Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-23

earned the truth at last-and !
walked down to the shore with
Pierce at eleven o'clock the next
morning. The rowboat waited for
ny friend, and in it were two strong
,olored men to row. Alexander had
out on hip-boots and was armed
With a heavy rifle. And it was plain
70 see that Freeman was entirely
contemptuous Of the whole pro-
ceedings.
you're a funny one, Pierce" he
poke jokingly- and at the same
me meant every word he said. "In
he first place, coming with all that
itage scenery on yourself. 1t takes
)ne of you correspondence school de-
t~ectives to do stunts like that . /
suppose you thought that the muir
1erer would recognize your determin-
I'd face from your picture in the
scarce before you could get out the
handouts"
Rather a different reason, my
lear Inspector" Alexander answered
him as he began to slip the great
cartridges into the magazine of the
heavy rifle. ut wasn't the murderer
| was so frightened of. In the first
place, / didn't want you to leave
the scene in disgust, as you might
have done upon recognizing me.
You were doing too good work"
"You needn't have been afraid of
that. The mar was already in my
hands. And I'm glad you appreciated
the work | have done"
Perfectly, Freeman, perfectly. 1t
was particularly clever the way you
found the shirt"
"Of course, you were in the hall all
the time"
"Of course. | wondered what you
and my good friend Long were go
ing to do"
81 suppose you know that the shirt
is going to put the moose about All
MAIDS neck?"
Zone can never tell, inspector"
cts a piece of evidence that can
not be observation-disclosures | admit
he final tests as to the authenticity
IF the stains has not yet been made"
"And besides, Freeman-there are
other reasons why | thought it best
that certain occupants of this house
vent on seriously. at wouldn't help
out in the end. | confess | don't care
for DISCUSSES as a rule. And now |
must bid you good day, and go
search yonder jungle for the muir
derer of Hayward"
Freeman laughed uproariously.
"With a rifle, tool" he exuTted
I'd think you were going elephant
hunting. OF all the quixotic enter
crises! You can't believe hat the
murderer is still at large when |
have him under my constant super
vision in the house! Pierce, | have
every admiration for your qualities,
but | assure you you are making the
mistake of your career"
EVERY one has to make mistakes
sometimes, Inspector" Alexander re-
turned quietly. Besides don't
suppose you remember about the
breaking of the levee-how the muir
1erer would have time to cross the
isthmus to the plateau, but couldn't
possibly go farther"
81 remember that perfectly. But
the real murderer didn't try to cross
at all. He came back into the
house"
"Then there's the matter of the
scratches-and the legend, and the
rest of it. None of these things must
be overlooked, Freeman. And I'll
meet you both 500 after dark"
We watched the negroes row away
across the dark swamp water. He
was gone all afternoon. Once it
seemed to me that / had heard the
far-off echoes of two rifle shots, but |
couldn't be sure. Freeman continued
his Investigations. Villas walked
about on the green hillside like a
hunted man. The long afternoon
waxed hot, the shadows heightened,
the sun cast it's glamor wei all the
waste of the marshes. Twilight drop
J ped like a white mist land the stars