Williams news., 1921-08-12

| SHOWS 0a0 SCarLeO, ana J1m 61ODS ndC
 returned empty-handed. but evidently
 not empty-minded.
 i've found that the body's been un
 covered-and men are already search
 in for clues. And moreover-I think
 they've found them" He paused
 weighing the effect Of his words. His
 eyes glittered with cunning. Rat that
 he was, he was wondering whether the
 time had arrived to leave the ship He
 had no intention of continuing to give | his services to a man with a rope
 moose closing about him. And Grams
 ton, knowing this fact, hated him as
 he hated the buzzard that would claim l him in the end, and tried to hide his | apprehension.
 "Go on. Blat 1t out" Cranston or
 dered. 'Or else go away and let me
 sleep"
 1 It was a bluff; but 1t worked. If | Gibbs had gone without speaking, | Cranston would have known no sleep | that night. But the man became more fawning.
 "Tm tellin' you. fast as I can." he went on, almost whining. 'T went to
 the cabin, just as you said. But didn't get chance to search it." "Why not?' Cranston thundered.
 His voice re-echoed among the snow-
 wet pines.
 "Ill tell you whyi Because some one else-evfdently a cop-was al-
 ready searchin' 1t. Both of us know there's nothin' there, anyway. We've gone over it too many times. After while he went away-but didn't turn back yet. That wouldn't be Jim Gibbs. shadowed him, just as you'd want me to. And he went straight back to the body"
 "YesT Cranston had hard work curbing his impatience. Again Gibbs eyes were full of ominous specula- tons.
 He stopped at the body, and it was plain he'd been there before. He went crawling through the thickets. iooiin' for clues He done what you and me never thought to do-looixin' all the way between the trail and the body. He'd already found the brass shell you told me to get At least, 1t wasn't there when looked, after he'd gone. You should've thought of 1t before. But he found somethin' else q whole lot more important-a roll of papers that Hildreth had chucked into an old pine stump when he was dyin'. It was your fault, Cranston. for not gettin' them that night. This detective stood and read 'em on the trail. And you l AAO" JoSh us "GAA aS 0O-What they were"
 'D-n you. I went back the next l as soon as I could see. And 1 the mountain lion had already been | there. l went back lots of times since. l And that shell ain't nothing-but all | the time supposed I put 1t fn my | pocket. You know how 1t fs-a fellow throws his empty shell out by habit"
 Gibbs eyes grew more intent. What | was this thing? Cranston's tone, in- stead of commanding, was almost pleading. But the leader caught him. self at once.
 q don't see why I need to explain any of that to you. What I want to know is this: why you didn't shoot and get those papers away from him?"
 For an instant their eyes battled. But Gibbs had never the strength of his leader. If he had. 1t would have been asserted long since. He sucked In his breath, and his gaze fell away. It rested on Cranston's rifle, that in some manner had been pulled up across his knees. And at once he was cowed. He was never so fast with a gun as Cranston.
 "Blood on my hands, eh-same as on yoursf' he mumbled. looking down. What do you think I want, a rope 1 around my neck? These hills are big, put the arm of the law has reached up before, and 1t might again. You might IS well know first as last I'm not goin' to do any killfn's to cover up your murders"
 ''That comes of not going myself. You fOol-if he gets that evidence town to the courts you're broken the same as me-"
 "But I wouldn't get more'n a year ,r so, at most-and that's a heap diff 'erent from the gallows. I did aim at him"
 But you just lacked the guts to pull he trigger,'
 "I did, and I ain't ashamed Of 1t. l But besides-the snows are here now, md he won't be able to even get word o the valleys for six months. If you want him killed so bad. do 1t your 'elf.'
 This was a thought indeed. On the 1 other hand, another murder might not | ,e necessary. Months would pass be ore the road would be opened, and in he meantime Cranston would have a thousand chances to steal back the accusing letters. He didn't believe for 1 m instant that the man Gibbs had 'een was a detective. He had kept % close watch over the roads for hat.
 "A tall chap, in outing clothes