The Jasper news., 1921-06-02

ing that the SHOWS were at hand, he
had sent Gibbs for a last search OF
the body, to find and recover the evil
dence that Hildreth had against him
and which had not been revealed either
on Hlldreth's person or In his cabin.
He. had become increasingly appre-
hensive about those letters he had
written Hildreth, and certain other
documents that had been In his pos
session. He didn't understand why
they hadn't turned up. And now TIE
SHOWS had started, and Jim Gibbs had
returned empty-handed but evidently
not empty-minded.
"Tve found that the body's been I'M
covered-Gnd men are already search
in for clues. And moreover 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 q man with a rope
moose closing about him. And Grams
| ton, knowing this fact, hated him as
he hated the buzzard that would claim
him In the end, and tried to hide his
apprehension.
go on. Blat 1t out" Cranston or
de-ed. "Or else go away and let me
Sleep"
1t was bluff; but 1t worked. II
Gibbs had gone without speaking,
Cranston would have known no sleep
that night. But the man became more
fawning.
'rm tellln' you, fast as I cam. he
went on, almost whining. II went to
the cabin, just as you said. But I
didn't get a chance to search 1T"
"Why not7" Cranston thundered.
His voice re-echoed among the snow
wet pines.
"Tll tell you whyl Because some
one else-evidently cop-was al
ready senrchln' it. Both OF us know
there's nothIn' there, anyway. We've
gone over 1t too many times. After
a while he went away-but l didn't
turn back yet. That wouldn't be Jim
Gibbs. I 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 omlnous specula
tlons.
} "He stopped at the body, and II was
plain he'd been there before. He weni
crawling through the thickets, lookin
for clues. He done what you and mt
never thought to do-lookin' all the
way between the trail and the body
He'd already found the brass shell yoI
told me to get. At least, 1t WASH
there when l looked, after he'd gone
You should've thought Of 1t before
But he found somethln' else q who'll
lot more important-a roll Of paper
that Hlldreth had chucked into an oil
pine stump when he was dyin'. 1t wa
your fault, Cranston, for not gettir
them that night. This detective stoo,
and read 'em on the trail. And yol
know--just as well as l do-wha
4 they WERE"
N "D-n you, went back the mex
|l morning as soon as l could see. An
the mountain lion had already bee
l there. l went back lots of times since
4 And that shell amt nothlng-but al
\ the time I supposed l put 1t In m
II pocket. You know how 1t is-a fello,
throws his empty shell out by habit"
N Gibbs eyes grew more intent. Wha
! was this thing? Cranston's tone, ir
stead of commanding. was almos
5 pleading. But the leader caught hin
: self at once.
j II don't see why I need to explai
: any of that to you. What l want I
: know is this: why you didn't shoe
and get those papers away from him
For an instant their eyes battleC
But Gibbs had never the strength {
II his leader. If he had, 1t would hav
been asserted long since. He sucke
In his breath, and his gaze fell ava,
g. 1t rested on Cranston's rife, that
u some manner had been pulled u
a across his knees. And at once he wa
Is cowed. He was never SO fast with
gun as Cranston.
70 'BlOod on my hands, eh-same {
le on yoursI" he mumbled, looking dow
,e ''What do you think want, a roI
" around my neckf These hills are bi
but the arm Of the law has reached I
Id before, and 1t might again. You migl
as well know first as last I'm not goi
i. to do any killin's to cover up yOV
NJ murders"
n. ''That comes OF not going myse
You foOl-if he gets that eViden
n down to the courts you're broken Il
same as me-"
"But l wouldn't get more'n o ye