Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-09-01

S
a Found a Dead Man over in Them
Bushes" Shot Out Hammond.
as he turned in, unfolded a startling
scene. Three men, the same three
whom he had seen from the bushes.
were standing in front of the low
shed: two of them held rifles, the
third. one of the Inventors in over
alls, was winding a bandage about a
bleeding hand. The two rifles were
loosely leveled at Hammond, who
stood in the center of the group with
his arms in the air.
Whatever had happened, Hammond
had evidently not been easily cap
turpd. His countenance was some
what battered. and the one captor who
wore a collar was bleeding c~opiously
from a cut cheek. The three turned
as Gramont's a drove up, and Ham
mOnd gave an ejaculation of relief.
Here he is now"
"Shut up!" snapped one of his
armed captors in an ugly tone. Hurry
up, Chacherre-get a rope and tie this
gink! !"
Gramont leaped from the car and
strobe forward.
whats been going on here?" he
demanded. sharply. Hammond" ;
81 found a dead man over in them
bushes" shot out Hammond, land
these guys jumped me before 1 seen
EN-. They claim I done it"
"a dead man" repeated Gramont,
and looked at the three. what do
you mean?"
"Give him the spiel, C~hacherre,"
growled one of them. Ben Chacherre
stepped forward, his bold eyes fas-
tened on those of Gramont with a look
of defiance.
'The sheriff was here some time
ago, looking for a stolen boat" he
said, land went off toward the Leda-
nois place. We were following, in or
der to help him search, when we came
upon this man standing in the bushes,
over the body of the sheriff. A knife
was in his hand, and the sheriff had
been stabbed to death. He drew a pis-
tol and shot one of us"
Gramont was staggered for a mo-
ment. Wait" he exclaimed. Ham
mond, how much Of this is true?'
What I'm tellin' you, cap'n," an
swered Hammond, doggedly. ~ found
a man layin' there and was looking at
hin when these guys jumped me. I
shot that fellow in the arm, all right.
then they grabbed my gun and got me
down. That's ALL"
The sheriff-murdered!
Into the mind of Gramont leaped
that brief conversation which he had
overheard between Ben Chacherre and
the sheriff the strange, unnatural 81
lence which had concluded that
~broken-off conversation. He stared
from Hammond to the others, speech
less for the moment, yet with not
words rising impetuOusly in him.
Now he noticed hat Chacherre and
MS two companions were watching
him very intently, and were slightly
c1rcling out. He sensed an acquaint-
ance among all these men. He saw
that the wounded a had finished his
b~andaging, and was now holding his
unwOunded hand in his pocket, bulk
lily, menacingly.
Danger flashed upon Gramont-
flashed upon him wildly and with
startling clearness. He realized that
anything was possible in this isolated
spot-this spot where murder had so
lately been consummated! He checked
on his very lips what he had been
about to blurt forth at this instant.
Hammond voiced the thought / IN his
mind.
It's a frame-upy' said the chauf-
feur, angrily.
That's likely, isn't it?" C~hacherre
flung the words In a sneer, but with a
covert glance at Gramont. This fell
low is your chauffeur, amt he? Well.
we got to take him in to Houma, that's
ALL"
where's the sheriffs bodyT" de-
manded Gramont, quietly.
over there" Chacherre gestured.
we amt had a chance to bring him
back yet-this fellow kept us busy.
Maybe you want to frame up an eIibi
for him?"
Gramont paid no attention to the
sneering tone of this last. He regard
ed Chacherre fixedly, thinking hard.
keeping himself we'll in hand.
"You say the sheriff was here, then
went over toward the Ledanois lard?''
he asked. Did he go alone, or were
you with him?"