The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-10-19

wounded member OF the trio. 'We1l
get the sheriff"
Allowing Chacherre and his com
panion to take the lead, Gramont went
with them to the place where the inur-
dered officer lay. AS he went, the con-
viction grew more sure within him
that, when he lay there by the rivu-
let. he had actually heard the last
words uttered by the sheriff that Cha
cherre had committed the murder In
that moment-a noiSeleSS, deadly stab!
That Hammond could or would have
done 1t he knew was absurd.
They found the murdered man lying
among the bushes. He had been
stabbed under the fifth rib-the knife
had gone direct to the heart. Cha
cherre announced hat he had Ham
mond's knife as evidence and Gramont
merely nodded his head.
Lifting the body between them,
they bore it back to the barn.
"Now," said Gramont, quickly, I'm
off for H~ouma-lf | don't miss my
road. You men will be right along?'
"In jiffy," said Chacherre promptly.
Gramont climbed into his car and
drove away. He had no fear of any
thing happening to Hammond; the
evidence against the latter was damn
ing, and with three Ire To swear him
into a hangman's moose. they would
bring him to Jail safe enough.
"A clever devil, that Chacherre!'
.-I ,r,inl- 'HNEa'ra mn n pD inst
a gang, beyond any doubt. Now, II
they don't suspect me
He turned in at the Ledanois gate,
knowing himself to be beyond sight or
hearing of the GumhertS place. lie
drove the ear away from the house,
and into the thick of the densest
bush-growth that he could find, where
it was well concealed from sight.
Then. on foot. he made his way along
the bank of the bayou until he had
come TO the rivulet where oil showed.
Here he paused, concealing himself
and gaining "A place where he could
get a view Of the GumbertS land. He
saw Chacherre and Hammond there be-
side the body of the sheriff the other
two men were swinging open the barn
door. They disappeared inside, and
a moment later Gramont heard the
whirr of an engine starting. a car
backed into the yard and halted.
The three men lifted the body of the
sheriff into the tOnneau. Chacherre
took the wheel, Hammond being bun
died in beside him. The other two men
climbed in beside the body, rifles in
hand. Chacherre started the car to-
ward the road.
"All fine" thought Gramont with a
thrill of eXultation. '"They've cleared
out ana left the place to me-and |
want a look ut that place
Suddenly. as he stood there. he re-
membcred the slight plump" that he
had heard during that interminable
silence which had followed the con-
versation between the sheriff and Ben
Chacherre. 1t was a sound as though
something had fallen near him in the
soggy ground.
Tie remembrance startled him
strangely. He yiSlIaliZed an excited
murderer standing beside his victim,
knife In hand he vlSualiZed the abhor-
renee which must have seized the man
for a moment-the adherence which
must have caused him to do some
thing in that moment which in a cool
or time he would not have done.
GramOnt turned toward the little
marShy spot where he had lain listen
ing. He bent down, searching the wet
ground. needless that the water soaked
into his boots. And, after a minute, a
low exclamation of satisfaction broke
from him as he found what he sought.
Ito be continued