~ weight of circu
IN stantial evidence that was piling
ed against him?
1t could all be explained so east
lie And yet-the facts fitted like links
he chain to condemn him. He we
er over them one by one. The babbli
ID tongue of Selfridge that had ma
er common gossip of the impending trt
up edy in which he and Macdonald we
nd the principals-his purchase of t
I'D automatic-his public meeting wi
ed two known enemies of the Scotsm;
w. during which he had been seen to 81
them money-his target practice wi
'ss the new revOlver-the unhappy chan
Oh that had taken him out to Seventh
lal Creek Camp the very day of the n
es bery-his casual questions of the m
nd ers-even the finding of the body
ay him. All of these dove-tailed w
he the hypothesis that his partners
crime were to escape and bear
nd blame, while he was to bring the be
ID back to town and assume innocenc
ne Paget was admitted to his cell la
in the morning by Gopher Jones.
his shook hands with the prisoner. Jol
to retired.
,or Tough luck, Gordon" the engin
he said.
ar "What does Sheba think?"
. "We haven't told her you have b'
y" arrested. / heard it only little wi
ago"
led "Add Diane?"
eyes, she knows"
,od OF, .lo,x.onIo1 Cor1on hrr1cC