The Dolores star., 1920-01-23
CHAPTER V.-Continued.

:" Bout week, maybe morn dat.
ago. De Warrior brought de body
down. sab"
'"rhe Warrior? Did anyone 60
ashore with it?'
Pears like thar wus two men
stopped OF at de Landin'. l dlsre-
memher de names, hut one OBJ 'em wus
an Ol' friend OBJ de jedge'S."
| turned my head away silently, but
only for a moment The two men were
in all probability Kirby and his satel-
lite. Carver. Doubtless the Bcaucaire
property was already legally in Kir
by's possession. and any possible
chance l might have once had to foil
him in his nefarious purpose had now
completely vanished.
To be sure | had reasoned out no
definite means whereby l could cir
Cuuvent his theft. except to take legal
advice. confer with Governor Clark
and warn those threatened girls of
their danger. But now it was too late
even TO do this. And yet 1t might not
he If Kirby and his confederate be-
lIcved that was dead were con
vlnced that | had periShed beneath
the waters of the river, they might
feel safe in taking time TO strengthen
their position; might delay final ac-
ton. hoping thus to make their case
seem more plausible II Kirby was
really serious in his intention of mar
ryiug BeauCaires daughter he would
naturally hesitate Immediately TO ac-
knowledge winning the property al
cards. and thus indirectly being the
cause of her fathers denth. He would
he quite likely to keep this hidden
frntn the girl for while. until he
tried his luck at love.-If love failed,
then the disclosure might be made to
drive the young woman TO him-a
thrcnt to render her complalsant
"DO you know lawyer named
Haiues?"
.'Livin' down at de Landin'? Yas,
sah"
lifted myself up in bed. too deeply
Interested to lie still any longer.
Now listen, Pete" 1 explained ear
ncstiy. I've got sufficient money to
pay you well for all you do, and just
rs soon as you get me something to
eat I want you to go down to the
Landing and bring Lawyer Haines
back here with you. just tell him Il
sick white man wants to see him at
once. and not word to anyone else"
"Yas, sah," the whites OF his eyes
rolling. He done know OIL Pete, an
I'll sure bring him back yere."
1t was dark when they csme. the
fire alone lighting up the interior of
the dingy cabin with fitful glow of
req fame. I had managed to get out
of bed and partially dress myself, feel
ing stronger, and in less pain as I ey
ercised my muscles. Haines was
small, andy-cOmpleXioned man, with
a struggling beard and light blue
eyes. He appeared competent enough,
u bundle of nervous energy, and yet
there was something about the fellow
which instantly impressed me unfavor-
ably-probaby his short, jerky man
ncr 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 who
told you this?"
Captain Throckmorton. / saw him
in st. dlouis, 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
mad cared to do So" I answered dryly.
81 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 jerzily. Oh
It. I thought as much. Was Beau
caire killed?'
"No-not at least by any violence.
No doubt the shock of his loss has
tened his death. Surely you must
know that he risked all he possessed
on a game of cards and lost?"
'SThrockmorton knew something
about 1t, and there were other rumors
floating about the Landing, but !
have heard no details"
II have every reason, Haines, to feel
convinced that both Kirby and Carver
trafied Beaucaire up the river with
the intention Of plucking him. Kirby