The Dolores star., 1922-07-14
NO: Be asEei me oace II I had ever

l heard the Drum ! told HIM
WassaQuau removed the dinner and
brought Alan dessert He returned
70 stand in the place across the table
that Alan had assigned 70 him, and
stood looking down az Alan, steadily
and thoushtrully.
DO I look Ike any one you ever saw
before. JUtah7- Alan Inquired 0t him.
No
is that vh1. voc are rhinki1S7-
That = what 7 vas thinking. VII
coffee be served IN the library. Alan ?"
Alan crossed 10 the library and seat
ed himself N the chair where his IA
thsr had been accustomed 70 sit Was
saquam brought him the single small
cup q coffee. III the spirit lamp on
the smoking stand and moved that
over: then he went away. When he
bad finished his coffee, Alan went incu
the smaller connecting room and re-
commenced his examination OF the
drawers under the bookshelves. At
ten o'clock. Alan stopped his search
and went back 20 the chair in the H.
brary. He t0zed t0r he awOke with
a start anc : feeling that some sne
had been bending over him. and cazsd
up into wassaguam's face. The In
dian had been scrutinIzinz him with
intent. anxious inquiry. He moved
away. but Alan called him back.
when Mr.. Corvet disappeared. Ju.
dab. you went 10 look for him up at
MantstiIue. where he was born-at
least SIr. Sheriff. said that was where
you went. Why did you think you
might ind him thereF' Alan asked
IN the end, think, q man maybe
goes back TO the place where he be-
gan That's all. Alan"
In the end. What do you mean by
that? What DO you think has become
OF Mr.. Corvet7-
Il think n0w-Ben's dead
what makes you think that7"
Nothing makes me think; I think It
myself
Il see. You mean you have no rea-
son more than others for thinking it;
but that i what you believe"
Yes WaSsaquam went away. and
Alan heard him on the back stairs. as
eeudtng 10 his room.
When Alan went up TO his, own
room. after making the rounds TO see
rhsc the house was locked. droniny
chant came 10 him from the third floor.
He paused in the hall and listened.
then went up 70 the floor above. A
hICksrin- light came TO him through
the half-Open door Of a room at the
front Of the house; he went q little
way toward il and looked In. Two
thick candles were burning before q
cruc!fI- below which the Indian knelt,
prayer book in hand and rocking to
and fro as he droned his suppllca-
rIons.
a word or two came TO Alan. but
without them Wassaquam's occupation
was plain; ne was praying for the re-
pose Of the dead-the Catholic chant
taught 10 him, as It had been taught
undoubtedly TO his fathers, by the
French Jesuits OF the lakes. The in
toned chant for Corvet's soul, by the
man who had heard the Drum, fol-
lowed and still came to Alan, as he
returned to the second floor.
He had not been able to determine
during the evening, Wassaquam's atti-
tude toward him. Having no one else
to trust. Alan had been obliged TO put
q certain amount Of trust in the In
dian; so as he had explained TO Was
saquam that morning that the desk
and the drawers in the little room off
Corvet's had been forced. and had
warned him to see that no one. who
had not proper business there. entered
the house. Wassaquam had appeared
10 accept this order: but now Wassa-
guam had implied that it was not be-
cause Of Alan's order that he had re-
fused reporters admission to the
house.
Alan started and went quickly to the
open door of his room. as he heard
voices now somewhere within the
house. One of the voices he recog-
nized as Wassaquam's; the other in
distinct, thick, accusing-was un-
known to him; it certainly was not
Spearman's. He descended swiftly to
the first floor, and found Wassaquam
standing in the front hall, alone.
who was here, Judah?" Alan de-
manded.
"a man." the Indian answered stol-
idly. He was drunk; put him OUT
"What did he come forf"
He came to see Ben. l put him
out: he is gone, Alan"
Alan flung open the front door and
looked out, but he saw no one.
what did he want of Mr.. Corvet,
Judah?"
Il do not know. l told him Ben was
not here; he was angry, but he went
away"
HAS he ever come here before?"
Yes: he comes twice"
"He has been here twiceT'
More than that; every year he
comes twice, Alan. Once he came
oftener.''
How long has he been doing that?"
"Since l can remember"
"Is he a friend of Mr.. CorvetY