The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-12-11

gether. / tell yer them fellers stole
that money, an they killed Beau
caire-"
"Hold on a minute" I broke in, my
mind cleared Of its first passion, and
realizing the necessity of control.
"Let's keep cool, and 60 slow. While
l believe McAfee is right, we are not
going to bring the Judge back to life
by turning into a mob. There is no
proof of cheating, and Kirby has the
law behind him. When the Judge died
he didn't w enough to pay his
funeral expenses. Now see here; I
happen to know that he left two young
daughters. Just stop, and think of
them. We saw this game played, and
there isn't a nan here who believes it
was played on the square-that two
such hands were ever dealt, or drawn,
in poker. We can't prove that Kirby
manipulated things to that end; not
one Of us saw how he worked the trick.
There Is no chance to get him that
way. Then what is it we ought to do?
Why. I say, make the thief disgorge-
and hanging won't do the business.
"Leave this settlement with me.
Then Til go at it. Two or three of you
pick up the body, and carry it to Beau
CARES stateroom-forward there. The
rest of you better straighten up the
cabin, while I 60 up and talk with
Throekmorton a moment. After that I
may want a few Of you to go along
when I hunt up Kirby. If he proves
ugly we'll know how to handle him.
McAfee Ia
I'm over here"
II was just going to say that you
better stay here, and keep the fellows
all quiet in the cabin. We don't want
plan to leak out, and it will be
best to let Kirby and Carver think that
everything is all right that nothing is
going to be DONE"
waited while several Of them
gently picked up the body, and bore it
forward into the shadows. I slipped
away, silently gained the door, and.
u~nobserved, emerged onto the deserted
deck without. The sudden change in
environment sobered me, and caused
me to pause and seriously consider the
importance of my mission. Nothing
less potent than either fear, or force.
would ever make Kirby disgorge.
Quite evidently the gambler had DELHI.
erately set out to ruin the planter, to
rob him of every dollar. Even at the
last moment he had coldly insisted on
receiving a bill Of sale SO worded as to
leave no possible loophole. He de.
manded all. The death Of the judge.
of course, had not been contemplated.
but this in no way changed the result.
That was an accident, yet I imagined,
might not be altogether unwelcome,
and I could not rid my memory of that
shining weapon in Kirby's hand, or the
thought that he would have used il
had the need arose. Would he not
then fight just as 1ercely to keep, as
he had to gain? Indeed, l had but
one fact upon which I might hope tt
base action-every watcher believed
those cards had been stacked, and that
Beaucaire was robbed by means of 8
trick. Yet, could this be proven.
Would any n Of those men actually
swear that he had een a suspicious
move? If not, then what was there
left me except a mere bluff? Abso.
lutely nothing.
Unarmed, never once dreaming OF
attack, I advanced alone along the
dark, narrow strip Of deck, leading
toward the ladder which mounted tt
the wheelhouse. There were no lights
and I was practically compelled to fee!
my way by keeping one hand upon the
rail. I had reached the foot Of the
ladder, my fingers blindly seeking the
Iron rungs in the gloom, when a figure
vague, suddenly emerged from some
denser shadow and confronted me. In.
deed the earliest realization I had OF
any other presence was a sharp pres.
sure against my breast, and a low
voice breathing a menacing threat ir
my ear.
II advise you not to move, yor
young fool. This Is a cooked pistoi
tickling your ribs. Where were yor
going?"
The black night yelled his face, but
language and voice, in spite of its low
grumble, told me the speaker was
Kirby. The very coldness of his tone
served to send a chill through me.
ITO have a word with Throckmor
ton" ! answered, angered at my W
fear, and rendered reckless by that
burst of passion. sWhat do you mean
by your threat? Haven't you robbed
enough men already with cards with
out resorting to a gun?"
This is not robbery" and I knew
by the sharpness of his reply my words
had stung, "and it might be well fol
you to keep a civil tongue in your
head. I overheard what you said to
those men in the cabin. So you are
going to take are OF me, are your
There was q touch OF steel in the low
voice. Nov listen. you b~rainless med.
dler. Joe Kirby knows exactly what
he is doing when he plays any game.
/ had nothing to do with Beaucaire's
~&A ZAEA WA {" - REAAI A. A6&&M