New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-03-25

he Iuteu tne DuZZdT0 tnut would cldlI
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"
1t was n bluff; but 1t worked. II
Gibbs had gone without speaking,
transtOn would have known no sleep
that night. But the mar became more
fawning.
I'm tellin' you, fast as I can" he
went on, almost whining. 81 went to
the cabin, just as you said. But |
cidnt get a chance to search it"
why nOt?" Cranston Numbered.
MS voice re-echoed among the snow
wet pines.
I'll tell you why! Because some
one elSe-evidently a cop-was al
ready searchin' 1t. Both Of us know
there's nothIn' there, anyway. We've
gone over 1t too many times. After
a 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"
"fesf' CranstOn had hard work
curbing his Impotence. Again Gibbs
eyes were full of ominOus specula-
tions.
III stopped at the body, and 1t was
pain he'd been there before. He went
crawling through the thickets, lookin'
FOR clues. He done what you and me
never thought to dO-lOOkin' all the
way between the trail and the body.
He'd already found the brass shell you
toid me TO get. At least, it wasn't
there when | looked, after he'd gone
You should've thought of it before.
But he found somethin' else a whole
lot more inpOrtant-a roll of papers
that Hildreth had chucked into an old
pine stump when he was dyin'. 1t was
your fault, Cranston, for not gettin'
them that night. This detective stood
ana read 'em on the trail. And you
know-just as well as | do-what
they were"
"D-n you, / went back the next
morning, as soon as | could see. And
~ h'''iiiill nun hdu ulItiuH DttIl
there. ] went back lots of times since.
And that shell amt nothlng-but all
the time ! supposed | put il in my
pocket. You know how it is-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. Blu the leader caught him
self at once.
Il don't see why ! need to explain
any of that to you. What | want to
know is this: why you didn't shoot
and get hose papers away from him?"
For an instant their eyes battled.
But Gibbs had never the strength OF
his leader. If he had. IL would nave
been asserted long since. He sucked
In his breath, and his gaze fell away.
II 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 ms Crnnston.
BLOOD on my hands, eh-same as
on yours?" he mumbled, looking down.
WHAT do you think ! want, a rope
around my neckP These hills are big.
the arm of the law has reached M
before, and II might again. You might
as well know first as last I'm not goin'
to do any killln's to cover up YOU
murders"
That m Of not going myself.
You fool-if he gets that evidence
to the courts you're broken the
same as me-"
but wouldn't get more'n a year
or 50, nj most-and that's a heap diff.
ferent from the gallows. I did aim at
:
But you Just lacked the CUTS TO pull
the trigger" |
Il did, and ] Amt ashamed Of il. 5
But besides-the SHOWS are here now, I,
md he won't be able to ever get word !
the valleys for six months. II you
want him killed 50 bad. do II your
This was a thought indeed. on the
,ther 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 d.
accusing letters. He didn't believe for !
N instant that the man Gibbs had :
cen vas a detective. lie had kept U
close watch over the roads foi .
hat. u
"A tall chap, In outing clothes U
ark -haircd and clean-shaven?" v
"Yesf" .
Wears a tan hatT"
That's the man" a
II know him-and I wish you'd "
unctured him. That's Faillng-the 5
enderfoot that's been staying at Len c
ox's. He's a lunger." 0
ale didn't look like no lunger to D
But no matter about that-it's just :
8 I thought. And Ill get 'em back o
lark my little words" O
In the meantime the best thing TO n
o was TO move at nee to his winter u
grounds certain neglected u
sgiOn on the lower levels Of the North
ork. If at any time within the next a
w weeks. Dan should attempt TO u
airy word down 70 the settlements. o.
2 would be certain TO pass within u
of his camp. But he knew that ~
he chance of Dan starting upon any 81
lch journey before the snow had q
was not one In a thousand. To Al
2 caught in the Divide in the winter i
cans to be showed In as completely n
J the Innuits of upper Greenland. No ia
ord could pass except by man on ii
lowshoes. &C