Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1922-06-08
CHAPTER x.
A Caller.


proaching, Wassaquam had brought
his household bills and budget to Alan
that morning directly after breakfast.
To furnish Alan with whatever sums
he needed, Sheriff. had made consid-
serable deposit in Alan's name in the
bank where he carried his own &C.
.count; and Alan had accompanied Sher-
rill to the bank to be introduced and
had signed the necessary cards in or
der to check against the deposit.
Alan had required barely half of the
auadred dollars which Benjamin Cor
vet had sent to Blue Rapids, for his
expenses in Chicago; and he had
brought with him from "home' hum
dred dollars Of his own.
The amount which Wassaquam now
desired to pay the bills was much
more than Alan had on hand; but that
amount was also much less than the
eleven hundred dollars which the serv-
.ant listed as cash on hand. This, Was
=saquam stated, was in currency and
kept by him. Benjamin always had
had him keep that much in the house;
Wassaquam would not touch that sum
now for the payment of current ex-
penses.
On the first Of the month, therefore,
Alan drew upon his new bank account
to Wassaquam's order, and in the early
afternoon Wassaquam went to the
bank to cash his check-one Of the
very few occasions when Alan had
been left in the house alone; Wassa-
4uam's habit, 1t appeared, was to go
about on the first Of the month and
pay the tradesmen In person.
Some two hours later, and before
Wassaquam could have been expected
back, Alan, in the room which had be-
come his, was startled by sound of
heavy pounding, which came suddenly
to him from a floor below. Shouts
heavy, thick, and unintelligible min
gled with the pounding. He3ran swift
1y down the stairs, then on and down
THE service stairs into the basement.
The door to the house from the area
way was shaking to irregular, heavy
blows, which stopped as Alan reached
the lower hallway; the shouts contin-
ued still moment more. Now that
the noise Of pounding did not inter-
fere, Alan could make out what the
man was saying. ben Corvet r. - --s
the name was ALMOST unintelliglble
n Zen Corvetl Bent" Then the shouts
stopped, too.
Alan sped to the door and turned
back the latch. The door bore back
( upon him, not from a push, but from
a weight without which had fallen,
against It. "a big, heavy man, with a
rough cap and mackinaw coat, would
have fallen upon the floor IL Alan had
mot caught him. His weight In Alan's
arms was 80 dull, so inert, that II VIC
aence had been his intention, there was
nothing to be feared from him now.
Alan looked up. therefore, to see IL
any one had come with him. The alley
and the street were clear. The snow
In the areaway showed that the man
had come to the door alone and with
+ great difficulty; he had fallen once up.
sson the walk. Alan dragged the man
anto the house and went back and
closed the door, TX h 5:$si5 NJ sssi
He returned and looked at him. The
\ man was like. very like the one whom
u Alan had followed from the house on
mi HI 4 hen he was attacked; GER
]. III MY that this was the same man
! came quickly % him. He seized the
fellow aga..n and dragged him up the
stairs and 70 the lounge ins the library.
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