The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1920-12-09

BILLIE fell ;..n,sels flushing. WHIST
Maks'> ytIi think that. MEX p
R"i' walkp,i ~ \ s.tIpbnard and ,in-
locked " ih> hack "n>. 'a,ra-,i 'te
cattie,in,n. hui the hitter could see him
take some, Inn. frnn II Sii..i,. iu:L.t,s
quickly the sheriff tossed a hal upon
the table
Ever see this hpfOrp?'
Mae picked i, M, His fingers were
moi qnfe s,endy tor u great dread
tlrenchrd his hear like u rush Of icy
water UIMn ,ha, gray felt hat with
the punched crnwti was stamped the in
divi'inaiiry- AMI the inir!ais-0f Luck
CuIlisoil.
lied no, very readily. mot to know
It. Why?"
''fllnil.hi perhaps YOU might Knew
II. The holtlup dropped it while get
ting away
Mackenzie's eyes flinched. "Dropped
II. How was That p
"a man happened to come along Sun
Miguel street just as fhe rui,her swung
TO his horse. He ,ipnrt! The cries Of
the men inside. guessed what was do
ing. and exchanged Shnts with the mis-
creant He shot this hat off the fell
lows head
''Who was the man that shot the
r0bber?"
"Cass Fendrirk"
"But he ,lisiat claim to recognize the
holdup?''
.Not for certain. He guessed man
whose initials are the same as those in
that hat"
''lf you mean Luck Culiison. its a
ID lie" exploded the c,,tilelnan.
He was furious with himself FIR he
felt now thai he had heen nnsispect-
ingly helpin. to certify the suspicious
Of the sheriff. Like an idiot. he had
let out much thai told heavily against
his friend.
II hope so. What .nl,Out this hat,
with the twn holes shot through the
rim?'
"Sho! We all wear hats Just like
that. Look at mine." Billie held 1t
out eagerly.
.Has yours an L. e. stamped In the
sweat band?" Bolt asked with a srnile.
Il knew you amt his friend. Nick.
But you want to be fair to him even If
he did oppose your election" Macken-
| zie laid an appealing hand On the knee
| of the man seated opposite him. 4
| ''I'm sheriff OF Papago county. It
doesn't make any difference who
worked for or against me. Billie. |
| was elected and I'm going to enforce
the law. BY the way. I've got to pay
for some supplies this morning. tan
you cash check for a hunGred?'
II reckon So" Mackenzie drew from
his pocket the roll Cullison had given
him two hours before. He peeled five
twenties from it, The sheriff observed
that the prevailing denomination was
the same.
Get these from Luck?" he asked
carelcssly.
The cattle,nan stared at him, and
fhe suspicion grew on him that he had
been trapped again.
4 'Why do ynu ask ?"
Because II happens the bills stolen
from the w. 4 S.swere all twenties-"
From the Office of the sheriff. Mac
kenzie wandered to the club In search
Of Luck. He was thoroughly dispirited,
both dreaded to meet Luck. and yet
! was anxious to do so.
/ CullisOn had left the club, but Alec
Flandrau was still there. Billie drew
4 him into q corner. and learned that
Luck had just settled with him.
anyone zee him give It to You.
Alec?"
mo. He took me upstairs to the
library and paid me-"
I'm bills?''
"Yes-in twenties."
''For Gods sake. don't tell anybody
thnt." IN Il dozen ierky sentences the
owner of the Fiddlelack told Flandrau
of the suspicious OF the sheriff.
/ Together they went in search Of
Luck But though they looked for
him all day. he was not to he found
| The last that had been seen of him
Luck was walking along the plaza
toward the hotel not hundred and
| fifty yards from the latter. A dozen
men had spoken to him in the distance
Of block But he hal not been seer
to reach his hotel. He had not called
for his room key. Somehow he had
vanished. and none could tell how OF
where.
To Bolt his disappearance was as
good as confession Of guilt. He
searched Lucs's room nj the hotel
Among other things. he found an OLE
envelope with interesting data pen
s.iled on. VI.
BEFORE nightfall the word was wills
i,ered all over Saguache that Lucl
CulIisnn. pioneer caftlen,an and for
,ner sheriff. was suspected OF the W
4 \ ). express robbery md had fled I,
save himself from arrest. At first mel
inarveiesl that one so we'll known ar,
80 popular. one who had been 80 prom
inen, In affairs. could he suspected o
such crime nut as they listened I,
u "a - y