The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-05-31

But for Kentucky Jones the atmos-
phere Of that packed room had
changed. He was no longer simply a
threatened to shift the economics Of a
range. The thing that had pulled him
over four hundred miles of snow
clogged ruts In the last eighteen hours
suddenly took on a new aspect, as
acutely personal and definitely sinister
as If he had himself been accused of
numbering the man who was dead.
And now the inevitable sequel broke.
A deputy who had stood by the clut-
tered ledge where the exhibits were
sung out sharply, interrupting the sher-
If.
wait a minute! Hold everything |!
There's something missing here!"
In the momentary silence a lower
voice said: Maybe it's fell on the
floor"
what is ito" the coroner demanded.
whats gomez"
This here bullets gone, that we had
on the window sill with the other
thingsv
Bullet? What bullet? You mean"
''The slug that killed Mason!"
There was a sudden moment of
struck silence all over the crowded
room. This was followed Immediately
by rising buzz, as almost every man
of all the great number In that room
turned to speak low-toned to his neigh
Dor.
Watching the stir about the cor
oner's table, Kentucky saw that Bob
Elliot, owner of the 49, was looking at
him curiously. Kentucky grinned faint
ly at Elliot as he worked hole in
the seam of his pocket with thumb
nail, and pressed the bullet through,
so that it fell deep into the lining Of
his coat.
Over the buzz Of confusion he heard
the coroner almost shouting, "You sure
it was there?"
sits been here all the time, but
just now reached back. and"
The sheriff jumped to his feet, and
his chair clattered over backward. His
voice rose in an angry below. ''Lock
that door," he ordered. by Cd.
I'm not going to have it!" An abrupt
silence fell at the impact of his voice.
"Some Of you fellows are no better
than children. suppose you'd steal
the shirt off your own back if yon
figured it was souvenir! +"
"Wait minute, Floyd" Tile cor
oner caught the sheriff's arm, and
pulled him down to whisper in his
ear; and there followed an inaudible
but apparently heated discussion.
1t seemed to take effect upon the
sheriff's plans, for he sat down abrupt
ly, his square face flushed with exas
peration. "All right, let it go, for now.
But somebody hasn't heard the last of
this! Go ahead and give em
cause Of DEATH"
Kentucky Jones drew deep breath.
He had come up into this crowded
room to attend routine hearing. calcu-
lated to confirm the death of a man
who, however important to these peo
pie, had only died foolishly, accidental
ly, by his own gun. But now the in,
quest as such had lost all meaning,
turning into a sham, an apparently un-
conscious fraud.
overshadowed reason as he wondered
if Campo Ragland knew that the bullet
which killed Mason was not what it
seemed-and had prompted his daugh.
ter to get it out of the sheriff's pos
session. If her theft of this scrap of
evidence was not in behalf of her ia
Their, then who? If Jean Ragland was
being used by her father or anyone
else as a cat's-paw in dangerous
situation, he meant to find it out. Once
more he worked his way sideways
through the crowd along the side of
the room, this time toward the exit.
Campo Ragland had taken his daugh-
ter to Waterman's rambling one-story
hotel, and had returned to the street
again by the time Kentucky Jones.
after a fifteen-minute search through
Waterman. again located the boss of
the Bar Hook.
Kentucky strolled up, greeting Rag
land with the slow singularly infec-
tious grin that served him as a pass
port through hard times and slack
wherever he went Campo Ragland.
grim as was his mood, half smiled in
return as they shook hands.
Seems like people didn't hardly real
ize how important Mason was around
here, until now he's dead" Kentucky
began. "Of course, he naturally had
enemies"
You can't run bank right" said
Ragland lifelessly, without raising up
an enemy here and there" The boss
of the Bar Hook was not quite as tall
as Kentucky Jones, but his lean,
stopped shoulders were very broad.
His eyes were blue, like his daugh-
ter's. And though the general aspect
of his face was benign it was a face
which could set grimly and stubbornly,
turning into fighting face.
Curious" said Kentucky Jones,
watching Ragland closely, that every