White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-04-16
THE SHERIFFS OF COUGAR
"A Story the Mountains"
BY ROBERT j. PEARsALL
i Observation-Disclosures
Continued from last week.
"A Story Of the MOUNTAINS
BY ROBERT J. PEARsALL


Continued from last week.
A sob closed her throat. Helme was
listening to her with twisted smile.
you'll remember that" he said to his
deputy, and the woman, realizing what
CHASTITY meaning might be read into
her words, turned bloodless face to
her husband and clutched at his arm
It'll be all right, Amy" he said
soothingly to her; It'll be all right
Both realized vaguely that her words
should be explained, but sickening
helpless anger and fear held them
both silent. Meanwhile Helme and
his deputy searched the room swiftly
and thoroughly, even stripping the
bedding from the child's crib. Behind
a curtain in corner of the room
Helme found a pair of heavy boots.
He studied their hobnailed soles for
a moment, and then turned grimly tc
Arnett
"Yours?"
Eyes"
"Take care of 'em. Jack. Take good
care of EN-"
Something in Helme's tone caused
Clark's spirits to sink another notch.
He had been explaining to Arnett
slowly and carefully the contents of
the accusatory letter, but now dis
covered that Arnett was not listen
ing to him. Such inattentiveness
seemed suspicious, but really Arnett
had understood everything Clark had
to tell from his second sentence.
Now both watched Helme, who was
standing in the middle Of the room
looking about with questioning eyes.
| Suddenly Helme darted look
over his head, and calculated hope
fully when he discovered that this
room differed from the others in
that it was rudely ceilinged. In the
middle Of the ceiling was a square
opening used for ventilation when
| Illc SCOIlllS 6Sdlcu IAC WlAuOWo. IL
was covered by an unhinged door,
which Helme, standing on the table,
was the next moment pushing aside.
| Then, after testing the ceiling, he
swung himself agilely up into the
attic.
Look after him, Jack" he called
down to his deputy; "help Clark
look after him; don't give him a
chance at his gum" For awhile they
heard him crawling about in what
must have been near darkness. Pres
emily small canvas sack, such as
miners used for their dust, thudded
down upon the table. 1t was almost
full.
Helme followed it and jumped to
the floor, while Arnett stared at the
sack in utter stupefaction
"Arnett, I'm sorry" said Helme
evenly. But If this is Washburn's
gold You know, he's the only
miner that's used a cradle so far this
spring. 1t isn't like PANIED gold-the
fine grains are lost. Any miner can
swear to the grain of It,"
i Helme united the running cord at
the sack and spilled a small quantity
Of its contents into the palm of his
hand
Arnett looked at it and Helme a
bitter instant. Then, without word
for what good would words do in
such case?-he struck Helme
swiftly and hard on the side of the
face and sent him spraying. Clark
grabbed for him and the deputy
gun flashed out. but Arnett made
no further movement-only watched
Helme closely as he came to his feet
It'll be more satisfaction to see
you hung" Helme said with deadly
smile, thrusting his instantly drawn
gun back into it's holster
Arnett did not reply. He noticed
now how doubtfully Clark was re.
garding him. The little girl, crying
frightenedly, was clinging to him
his wife also, but he put them both
away from him gently. Don't
worry, ma'am," he heard Clark say.
ing comfortingly, IF them boots
don't fit the tracks, He broke off
and added vaguely: you see, the
gold might've been planted on him
But the letter with his name in, and
the tracks, too
They left the house. Arnett tried
to persuade his wife to stay behind
but she would not. Helme walked
behind Arnett with one hand near his
holster; his deputy carried the sack
of gold and the boots, and Clark kept
company with the woman and the
child, who followed by Helme's order
a little distance behind. So the crowd
waiting in the muddy trail before the