Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-09

We didn't waste any more time.
We fastened down the f%ootpath. AL
though the night had fallen, the
darkness was nothing of the infiure
as he walked ten PAGES in front of
me. l could detect the shadows
that were the stables and garages,
and the nearer of the cottages Of the
colored f%armhands. And then at the
same instant, both of us saw another
shadow.
Some ole was standing perfectly
still on the hillside. OF course We
couldn't see plain. He was possibly
fifty feet distant; and if we had not
possessed such an accurate know
ledge Of the geography of the hill
he might have easily been mistaken
for a shrub or stump. He was do
ng that which all hunters learn to
do, standing perfectly still to avoid
detection. He was trusting to the
shadows to obscure him.
We both stopped on the trail.
"Who'S there" the detective de-
manded. The shadow did not answer.
"Who's there? Answer or III
shoot Freeman insisted. He start
ed cross the turf toward him. And
as a der springs no other sped
low tn ~! n fight.
There was something startling in
the speed with which he ran. We
flung out in pursuit, Freeman firing
his pistol in the air. But even if he
had WISHED, it would have been i'm
possible, except by the blindest luck
or the detective to have hit the
fugitive. A pistol is never accurate
1t long range, and few marksmen
AN shoot at all in the darkness. In
an instant our quarry faded, slipped
lway and melted in the shadows.
We ran and cried out and hunted
over the hill in vain. And after a
while we met again, on the path.
IF that doesn't beat the deyili'
The detective greeted me. He was
painting, and he swore softly be-
tween his gasps. Long, there's
plenty of things yet, about this case,
that don't know"
"Do you think that was Ahmad?"
couldn't have been. The Hindu
was in the house when we left. But
here isn't any doubt but that he
committed the crime. Pm sure Of
that much, anyway. And now there's
nothing to do but go down and find
hat stone that the colored mar told
us about
We found the place where the
cody had been found, and struck off
fifty yards directly to the left. The
detective flashed his light about.
It was the only white rock in the
vicinity, and it could not be mistak-
IN. He knelt quickly beside it.
Then he got up with a little snort
Of disgust. "That colored man was
razy. Nothing here-but by the
Lordt" He scarcely breathed as he
ubbed his hand over tho surface of
he rock. He bent uatil his eyes
we're within a few inches Of its rough
face.
what now" | asked.
Somebody's beat us to it., that's
I'll. This rock has just been washed
,ff, with water. Either there's an
lther amateur detective around This
llace-clcaned off the clots to make
olod tests-or else the walls Of that
I'D house have ears!"
what do you Think"
"NNhat else is there to think but
hat some ore came down here and
destroyed the evidence?"
Freeman made a close examination
If the soil about the rock. The mar
who had preceded us had left one
lew at least. There was a bare bill
If soil just beside the stone where
o grass had grown, and in it We
'ound the clear, sharp imprint of .
mans heel.
But it might be the track of the
!, ,olored mar that told us about it,
| suggested.
"And it might not be, too. If
lon't do anything else | ought to, at
least, observe who I'm talking to, ano
I'll about him. That darky was bare
, loot"
"Then it's the track of the man
We chased a moment ago."
"0f course. He'd come up here
Just before we did. IIe either col
ected the evidence for some anna
-eur experiments Of his own, or