Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-06-21
THE STORY

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CHAPTER lat Sleepy. Cat Doctor
Carpy tells Wentworth, freighting boss
bling den, In which John selwood,
gambler, in defense of his wounded
partner, Dave Tracy, shows remarkable
skill and nerve.
CHAPTER ia year afterward,
Selwood, now Wentworth's represents.
tive at Sleepy Cat, driving his buck
wagon has mired in a creek. He helps
get the outfit clear, after picking up Q
girls shoe and seen and been attracted
by the supposed owner thereof In Ey-
lsr's (the settler's) wagon: Moses Nc sc
Cracker, a youth, is robbed of $500
mother tells McAipin. seiwood'. barn
boss
CHAPTER III.-McAlpin, himself
powerless, informs Selwood OF the rob-
berry, and Selwood forces the swindlers,
CHAPTER Iv.-Starbuck, head Of the
crooked gamblers, demonstrates with
Selwood and is sharply rebuffed. Fyler
Haynes" running a mock auction q
worthless goods In the place. Bill
Pardaloe, young McCracken's uncle. Is
sngaged by selwood as a freighter:
his wounds, is looked after by Marga-
keeper. at Doctor Carpy's hotel Sell
wood learns the girl whose shoe ne
Continued from last week)
One day Haynes, exasperated be-
yond endurance, stopped his sale to
demonstrate sharply with the noisy
wagner. This nearly precipitated a
personal encounter, or, rather, 1t
seemed nearly to do so-for Parda-
loe's orders were not to fight but to
seem to fght-otherwise he would
have eaten Big Haynes alive.
Pardaloe's patience was at length
rewarded by seeing Fyler pass up to
the auctioneer a pair Of boots, on
which Pardaloe fixed his beady eyes /;
and, to show that he harbored no re-
sentiment, he promptly bid for them.
Despite spirited opposition he secured
the boots, and In the purchase he
had the opportunity he wanted. Sit
ting on the floor, surrounded by the
crowd, he tried the boots on. He
complained to Fyler they did not fit,
and called for more boots to try on.
In this way he got his long nose in
behind and under the counters, and
before he quit, by rowing and quar-
reling over his purchase, secured a
pretty fair description Of the boot
stock.
Bob Scott also made progress in
his research. He made friends with q
hostler Of Atkins, and, prowling about
in Atkins barn, down by the river,
at opportune times, he found hidden
in q binful of oats one whole case
Of boots and six barrels filed with
boots. From one of these barrels he
filched sample pair Of boots and
took them to headquarters for inves-
tigation. They matched those Parda-
loe had bought at Big Haynes auc-
ton.
The next evening Pardaloe and
Scott were sent to the barn to levy
on the stolen property. Scott, keep
ing a good fire going in the Office
stove, held the attention Of the night
barn-man with Indian scare stories
while Pardaloe, aided by a Selwood
teamster, dug the boots out Of the
oats, loaded the case and the barrels
on q wagon, hauled them to Meal
pins barn, and locked them up In the
harness-room.
Selwood repaired early next morn
ing to the store. Haynes had not
come down. Fyler was alone. Sell
wood waited until Fyler should ask
about the boots. When his impatient
question came, Selwood was ready,
made his report, and offered to re-
store such Of the missing goods as
had not been sold over the counter.
Fyler seemed not altogether
pleased. He was skeptical concern
ing the reputation that Selwood I'M
hesitatingly gave his auction part
ners.
And Selwood was cruelty blunt.
"You may not know 1t, Fyler," he
said composedly, "but you've got q
pair Of crooks in here with you.