The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-06-22
II didn't bring her in; tried the
hacf could IN Eoar, har ottt

ulunt Dr1ng her in tried the
best could to keep her out"
"Out Of what-exactlyY
you know better than I do. You
know exactly what 1t is. You know
that man. Spearman; you know what
he came here for. don't mean money
l mean you know why he came here
for money, and why he got 1t. / tried
as well as l could, to make him tell
me; but he wouldn't do It, There's
disgrace of some sort here of course
disgrace that involves my father and
think, you too. If you're not guilty
with my father, you'll help me now; If
you are guilty, then, at least, your re
fusal to help will let me know that"
Il don't know what you're talking
about. told you this man may have
been wheelsman on the Corvet;
don't know more about him than that :;
don't even know that certainly. or
course, knew Ben Corvet was paying
blackmail; I've known for years that
he was giving up money to some one
don't know who he paid 1t to; or for
what"
The strain of the last few hours was
telling upon Alan; his skin flushed hot
and cold by turns. He paced up and
down while he controlled himself.
THAT'S not enough, Spearman." he
said finally. live felt you, some
how. underneath all these things. The
first time 1 saw you, you were in this
house doing something you ought not
to have been doing; you fought me
then; you would have killed me rather
than not get away. Two weeks ago,
some one attacked me on the street
for robbery, they said; but 1 know it
wasn't robbery"
You're not SO crazy as to be trying
to involve me In that"
There came a sound to them from
the hall. a sound Enthusiastically denot-
Ing some presence. Spearman jerked
suddenly up; Alan, going to the door
and looking into the hall, saw Wassa-
guam. The Indian evidently had re-
turned to the house some time before
he had been bringing to Alan now the
accounts which he had settled. He
seemed to have been standing in the
hall for some time. listening but he
tuAhC hOWs iOOhiHs lnQuiiiheiy 1AOih
one to the other of them.
mot friends" he inquired. You
and HenryT
Alan's passion broke out suddenly.
"We're anything but that, Judah.
found him, the first night l got here
and while you were away, going
through my fathers things. 1 fought
with him, and he ran away. He was
the one that broke into my fathers
desks; maybe you'll believe that, even
u no one else will"
"Yes?" the Indian questioned
'Yes" 1t was plain that he not only
believed but that believing gave him
Immense satisfaction. He took Alan.
arm and led him into the smaller Ii
brary. He knelt before one of the draw
ers under the bookshelves-the drawer
Alan recalled, which he himself hat
been examining when he had fount
Wassaquam watching him. He drew
out the drawer and dumped Its con
tents out upon the floor; he turned
the drawer about then. and pulled the
bottom out of it. Beneath the bottom
which he had removed appeared now
another bottom and few sheets OF
paper scrawled In an uneven hand and
with different colored inks.
At sight Of them, Spearman, who
had followed them into the room, ut
tered an oath and sprang forward. The
Indians small dark hand grasped
Spearman's wrist, and his face
twitched itself into fierce grin
which showed how little civilization
had modified in him the aboriginal
passions. But Spearman did not try
to force his way; instead. he drew
back suddenly.
Alan stopped and picked up the pa
pers and put them in his pocket. II
the Indian had not been there, II
would not have been SO easy for him
to do that, he thought