The Coolidge examiner., 1936-06-19
CHAPTER xi

Il though man large in stature,
was small in heart and soul.
He was alone in his office when
West entered the corridor. Tod
glanced around at the barred door
to the bullpen straight ahead with
a man standing against it, holding
one bandaged hand in the other gin
gerly.
"Hullo, Dick!" West said to the
prisoner. Heard you drank too
much of your own hooch! What
aIls the hand?"
Blood poison the man growled.
"Most drives me crazy! Doc Adams
says it's better, but it don't seem
50 to me-"
The voices had attracted the
sheriff who came to the doorway.
"Oh, hul-lo, Tod!" he cried.
Good lord, what happened to
you!" he demanded as West fol-
lowed him in to where the light
was better. "Why, Tod, you're all
swoll upw
He was, in truth, badly swollen.
His face was lop-sided and even
the left eye slightly puffed.
Dam hornets got me yesterday"
he said. "Was fishin' up Big Bea-
yer and kicked 'em out of stump.
They sure are good at their job ~
"I'll say so! But what brings
you here?" he asked. Anything l
can do for you, Tod?"
We'll, not for me, mebby," Tod
said, "but I heard somethin' the
other night that I kind Of figure
you ought to know"
"Yeah?"
"Yes." You know Bluejay, don't
you? Thought so. Kind of scum,
Frank is. He's worked for me off
and on nd 1 don't trust him much,
for there's things about sim
For instance, he's always snoopin',
always sees things,
Hes been camped out north of
us pickin' berries and comes in
most every night Well, night be-
fore last he CAME to me to get a
gittle he had conin', and I got Wis
iting and he told me something
kind of suspicious
"He says he'd been lookin' for
berries north of Townline lake
Thursday and long about sundown
swung past that Downer cabin on
mis- way back to camp. He says
he heard something that sounded
like poundin' inside"
A little draft through the open
transom above fluttered his gray
ing hair and the lone prisoner in
the bull-pen leaned closer against
the bars, straining to listen.
He peeked through the window
and, Nat, he says he saw young
Holt Stuart on his knees in a cor
ner takin' money out Of tin box
hes got buried under the floor!"
He watched the look Of amaze
ment spread swiftly over the sher-
ifs face.
"Stuart?" he asked In surprise.
Stuart, takin' money out Of a tin
box buried under the floor?
My God, Tod! Why md
he was In that cabin tbs night
Cash was shot!"
"Of course, Nat, you're rot dumb
Ezra was so damnee sure that
that ankle had been sprained the
night Cash was killed and that the
kid couldn't we gotten out Oh,
we'll! The best 1 usll make mis-.
takes"
Bridger's face was gray with ex-
citement Nobody else knows
this?"
Not soul, far's I know. I told
Bluejay to keep his mouth shut"
Bridger began to pace the floor
th agitation.
1T won't do to go alone. Takin'
a man as murder suspect amt a
simple matter. AS a matter of
duty, I'd ought to have my deputy
with me-"
Yes, and then some, maybe"
Would you go along, Todr
Anything I can do I'd feel 1t my
duty to do" He rose. Tell Won
what: I've got to drag along home.
might hear somethin' there. I'll
be waitin' when you and Butch
show up"
And that'll be as quick as I can
get hold Of him. I'll try 1t by tele-
phone. :"
So 1t was that when Ezra Adams
rusty black bag in his hand. mount.
ed the Jail steps to make a call
on his patient there, he heard the
story the prisoner had heard.
Kerry Young, dog at his heels
crossed the trestle toward Vests
Landing.
A car stood before Tod Vests
house. A group lounged before the
store.
Tod West, within, had his back
TO the sheriff and his deputy. They
had not seen Young's passing but
West had and for a moment the
man felt panic come again into nos
session Of his faculties.
Young, alive and in town.