The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-05-24
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Copyright 192S-1934, Harold Titus.
WNU Service.

That thought burned away the haze
which envelOped him and he started
to throw himself over to rise, to be
up and fighting But he found that
he was unable to move.
His hands were stretched out above
his head; harsh bond held each wrist
helpless. He rried to kick and failed.
His feet were locked together and held
there as by a great weight.
Footsteps, then, car.e across the floor
and Nicholas Brandon looked down at
him in the dim light, whisky bottle
in his hand, swaying a bit on I'M
steady feet.
Sop he grunted and laughed. $50
you fell for it! So you followed your
blessed Dawn, eh?" He went off into
a tantrum of crazy laughter.
sit workedr' Brandon cried. Cd,
how it worked! DAWN you yelled
like a fool, standing outside there.
DAWN And then stepped into
my trap. eh?"
He sat heavily in a chair.
Its all worked, even to the weather |!
You came alone. It's starting to snow.
,Nobody's nearer than the Hoot Owl
and the smoke of burning camp
wouldn't be seen twenty rods a day
like this"
He leered.
Smoke of a burning camp! Ben's
racing thoughts connected that idea
with the odor which filled the ROOM
!. His fingers felt the strands of
hemp that stretched from his wrists
to the posts of hunks against the wall.
Surely. the rope had been soaked in
kerosene. SO it was Brandon's intent
to leave him tied helpless. to fire the
building. Then his mind GEN.
tered on thwarting the scheme of this
ruthless man gone wholly mad. {.
yeah. 1t worked so far" he
replied and grinned.
Brandon snorted in contempt.
$50 far, yes; and on to the end, it'll
work. You're tied fast, aren't you?'-
leaning low so Ben could see the cruel
lights in his eyes. You're tied hand
and foot! I'll touch the camp off.
You'll roast because this old
camp'l burn like hi itself! They'll
find your bones here; they'll find an
empty whisky bottle. That's all they'll
find"
Brandon had schemed competently !:
no detail which would implicate him
seemed to have been overlooked. Still,
fear did not manifest itself In FL
liott's heart; only contempt was there
for man so merciless. Contempt and
a stout determination to stall for time
You're smart, Brandon" he said
'I'll admit that. The plans so good
I'm surprised that you overlooked a
bet"
The other turned sharply.
"a bet?" he cursed derisively.
what d. you mean, bet"
"A little thing. 4 thing almost any
body might overlook. But it's bound
to come to light if l don't show up,
and one murder charges as good as an
other. I'm talking about letter Don
Stuart wrote me just before he died"
Its lie! Whatever he wrote was
a lie!" Brandon's cry was shrilL "He
was drunken, lying bum!
"Lies can't hurt me, you fool" Bran
don cried but his teeth ratified. "Plot-
ting and scheming, were you, to drag
that old case up and try to turn it
against me? And basing it all on the
death-bed rawlings Of"
"But McManus isn't dead!" Ben
cried crowding all the conviction and
triumph he could summon into his tone,
playing his bunch to the utmost. "He's
alive and we've located him"-lying
himself, now, in an attempt to beat the
truth from Brandon Hes on his way
back and what he'll have to tell,
coupled with what old Don had the
courage to put down in his own writ.
ing"
stuart didn't know! He knew
nothing, l tell you! He wasn't even
here! He took Faxson's word for IL
and even Faxson didn't know. He was
asleep in that room right there
pointing-"and he came out while we
were talking and Mac went crazy
and"
Elliott could not restrain the impulse
to laugh in a wild shout of triumph.
$50 you admit, as the rest Of us now
know. that McManus didn't throw him.
self into the river that night. Ell? So
you admit he still lives, do you?"
Admit nothing nothing. :.
He's murderer. tell you. :. +. And
i wasn't here He's a murderer,
tell you. And l wasn't here s.
wasn't here. :"
And back 10 the northward three
people came through the darkening
forest on Elliott's trail, bending low
against the mounting storm Two men
were ahead, beating down a track for
the girl who followed. pleading with
them now and again for more speed.
Ben needed time, now; he spoke:
I've a proposition, Brandon. How'd
you like to trade? How'd you like to
have Stuart's letter for, say, the use
of my hands and feet for a minute ?"
Brandons fingers plucked at his
lips.
'It's, no good! It's lie, but even If
1t weren't, it'd be no good In court. -
Then. sharply: "But what about Nc.
Manus? Where's he? Where's he com.
ing from? Yes, McManusI. We might
deal" = cautiously-"about McManus,
Elliott. If you'd stop McManus /
might l might
'For the letter. And for word of
McManus, might, Elliott might
trade your liberty for" 49,
He checked himself with grunt as
If realizing that he had by his own