Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-31
TANGLED TRAILS p .=! E%% 7:

what you know? I've told my story
After they spotted you in the court
ROOM the farmer retorted. An how
do know you told all you know? Mcbbe
you're keepiu' secrets, too.'
Kirby took this without batting an
eye. IAN innocent man hasn't anything
to fear" he said.
Hasn't heY' Olson picked up a
stone and flung IL at pile Of rocks he
had gathered fifty yards away. lie was
left handed. ''IIow do you know he
hasn't? Say, just for argument, ] do
know somethin'. Say / virtually saw
Cunningham killed an hadn't a thing
to do with It. Could get away with o.
story like that? You know darned well
] couldn't. Wouldn't the lawyers want
to know how come to be so handy to
the place where the KILN was, right at
the very time 1t took place, me who Is
supposed to have threatened to bump
him off myself Sure they would. Id
be tyin' moose round my own neck.
"Do you know who killed my uncle?"
demanded Lane point blank. Did you
see it donef'
Olson's eyes narrowed. A crafty
light shone through the slitted lids.
Hold yore hawses. i amt said
knew a, thing. Not thing. 1 was
stringin' you"
Kirby knew he had overshot the
mark. He had been too eager and had
alarmed the man. lie was annoyed at
himself. 1t would take time and pa
tience and finessC to recover lost ground.
Shrewdly he guessed at the rancher's s
state of mind. The man wanted to tell
something, was divided in mind whether
to come forward as witness or keep
silent. His evidence, it was clear
enough, would implicate Hull; but,
perhaps indirectly, it would involve
himself, too.
hope you'll tell It," the cattlemnn said.
But that's up to you, not me. II
Hull Is the murderer / want the crime
fastened on him. I don't want him
to get of scot free. An that's about
what's goin' to happen. The fellows |
guilty, I believe, but we can't prove
it."
Cant we2 I amt sure o. that"
Again, through the narrowed lids, wary
guile glittercd. "Mcbbe we can when
the right time comes"
II doubt it," Lane spoke casually |
and cnrelossly. amy testimony against |
him loses force II it's held out too long. |
The question comes up, why didn't the |
witness come right forward at once.
No, l reckon Hull will get away with
tiff he really did it,"
Don't you think It," Olson snapped |
out. They've pretty nearly got enough |
now to convict him"
The rough rider laughed cynically. |
Convict him. They haven't enough !
against him even to make an arrest |
They've got dozen times as much |
~ ain NJ Il
Hes quite safe if he keeps his mouth
shut-an' he will"
Olson flung q greascwoOd shrub on a
pile of brush. His mind, Kirby could
see, was busy with tho problem before
II. The mans caution and his vim
dictivc desire for vengeance were at
war. He knew something. evidence that
would tend to inCriminate Hull, and he
was afraid to bring it to the light of
day. lie worked automatically, and the
man on horseback watched him. On
that sullen face Kirby could read fury.
hatred, circumspection, suspicion, the
lust for revenge.
The mans anger barked at Lane.
We'll. what you waitin' fOr?' he asked
harshly.
"Notbin'. I'm goin' now" He
wrote his Denver address on a card. "If |
you ma tncfe is any evidence against |
Hull an want to talk it over. perhaps |
you'd rather come to me than the police. |
I'm like you. If Hull did 1t | want .
him found guilty. So long"
He handed Olson his card. The man
tossed it away.
Kirby turned his horse toward town.
Five minutes later he looked back. The
settler had walked across to the place
where he had thrown the card and was
apparently picking it up.
The man from Wyoming smiled. He
had a very strong hunch that Olson
would call on him within q week or ten |
days. OF course he was disappointed, |
but he knew the game had to be played |
with patience. At least he had learned .
The man had in his posses.
sion evidence vitally important. Kirby .
meant to get that evidence from him
somehow, by hook or crook.
What was it the man knew? Was II
possible he could have killed Cunning
ham himself and be trying to throw the
blame of it on Hull? Was that why
he was afraid to come out in the open
with what testimony he had? Kirby