The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-06-16

picture or the treSIe upon the wall
with remarkable skill. :
Wilton's interest was at once
aroused. YES" he said, nodsing TO
Jules. What about it?' |
It was his habit 10 talk, although the
deaf-rsute could not hear his voice. J
Jules had an instructive faculty of IN
derstanding He looked at Wilton and
nodded back.
He next drew four uprights-the
long, heavy trunks Of considerable
girth that were driven into the ground
to support the trestling. Then he made
a smudgy line across each. Then he
drew Ratchet. He looked up at VIII
ton in pathetic eagerness, and nodded
again.
You mean that some one tempered
with the trestling?' shouted Wilton.
Jules, who had watched his lips
nodded eagerly. But, as he always nod
ded when he was spoken to, little
meaning could be attached to that.
Wilton wondered if that was what
he did mean. If the uprights had been
tempered with before they were set in
to the ground, by ax-cuts or otherwise,
the weight of the ballast would I'M
dOubtedly have broken them. The
break would not have been Immediate
~ apparent, but the trestling would in
such case be practically imposed upon
the surface of the swamp, without sup
port. The ballast would have spread
over the muskeg, causing the entire
structure to SubSide.
"Who did it?" asked Wilton, speak
ing slowly and carefully.
Jules, who was still watching him,
suddenly turned and, with lightning
movements, drew caricature of Lee
Chambers on the woodwork of the
wall.
Wilton looked at it and drew in his
breath. Then he nodded. Jules nod
ded in return, smiled, and left the
room. Wilton reflected deeply.
If Chambers was a spy of Bowyer's,
why had he shown him the bedrock at
all? On the other hand, assuming that
Wilton must eventually discover it
himself, BOwyer might have sent
Chambers TO make a virtue of a neces
camp, where he could be of service to
him.
In any case, Wilton could afford to
take no further chances with him. 1t
would serve no purpose to accuse him
of having tempered with the trestling.
He would give him a post somewhere
where he could do no harm, and thus
get rid of him.
Fighting down the burning rage in
his heart, he went down the road to-
ward the shack which the engineer Oc-
cupied. This was a reconstructed
shed. There was only one room in it,
but Chambers had asked to have this
rather than share the quarters of the
other engineers.
The men were back in the bunk
houses, but the door of the shed was
padlocked. Thinking that Chambers
might be in the camp, he made his
| way toward the other quarters. But
presently he heard some one calling
him and, turning, saw Andersen run
ming after him.
"Were you looking for Mr.. Cham
bers sir?" asked the foreman.
Eyes. Where is he?"
"Why, he went back 60 Clayton this
noon, Mr.. Carruthers! He said he was
| going in for you"
Wflton's suspicious suddenly famed
up. THE key" he shouted, pulling
at the paddock.
II guess he took it with him." said
! Andersen.
Have the staples pulled out at
| once."
Wilton waited, Tuning, until Ander-
sen reappeared with the tool The fore
| man wrenched out the staples and Will
| ton burst open the door. AS he had
| expected the shack was completely
: empty of all Chambers belongings.
The two men looked at each other.
| Slow understanding came into Ander-
| sens face.
He was a bad yum said the Swede.
| Il guessed you knew your business,
| Mr.. Carruthers, when you took on Tom
| Bowyer's right-hand man. 1t wasn't
| for me to say nothing"
Keep your mouth shut STILL Ander-
sem said Wilton. slapping him on the
| shoulder. Wen just start working
again. And keep your eyes open. Some
: time Well get him., and I'll telephone
Inspector Quain to pick him up if ever
he sees him in Clayton"
CHAPTER TX