Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-10-24

TIL 500
The Revolver Yet GIistening in His
Extended Hand.
was upon my knees, lifting the fallen
head, and seeking eagerly to discern
some lingering evidence of life in the
inert body. There was none, not SO
much as the faint flutter of pulse, or
suggestion of heart throb. The man
was already dead before he fell, dead
before he struck the overturned table.
Judge Beaucaire is dead" l an
nounced gravely. Nothing more can
be done for him now"
The pressing circle of men hemming
us in fell back silently, reverently, the
subdued murmur. AS | stood there,
almost unconscious Of their presence,
still staring down at that upturned
face, now appearing manly and patri-
clan in the strange dignity of its death
mask, mad burst of anger swept me,
a fierce yearning for revenge-a feel
ing that this was no less q murder be-
cause nature had struck the blow.
With hot words of reproach upon my
lips [ gazed across toward where Kir-
by had been standing a moment be-
fore. The gambler was no longer
there-his place was vacant.
"Where is Kirby?" I asked, incredu-
lous of his sudden disappearance.
For a moment no one answered ;
then a voice in the crowd croaked
hoarsely:-
"He just slipped out through that
after door to the deck-him and Bill
Carver"
"And the StakeS?"
Another answered in thin piping
treble.
Il reckon them two cusses took
long the most ov it. Enyhow faint
ere. 'cept maybe a few coins tha'
rolled under the table. 1t wasn't JIG.
Kirby who picked up the swag, fer
was watchin' him, an he never onct
let go Oy his gun. Thet damn sneak
Carver must did it, an then the two
w Cil JuSL SOIlcI nat Idlly IduCu
away through that door thar"
McAfee swOre through his black
beard, the full truth swiftly dawning
upon him.
Help he exploded. $50 that's the
way Of 1t. Then them two wus in ca
boots frum the beginnin'. That's what
l told the jedge last night, but he said
he didn't give whoop; tibet he knew
more poker than both ov 'em put ter
gether. / tell yer them fellers stole
that money, an they killed Beau
caire-"
Hold on a minute" broke in, my
mind cleared Of it's first passion, and
realizing the necessity of control.
"Lets keep cool, and go 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 own enough to pay his
funeral expenses. Now see here; |
happen to know that he left two young
daughters. Just stop, and think of
them. We saw this game played, and
there isn't man here who believes it
was played on the square-that two
such hands were ever dealt, or drawn,
in pokerNe can't prove that Kirby
manipulated things to that end; not
one of us saw how he worked the trick.
TNhnrn ic mr. nj fO him fhof
way. Then what is it we ought to do?
Why, | say, make the thief disgorge-
and hanging won't do the business.
leave this settlement with me.
Then I'll go at 1t. 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 | go up and talk with
Throckmorton moment. After that /
may want a few of you to go along
when l hunt up Kirby. If he proves
ugly We'll know how to handle him.
McAfee -
'I'm over here"
Il was just going to say that you,
better stay here and keep the fellows
all quiet in the cabin. We don't want
our 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. ! slipped
away, silently gained the door, and
unobserved, emerged onto the deserted
deck without. The sudden change III