Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-02
By EDISON

fOWDOaI i asked. on went over
in Mr.. Southley's duck canoe"
The question drew a long and de-
tailed explanation. The motor craft,
it seemed, had been procured by the
coroner, and was to be used to con-
vey the body. The duck canoe was
not large enough to bring any sup
plies, so Mr.. Southley had ordered
Sam to procure a large, well-made
rowboat to go back and forth in. AT
first he had despaired of finding any,
until the old man who had steered on
the way back to the house encounter
ed him and offered his own boat and
services for hire. He was a quaint
old character that lived by the river
at the edge of the city, and he had
heard of Sans inquiries. But he in
sisted that he be carried along to
handle his WI boat. The reason was
rather obvious. The old man was evil
IDENTIFY in need of the few extra dol
lars that his Owl services would
bring.
"And what's the old fellows
name?"
"Robin-and he talked like a
Cockney."
Southley and | were with the in
spector-his name turned out to be
Freeman-when he examined the
body. He made no comment. Since
| had given up all hope of a greater
detective coming to our aid, | turned
over all the clues | had gathered to
him. He was entirely scornful.
Like as not you and young South
ley spoiled a whole lot more clews
than you found, by tramping around
the body"
"We were careful about that, in
spector," | assured him.
II don't mean to infer your mo-
tives weren't the BEST" he went or
with a world of tact, "but amateur
aid doesn't help any as a rule. The
hat is evidently the property of the
murdered man. This cuff-linL-"
He examined the cuffs Of the silk
en- shirt that Hayward wore. ats
his cuff, too," he said shortly. "Brok-
en- off when he fell"
There was nothing more to be said
on this point. The link in the left
sleeve was the mate of the broken
link we had found.
He heard our story and we walked
down with him where the body hac
lain. He listened very attentively tt
our theory-that Hayward had at
tempted to flee from his enemy.
"It's a queer case" he told Us
then. 81 don't know of any like it
As you say he must have used some.
thing as heavy as a sledge hammer
and yet not hard like a sledge ham.
mer. Anything very hard woulC
have broken the skull into pieces, a
the speed that it must have come
Those queer scratches are funny, too
But at least we've got the murders
pretty we'll sewed up. If he's in Thu
house he. can't get away-because al
ready guards are watching the shores
of the swamp. If he's on the high
lands yonder, he can't get off then
either, except into the water wher
my men will see him."
Soon after this the body was car
ried down to the boat. The negroe
seemed all to have disappeared whel
the moment came, but Ahmad, in
scrutable as ever, and the bewhisker
ed old mar that we called Robir
came to our aid. The inquest was t
be held three days later, after the de
t~ectives had time to make their in
vestigations.
"There's room for me, ! hope?
/ asked.
Eyes"
!, at will be necessary for me
leave MS place anu 20 uaSh w ~"
practice in Tampa"
Because | hadn't forgotten m
promise of departure, besides, Their
was no further reason for me to stay
Alexander Pierce had failed to CONF
/ had just been a guest, a spectacle,
from the first, and Josephine ha
seer to it that / had been no NOR,
The announcement in the den the eV
: ening before had told all that to
plainly. | couldn't deny to myself no
much | would have liked to stay, I
see the affair to its end, perhaps I
behold the curse lifted from the Of
manor house, and to watch the shat
ows depart from those sad eyes. Ne'
err before had the thought of being
service been so dear to me. But Il
stand the girl had taken in the de
was impossible to disregard.
81 don't see why you can't g
Long, if you want" the inspect'
said. "You were just a guest here
though | will say that you came at
propitious %time-and, besides, both
the Southleys vouch for you. Viii