The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-28


about the Guttenchild crowd putting
over big steal on the public that the
! party leaders are scared stiff"
Il understand that, WaIly. What I
/ don't get is how you came to let them
slip this over on you without even
q guess that it was going to- happen"
That phase Of the subject Selfridge
did not want to discuss.
BET you hat I've guessed it right
| just grand-stand play Of the admin
istration to fool the dear people. This
fellow has got his orders to give US
a clean bill of health. Sure. That
must be it. I suppose it's this man
Elliot that came up on the boat
with u.s.
''Yes."
'Well, that's easy. If he hasn't been
seen we can see him."
Macdonald looked his man Friday
over with a scarcely yelled contempt
You've about as much vision as a
breed trader. Unless miss my guess
Elliot isn't that kind. He'll go through
to finish. If he sees straight we're
all right, but if he is a narrow conser-
Walton fanatic he might go ahead and
queer the whole game"
you wouldn't stand for that" The
quick glance of SeIfridge asked a ques-
ton.
The lips of the Scotsman were like
steel traps and his eyes points of steel
We'll cross that bridge if we come to
1t. Our first move is to try to win him
to see this thing our way I'll have a
casual talk with him before he leaves
for Kamatlah and feel him out"
hot -
he's investigating the Kamatlah claims.
why does he go hundreds of miles out
Of his way TO come in to KusiakT''
asked Selfridge.
Macdonald smiled sardOnically. Hes
doing this job right. Elliot as good as
told me that he's on the job to look up
my record thoroughly. So he comes to
| Kusiak first. In q few days he'll leave
for Kamatlah. That's where you come
in, Wally."
How do you mean?"
you're going to start for Kamatlah
/ tomorrow. You'll arrange the stage
before he gets there-see all the men
and the fOremen. Line them I'D so
they'll come through with the proper
talk. If you have any doubts about
whether you can trust someone, don't
take any chances. Fire him out of the
camp. Offer Elliot the company hos
pitality. Load him down with favors-
Take him everywhere. Show him eY-
erything. But don't let him get any
proofs that the claims are being
worked under the same management.
But he'll suspect it"
you can't help his suspicious. Don't
let him get proof. Cover all the tracks
that show company control"
Il can fix that" he said. But what
about Holt? You know how bitter he
is-and crazy. He ought to be locked
away with the fitter-mice''
you mustn't let Elliot meet Holt"
''HOw the deuce can I help it7 No
chance to keep them apart In that
little hole. It can't be done"
Cant itY'
Something in the quiet voice rang
a bell of alarm in the timid heart
of Selfridge.
you mean"
"a man who works for me as my
lieutenant must have nerve, Wally.
Have you got that? VIII you take
orders and go through with them?'
WaIly nodded. His lips were dry.
go to it. What am I to do?''
Get Holt out Of the way while FL
lot is at Kamatlah. 1t isn't doing
Holt any good to sit tight clamped to
that claim of his. He needs 4 change.
Besides, want him away so that we
can contest his claim. Run him up
into the hills. Or send him across to
Siberia on a whaler. Or. better still.
have him arrested for insanity and
send him to Nome. I'll get Judge Ian
dor to hold him awhile"
Leave it to me. The old man is
going on Il vacation, though he doesn't
know it yet
Good enough, Wally. I'll trust you.
But remember, this fight has reached
an acute stage. No more mistakes.
! The devil OF it is we never seem to
land the knockout punch. We've
: beaten this bunch Of reform idiots be-
fore Winton, before the secretary of
the interior, before the president and
before congress. Now they're begin
! ming all over again. Where is ii to
end?"
''This is their last kick Probably
GuttenchiId agreed to it so as to let
: the party go before the people at the
next election without any apologies.
Entirely formal investigation, should
say"
This might be true. or If might not
Macdonald knew that just now the
American people. always fmpulsive in
its thinking, was supporting strongly
the movement for conservation. A
searchlight had been turned upon the
Kamatlah coal fields.
. The trouble had originated in a de
partment row. but it had spread until
the Macdonald claims had become a
party issue. The officials OF the land
office as well as the national admin
iStratiOn. were friendly TO the claim
ants. They had no desire TO offend one
of the two largest money groups in the
country. But neither did they want to
come to wreck on account OF the Gut
tenchilds. They found il impossible to
ignore the charge that the entries were
fraudulent and if contaminated would
result in q wholesale robbery Of the
public domain. Superficial investiga-