The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-09-01
Gra1n0nt's brain worked fast.

might have the whole place at his
mercy--but that was not what he
wanted. He suddenly realized that he
haa other and more important fish to
fry in New Orleans. Gumberts was
there. Fell was there. What he must
do dem anded time, and his best play
was 20 gain all the time possible, and
to prevent this gang from suspecting
him in any way.
did you see Ben Chacherre:' he
counter ed.
"Uh-h unseen him just after he
come. Gfmberts will be out day after
tomorrow, he said. The boss is framin'
some sort of deal on a guy that he
wants laid away-some guy name O.
Hammond. Chacherre is running it.
He figgers on gettin' Hammond on &C.
count of SOME cur that's bein' hunted
up"
Gramont laughed suddenly, for there
was a grim hrhnor about the thing. So
joachim Fell wanted to get something"
on poor Hammond And Chacherre
had seized the olden opportunity that
presented itself this afternoon-in-
stead Of getting" Hammond for the
theft of a car, Chacherre had coolly
fastened murder upon him!
ben is one smart man: expect he
-, thinks the gods are working for him."
said Gramont, thinly. $50 you don't
know what happened today. chi Well,
it's great news, but I've got nc time
to talk about it. They'll tell you when
they get back"
"where'd they goT" demanded the
other.
"Houma. Now listen close! Cha
cherre did not know that was in
partnership with the boss, get me? I
didn't want to tell all, the crowd in
front Of him. Between you and me,
the boss isn't any too sure about
Ben"
"Say. I get you therel" broke In the
other, sagely. II tells him six months
ago to watch out for that Creole guy"
Exactly. You can tell the boys
about me when they come back-I
don't suppose Ben will be with them.
Now, I've been looking over that place
next door"
"Ohw exclaimed the other, sudden,
". "Sure! The boss said that one Of
his friends would be down to"
"Tm the one-or one of them" and
Gramont chuckled as he reflected on
the ludicrous aspects of the whole af-
fair. I'm going to Houma now. and
then back to the city. My cars over
next door. Mr.. Fell wanted me to
warn you to lay low on the lottery
business. He's got a notion that some
ones been talking"
"You go tell the boss" retorted the
other in an aggrieved tone, Ito keep
his eye on the guys that can talk,
Who'd we talk to here? Besides. we're
workin' our heads off on these here
boats. Memphis Izzy is attending to
the lottery-he's got the whole layout
up to the house, and we amt touching
1t, see? Tell the boss all that"
''Tell him yourself" Gramont
laughed, good-humoredly. "Gumberts
is coming out day after tomorrow. is
be? Thatll be Friday. HIM! I think
that I'd better bring Fell out here the
same day, If I can make it. l proba'
bly, won't see Gumberts until then
I'm not working in with him and he
doesn't know me yet-but I'll try and
get out here on Friflay with Fell. Now,
I'll have to beat it in hurry. Any
message to send?"
Not me-" was the answer.
Gramont scarcely knew how he de-
parted, until he found himself scram-
bling back through the underbrush Of
the Ledanois place. lie
He rushed into the house, found the
fire had died down beyond all danger.
and swiftly removed the few things
they had taken from the car. Carry
ing these, he stumbled back to where
he had hidden the automobile. He
scarcely dared to think, scarcely dared
to congratulate himself on the luck
that had befallen him, until he found
himself in his own car once more, and
with open throttle sweeping out
through the twilight toward Paradis
and Houma beyond. A whirlwind Of
mad exultation was seething within
characterization as sudden and ire
mendous as the past weeks had been
uneventful and dragging.
Gramont,. in common with many
others, had heard much Indefinite
rumor Of an underground lottery game
that was being worked among the ne
groes of the state and the Chinese viii
lagos along the gulf coast. And now
he knew definitely. - .,-
Lotteries have never died out in
Louisiana since the brave old days Of
the government-ordained CANDLES,
laws and ordinances to the contrary.
No laws can make the yellow man and
the black man forego the get-rich-
quick heritage Of their fathers. On
the Pacific coast lotteries obtain and