Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-05-24

leathery man undraped himself from
a 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.
81 got to put you under arrest, Mr..
Elliot" he explained.
what forT demanded Gordon. sur
prised.
doc thinks 1t will run to murder.
I reckon"
The field agent was startled. "You
notwithstanding
The brown man chewed his Guid
steadily. you done guessed it."
That's absurd. you know. What
evidence have you got?"
First off. you'd had trouble with
him. II 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
practicing with It,"
ale 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 loan Of ten dollars
each because they were broke. Is that
criminal?" demanded Gordon angrily.
That's your story. You'll git a
chance to tell it to the jury. shouldn't
wonder. Mebbe they'll believe 1t. You
never can tell"
Believe it! Why, you muttonhead
found him where he was bleeding to
death and brought him in."
That's what l heard say. Kinder
queer amt 1t, you happened to be the
man that found him?"
Nothing queer about 1t. was rid
ing in from Seven Mile Creek camp"
Gordon was exasperated, but not at all
alarmed.
$50 you was. While you was out at
the camp you asked one Of the bows
how big the pay roll would be-"
docs that prove was planning a
hOld-up? Isn't that the last thing I
would have asked If l had intended
robbery"
Don't ask me. 1 amt no psycholo-
gist. All 1 know is you took an inter.
est in the bank roll on the way
"Tm here for the government inves-
tigating Macdonald. I was getting in
fOrmation-earning my pay. Can you
understand thatw
Gopher chewed his cud impassiyely.
"Sure can, and I been earning mine.
BY the way, how come you to be beat
up so bad, Mr.. Elliot?"
Il had fight with the robbers"
"Sure 1t wasn't with the robbed?
That split lip Of yours looks to me
plumb like Macs John Hancock"
Elliot flushed angrily. "Of course II
you intend to believe me guilty"
Now. there amt no manner a. use
in gettin' het up. young fellow. Meb-
be you did 1t; mebbe you didn't. Any
how, you'll gimme that gat you been
toting these last -1iE days"
Gordon's hand moved toward his
hip. Then he remembered.
81 haven't 1t. left it"
"You left 1t at the Forthwith one
shell empty. That's where you left
it," interrupted the officer.
"Yes. l fred at Northrup as he
rushed me-"
"Um-hu," assented Jones, impudent
unbelief in his eye. AT Northrup or
at Macdonald"
what do you think did with the
money, then? Did I eat it,"
'Not so you could notice 1t. Since
you put it to me flat-foot. you gave
it to your partners. You didn't want
it. They did. They have got the
horse tOO-and they're hitting the
high spots to make their getaway"
Elliot was locked up in the fiimsy
Jail without breakfast. He was furi.
Gus, but as he paced up and down the
narrow beat beside the bed his anger
gave way to anxiety. Surely the Pag-
cts could not believe he had done such
a thing. And Sheba-would she &C.
cept as true this weight Of circum-
stantial evidence that was piling up
against him?
1t could all be explained so easily.
And yet-the facts fitted like links Of
a chain to condemn him. He went
over them one by one. The babbling
tongue Of Selfridge that had made
common gossip of the impending trag-
edy In which he and Macdonald were
the principals-his purchase Of the
autOmatic-his public meeting with
two known enemies Of the Scotsman,
during which he had been seen to give
them mOney-his target practice with
the new revolver-the unhappy chance
that had taken him out to Seven-Mile
Creek Camp the very day Of the rob-
bery-his casual questions Of the min
him. All of these dove-tailed with
the hypothesis that his partners in
crime were to escape and bear the
blame, while he was to bring the body
back to town and assume innocence.
Paget was admitted to his cell later
In the morning by Gopher Jones. He
shook hands with the prisoner. Jones
retired.
Tough luck. Gordon" the engineer
said
"What does Sheba think2"