The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-06-15

now for the payment of current ex
penses.
On the first of the month, therefore
to WassaQuam's order. and in the early
afternoon Wassaquam went to ILL,
bank to cash his check-one of thu
very few occasions when Alan had
been left In the house alone; Wassa-
quam's habit. 1t appeared. was to 20
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 oi
heavy pounding, which came suddenly
to him from floor below. Shouts
heavy, thick, and unintelligible-
gled with the pounding. He ran swift
ly 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 a moment more. Now that
the noise Of pounding did not inter-
fere, Alan could make out what the
man was saying. ben Corvet p
the name was almost unintelligible-
ben Corvetl Benl" Then the shouts
stopped, too.
Alan sped to the door and turned
back the latch. The door bore back
upon him, not from push, but from
a weight without which had fallen
against 1t. A big, heavy man, with a
rough cap and mackinaw coat, would
have fallen upon the floor IL Alan had
not caught him. His weight in Alan's
arms was 80 dull, SO inert, that. If vio-
lence had been his intention, there was
nothing to be feared from him now.
Alan looked up. therefore. to see if
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
on the walk. Alan dragged the man
into the house and went back and
closed the door.
He returned and looked at him. The
man was like, very like the one whom
Alan had followed from the house on
the night when he was attacked; Ger
came quickly to him. He seized the
fellow again and dragged him up the
stairs and to the lounge in the library.
He was, or had been, very powerful
man, broad and thick through with
overdeveloped - almost distorting-
muscles in his shoulders; but his body
had become fat and soft. his face was
puffed and his eyes watery and bright !;
his brown hair, which was shot all
through with gray, was dirty and mat
ted he had three or four days growth
of beard. When he sat up and looked
about it was plain that whisky was
only one of the forces working upon
him-the other was fever which
burned up and sustained him intermit-
tently.
"'Lo!" he greeted Alan. "Where's
shat d-n Injin, hey? / knew Ben
Corvet was shere-knew he was shere
all time. Course he's shere; he got
to be shere. That's shright. You go
get 'imi"
"Who are your Alan asked.
"Say, who'r you? What t'hells syou
doin' here7 Never see you before
go-go get Ben Corvet. JUS
say Ben Corvet, Lu-luke's shere. Ben
Corvet'll know Lu-luke all right: al
waysh. alwaysh knows me. :"
"What's the matter with your
Alan had drawn back but now went to
the man again. The first idea that this
might have been merely some old sail
or who had served Benjamin Corvet
or. perhaps, had been a comrade in
the earlier days. had been banished
by the confident arrogance Of the
mans tone-an arrogance not to be
explained, entirely. by whisky or by
the fever.
How long have you been this way7"
Alan demanded. where did you come
from7" He put his hand on the wrist !;
1t was very hot and dry; the pulse
was racing, irregular; at seconds 1t
seemed to stop; for other seconds 1t
was continuous. The fellow coughed
and bent forward. "What is it
pneumoniar' Alan tried to straighten
him up.
"Gi' me drink! Go get Ben
COrvet, l tell you'll Get Ben
Corvet quick! Say-yous shearf You
get me Ben Corvet; you better get
Ben Corvet; you tell him Lu-uke's
here; won't wait any more; goin'
t'have my money now 3. . .. sright
away. your shear? Kick me out sloon;
I guess not no more. Ben Corvet give
me all money l want or talk!"
"Talkw
"Syou know 1t! amt goin' :"
He choked up and tottered back;
Alan, supporting him, laid him down
and stayed beside him until his cough
ing and choking ceased. and there was
only the rattling rasp Of his breathing.
When Alan smoke to him again. Luke's