Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-11-07

a bundle of nervous energy, and yet
there was something about the fellow
which instantly impressed me unfavor-
ably-probably his short, jerky man.
ner of speech and his inability to look
straight at you.
"Pete has been telling me who you
are, lieutenant" he said, as we shook
hands, land putting some other things
together / can guess the rest. You
came south on the Warrior?"
"From Fort Armstrong-yes; who
told you this?"
Captain ThrockmOrton. l saw him
In st. Louis, and he seemed deeply
grieved by your sudden disappearance.
No one on board was able to explain
what had occurred"
"Yet there were two men on the
boat who could have explained if they
had cared to do so," answered dryly.
II mean Kirby and Carver; they were
the ones who threw me overheard"
He dropped into chair, his keen
ferret eyes on my face.
"Kirby and Carver? They went
ashore with the judges body at the
Landing. So there is story back Of
all this" he exclaimed jerkily. Oh
1t, / thought as much. Was Beau
caire killed?"
"No-not at least by any violence.
tened his death. Surely you must
know that he risked all he possessed
on a game of cards and lost?"
'Throckmorton knew something
about it, and there were other rumors
floating about the Landing, but I
have heard no details"
81 have every reason, Haines, to feel
convinced that both Kirby and Carver
trailed Beaucaire up the river with
the intention of plucking him. Kirby
practically confessed this to me, boast
ingly, afterwaxd. That last night he
so manipulated the cards-or rather
Carver did, for it was his deal-as to
deceive Beaucaire into firmly believ-
ing that he held an absolutely unbeat-
able hand-he was dealt four aces
and a king"
The lawyer leaned forward, breath
Ing heavily.
'Four aces Only one hand is bet
ter than that, and it would be impos-
sible to get such hand out of one
pack"
"That is exactly true, Haines. I am
no card player, but I do know that
much about the game. Yet Kirby took
the pot with straight flush. Now,
either he or Carver slipped an extra
ace into the pack, or else Beaucaire
did. In my opinion the judge had no
chance to work such trick. And
that's the case as it stands"
Haines jumped to his feet and be-
gan pacing the dirt floor excitedly,
his hands clasped behind his back.
"By heaven, man." he cried, pauss
ing suddenly. ''Even if he did have a
chance the judge never did it-never.
He was a good sport, and always
played a straight game. You say he
bet everything he had?"
"To the last dollar-Kirby egged
him on. Besides the money deed to
his land and bill of sale for his ne
groes were on the table,"
"The field hands, you mean?"
"Yes, and the house servants. Kirby
insisted that he write these words,
This includes every chattel slave
legally belonging to me- and made
Beaucaire sign it in that FORM"
Haines' face was white, his eyes
staring at me incredulously.
"God help us, man! Do you know
what that means?' he gasped.
II am almost afraid I do" I an
swered, yet startled by his manner.
"That was why sent for you. Would
that include his sons daughter?"
He buried his face in his hands.
EYES," he confessed brokenly. "To
the best of my knowledge Rene Beau
caire is a slave"
The silence following this blunt
statement was sickening. Up to that
moment, in spite of every fact
brought to my knowledge, 1 had Sc
cretly believed this condition of af
fairs impossible. Surely somewhere,
through some legal form, Judge Beau
? caire had guarded the future safety of