The Raymer enterprise., 1920-11-18


nt once he seemed to collapse: his
head hung low. and his breathing be-
came stertorous. His cheeks pulled
Queerly.
Hilliard sprang to him. "Rufus
Call the ofiicel Get the house doc
tori"
Cullen had raced to the bathroom
for q glass Of water; he raced back
again, spIllIng half Of It. Hllliard was
chatting the brokers' wrists. The three
men strained at the unwieldy. unresist.
Ing bulk. while leaden fear clutched at
their hearts.
The house physician hustled IN to
find the broker lying on the bed In .
profound coma; his refexes had gone
from him; ne couldn't be reused. There
was no need Of q stethoscope.
"Order an Ice bag" said the man Of
medicine sharply. He himself was rat
tllng among his vials for the calomel.
Rufus was at the telephone.
Anything can do?" asked HIlllard
earnestly. His suspicious had crys-
'nlized; and he was bitterly aware
that the broker had planned not JUS
tice. but some new brand OF perfldy /:
nevertheless. the man was unquestion-
ably In danger-and revenge could
wait.
"Nothlng-just give me plenty Of
ROOM"
As the three stood watching pain
fully. Cullen put out his hand to Hi.
lard, and spoke under his breath.
"Henry-when did he come?'
"only Just now. An hour ago"
Hadn't he told your Or hadn't
you heard?"
Heard what?"
Cullen motioned to WarIng.
Give II TO him. Rufus Oh.
see; see"
The law student, without a word.
produced yellow blank and thrust
II at Hllliard. He flashed u glance Of
ndescribnble contempt at the supine
broker: his eyes had lost some Of
their anxiety.
"Oh. the big crook" he said boy
lshly. "The big crook"
"Sh.h-h! Rufus!" Still. Hllliard. at
heart, agreed with him to the letter.
The boy stood close to the
masquerader.
''l'm sorry. HillIard It came
nt four this afternoon we'd
been hunting FOR you ever since :"
HIlliard wasn't interested.
"T'll whit until"
Cullen signed to him peremptorlly.
Read 1t. tell you It'll give
you n slant on blm!"
Hilliard pcered over the foot Of the
bed; Harmon was still lying inert. The
physician nodded sldewise.
Nothing for you to do" he said
grimly; and HlllIard. only partly aware
Of what he was doing. gave heed to
the yellow blank.
The fourth telegram Of the day was
from Butte. Mont, addressed to War
Ing.
ARRIVED here last night after delay
in Chicago. This mornings papers con-
tain information as follows: The
faulted vein on XLNC property ad.
joining Sllverbow claim number one
has been located about twenty feet
from Silverbow boundary. Indications
are ore body running at least eighty
per cent average and some places high
as twenty. Also some zinc and silver
and traces Of manganese. This evi.
IDENTIFY extends well into Silverbow,
where the greatest values are uLdoubt.
edly lying. and judging from records
OF old XI.NC vein It's a tremendously
big strike Understand XLNC own.
ers offering large sum, said to be well
over half-milllon. for a controlling In.
terest. strongly advise oil Of you to
get aboard for as much as Hllliard
will let go. Am sending this from Of.
fee Of Cooley, Benjamin K Russell,
who will not send separate report un.
less you want 1t. This Is wonderful
news and mine Is sure winner, even II
only fraction as large as reported
Please show this message to Hilliard
Sig. ]. J. ARMSTRONG;"
Hilliard sat down In the nearest
chair. The lump In his throat was
choking him; the moment was so big
that his feelings were primitive; his
expression Of them were very simple
He only smiled; the meaningless, vacu.
Gus smile Of an infant. That smile EN-
braced the entire universe; It was In.
dIcative Of happiness SO llmitless, nc
perfect, that It was almost foolish. So
Harmon. knowing from his own sources
Of the sudden strike. had rushed ia
Syracuse to pose as man Of honor
So Harmon had wanted to meet War
tng-and find 4 Waring had yet heard
the news. and. II he hadn't. stop the In
vestigation by apparent frankness and
ready restitution. So Harmon had
been eager to destroy the contract, tc
promise Hilllard anything and every.
thing. to repay the money that wa,
subscribed already-and then, as sole
owner, to take an enormous profit fol
himself.
No one In the whole world-and
least Of all. Waring and Cullen-could
have remotely fathomed the thoughts
that were eddying In Hilllard's brain
They were not for his own aggran