The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-05-05
NO; he asked ne once If | had ever

10 Stanu III the place across the table
that Alan had assigned TO him, and
stood looking down at Alan, steadily
and thoughtfully.
DO l look like any one you ever saw
before, Judah?" Alan inquired of him.
NO"
as that what you are th~inking?"
THAT IS what I was thinking. VIII
coffee be served In the library, Alan?'
Alan crossed to the library and seat
ed himself in the Chair where his IA
Their had been accustomed TO sit. Was
saquam brought him the single small
cup Of coffee, lit the spirit lamp on
the smoking stand and moved that
over; then he went away. When he
had finished his coffee, Alan went into
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 to the chair In the H.
brary. He dOZcd for he awoke with
a start and a feeling that some one
had been bending over him, and gazed
up into WassaQuam's face. The In
dian had been scrutiniZing him with
intent, anxious inquiry. He moved
away. but Alan called him back.
"Vhen Mr.. COrvet disappeared, Jul
dab, YOU went to look for him up at
ManistiQue, where he was boln-at
least Mr.. Sheriff. said that was where
you went. Why did YOU think you
might find him there?" Alan asked.
IN the end, | think, n mar 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. CorNet?'
Il think noW-Ben's dead"
'What makes YOU think that?'
"NOthing makes me think l think 1t
myself"
Il see. You mean YOU have no rea-
son more than others for thinking it !;
but that IS what YOU believe"
Yes" WassaQuam went away, and
Alan. heard him on the back stairs, as
cCnding to his room.
When Alan went up to his own
room, after making the rounds to see
that the house was locked, a droning
chant came to him from the third floor.
He paused in the hall and listened,
then vent I'D to the floor above. A
fickering light came to him through
the half-open door of a room at the
front Of the house; he went a little
way toward it and looked In. Two
thick candles were burning before a
crucifix, below which the Indian knelt,
prayer book in hand and rocking to
and fro as he droned his supplica-
tons.
A word or two came to Alan, but
without them WaSsaQuam'S occupation
was plain he was praying for the re-
pose Of the dead-the Catholic chant
taught to 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
to accept this order; but now Wassa-
guam had implied that 1t 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 or the voices ne recoS-
nized rs Wassaquam's; the other In
distinct, thick, accusing-was I'M
known to him; it certainly was not
Spearman's. lie descended swiftly TO
the first floor, and found Wassaquam
andlng Iii the 'front.' nan, aiohe.