Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-04-10
into it under strain. How come VI

| SIlpp0Q!
The affable, benevolent smile weak
ened; the premonition of what was
coming deepened.
Really, you must not expect me to
remember every small detail of so dis
tressing a moment, Mr.. Warhope."
''Ehat trick of removin' the brim-
stone from the caps on the shotgun
was what I call downright smart. 1t
took a good head t. think O. that. But
amt it queer that q master hand like
that would unlock the door after the
murder, instid of b'fore, and leave
blood on the key?"
The studious quicker around the
eyes was fast smoothing out, and the
man was breathing fast. His hand
was fumbling the lapel of the frock
coat and slowly stealing down the side.
What do you mean? You surely
are not accusing me of the murder
of my old friend?"
II mean," rasped the woodsman, his
Sits of eyes on the hand stealing
down the edge of the frock coat, "that
night b'fore last / laid in the little
park and heard what was said
b'tween you and Black Bogus
Like lightning the creeping hand
darted under the frock coat. But
quick as he was, the ivory-handled
revolver was not quite out of the
holster when the heavy six-gun of the
woodsman leaped up and covered him.
Butt first, Parson," came the cold,
decisive command over the steady
barrel.
Hopkins stood just as the gun had
caught him-motionless poised on
the fat of one foot and the toes of
the other; his body slightly crouched
forward. Reckless though he was, a
man who held the world at bay, and
keen-witted as a dog fox, he slowly
relaxed the pose and grudgingly hand
ed over the revolver-the ivory butt
first.
The woodsman snatched it; removed
the caps from the tubes and stuck it
back into the holster under the frock
coat.
Sand now I'll jist trouble y'u f'r that
parlor-door key"
Hopkins scowled: whipped black
| look at the steady muzzle Of the six
gun; dragged the key out of his
pocket and passed it over.
mo- I amt accusin' you of the muir
der" the woodsman went on, as cool
and collected as if there had been no
interruption, at the same time drop
ping the key into his pocket. ''Tm
dom yu the honor t. think y'u hain't
quite fell that low-bein' y'u didn't
want is death, nohow. No. y'u wanted
i'm t. live, SOS you could slip out all
the good bills y'u dast every night and
leave counterf'it bills in their place.
you'd jist got through changin'
the money that night when e rushed
out on y'u. He tried T. shoot-both
barls-but you fixed the caps SOS they
wouldn't go off. Then foller'd the
struggle, and no doubt you was bad
| fiustereG when e fell back acrosst the
chair, dead Of heart disease. Then
y'u unlocked the door t. head of sus-
picion, but y'u must "a ben fustered
r. y'u wouldn't "a left blood on the
key"
Hopkins was bowed forward, star.
ing hard through his glasses. The
j woodsman glanced at him.
Theirs jist one pint I amt quite
clear on-did e know it was your
The question caught the other of
guard.
my God, yes! Oh, his dead face
there In the coffin-in the black night
It's before me-"
He shuddered; gripped his hands till
the knuckles turned white; stiffened
after moment and pulled himself to-
gether.
'Mr.-Caleb Hopkins peculiar
twist had slid into. his voice that
brought a quick look from the man
Addressed low y'u didn't aim t.
kill Pap Simon, but the Flatwoods
amt big enough any more t. hold you
and me both. The Milford stage
from down the river is leavin' the post
Office FIR the city in a few minutes
You're goin' t. be passenger and
yu amt comm back"
| Hopkins WINGED; involuntarily
dropped his hand to the butt of his
six-gun, before remembering it was
useless; snapped out muttered curse
and stood. glazing about him.
A grin, hard and dangerous, crawled
out of the woodsman's eyes and twist.
ed his face.
81 low we'll be startin'-now,' he
rasped.
Hopkins swore again-an artistic
little run Of oaths that the Flatwoods
call 'split hic'ry"-stamped across the
floor; picked up his two satchels and
brought them back to the desk.
empty EN-" the hard voice com.
handed
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