The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-07-04

bativeness abruptly Debated. .'Floyd,'
he said, "you shouldn't have done it."
"Of course to hi I shouldn't have
done It'll" said the sheriff, his irrira-
bility coming to the surface again. "A
fine box I'm in, now that lack San
ders is foundl"
swell, anyway, Floyd" Campo mum
bled, II appreciate what you tried
to do"
''All right" the sheriff accepted,
"see that you do! Seems to me, Cam
pc, that after this you'd be justified
if you'd stop holding information back. I"
What do you mean by that?"
Tonight over the phone asked
you if anything else peculiar had hap
pened. You told me No But 1 hap
pen to know that you got home here
Tuesday to find that this house had
been searched"
Kentucky Jones had never seen
Sheriff Floyd Hopper show to as good
advantage as he did tonight. He was
the man in the saddle here. He sat
now sprawled behind his smoke, his
eyes surly and red, like the eyes of
a bear.
"What house?" said Campo Ragland
at last.
''This house." said the sheriff. "What
are you trying to do, Campo? 1t
doesn't get you anything to stall with
me. This house was searched and some
thing was taken from it."
"If you know that something was
taken from this house." Campo Rag
land said, sits because you had it
taken yourself"
Hopper shook his head. "All I
know is that something is gone from
here-and never mind how know that
It'll have to satisfy you that do
know it."
1T seems" said Campo Ragland,
that you know a lot of things that
nobody thought you knew. I'm think
ing that maybe you know lot Of
things more"
what you'd better be finding out
is this, Campo" said Sheriff Hopper.
'Tm no fool, even if / am the duly
elected sheriff of Waterman county.
You could do whole lot worse than
play straight game with me-"
Campo's retort was mildly explosive.
Straight game? Of course I'm play
ing straight game! I'm willing to
turn face up what cards / hold
they're always face up. It's not my
fault when l hold very On few
cards."
What I'm saying is"
The sheriff was interrupted by the
opening of the outer door. In the
doorway appeared Joe ST. Marie. For
a moment he hesitated, hand on the
latch, obviously startled by the pres
ence of the sheriff.
"Shut that door," said Campo; and
Joe st. Marie came in and closed the
door slowly behind him.
what are you doing here?"
Joe st. Marie swung off his hat and
stood staring blankly from Ragland
to Hopper and back again. 81 famed
my horse" he said. 81 had to leave
the other boys to take the beef on to
Waterman. 1t would have spoiled the
cayuse to go on"
Now Campo Ragland seemed to no.
tice what Kentucky Jones had per-
ceived at once; that Joe St Marie's
face was the color of half-cured hay !;
and the bronco riders explanation of
his presence, if not altogether satisfac-
tory in itself, had served to draw at
tention to the quickness of his breath.
Campo said sharply, ""You hurt, JoeY'
mo sir. I'm all right. WE'LL don't
feel so good, at that"
"You never feel so good" Lee Bishop
grunted.
Campo Ragland hesitated, puzzled.
"You want to speak to me, Joe?" he
asked at last.
''Who? Me? No, SIR"
well, see what you can find your
self to eat. Wait a minute-what
have you given your horse?"
Nothing yet, Mr.. Ragland, sir,
T."
How many times do I have to tell
you fellers-" Ragland began. swell,
let it pass. Go feed your horse"
"Now?"
snow 7"
Joe st. Marie moved reluctantly at
Ragland's command, and at the door
he stopped, hesitating. Though he
seemed unable to speak, it was as plain
as if he had spoken that there was in
his mind protest which he could not
or did not dare-put into words.
Kentucky Jones thought he had
never seen the Indian blood of the
man stand out so strongly. The
breadth of face at the cheek bones and
the surface lights in st. Marie's eyes
suggested the Indian always; but the
blunt strength of his features ordi-
narily offset this impression. Just
now, though, great part of that
strength had been no better than a
mask.
"Well?" said Campo softly.
st. Marie opened the door and went
out, shoulders hunched as if against
the great unseen pressure of non
existent wind.
When he had left the room there
was moment or two of silence. Then
the sheriff asked, whats he afraid of,
Campo?"
Floyd, / haven't got the slightest
idee 1t might be the man is sick"
"Thar man amt SICK" said Hopper.
The blood was already coming back
to his face. Campo, something has
happened to that man, just few min
utes before he come into this ROOM"
'Do you suppose" Campo began.
Somewhere outside the house gun
crashed; and though they could not
Judge either its exact direction or dis
lance, they knew that it had been fired