Old Cap. Collier Library No. 379: The Lawyer Detective — page 23: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE LAWYER DETECTIVE, a ee ee feller till I know more about him. I’ve got some cattle to sell, you understand, and you mustn’t insult the.chap while he’s my guest,” ‘Just ask him to turn out his pockets,” urged Mr. Shade. ‘*No—no, that one won’t do, Nate. Let me manage it. I reckon you’re mistooken, anyhow.” The colonel now advanced and sat down be- side Don Ramon. Casting a fierce scowl toward the Mexican, Shade turned on his heel and walked away, entering the grove and disappearing. ‘The gentleman seems annoyed,” said Don Ramon. . ‘You heard him say he’d been robbed, of course ?” ‘* Yes.” “He lost a valuable paper, and feels sore about it, mat’rally.” «* And does he suspect anybody ?” ‘“‘T reckon so. But let Nat go fer ther pres- ent,” said the colonel. ‘‘ Come indoors and crack a bottle o' wine long o’ me, senor.” ‘* Certainly, colonel.” Tossing aside his cigar, the seeming Mexi- can followed Colonel Redhart into the house. He was shown to aroom where acard table and utensils for gambling seemed the most prominent part of the furniture, ‘‘ Brought these ‘ere things from ole Miss- oury with me,” explained the colonel. ‘I don’t fetch every coon ’at comes along in here. This is my private sanctorum whar I entertain my friends. Sit up and hev a friendly game ef yer like.” ‘Not now, colonel. I want to talk cat- tle.” “ All right.” A bottle of wine was ‘‘ cracked,” however, and while the colonel seemed to drink deeply, Don Ramon partook very sparingly. Rags- dale was somewhat suspicious of the colonel, and did not mean to be caught napping. ‘‘T’ve got plenty of steers, senor, and am blamed sure I can suit yer.” ‘© We'll look them over in a few days, sir.” ‘s Why not at once —to-morrow ?” ‘‘T’'m in no hurry,” returned the Mexican. ‘“‘T ghali remain in this vicinity for some time.” ‘© You’ll make yer home long o’ me?” ‘‘ If it pleases you, colonel.” ‘‘ Wal, it do please me. I’ve got the best grade o' steers on ther Big Horn, bet yer life on thet, senor, the primest lot.” Colonel Redhart smacked his lips over a second glass of wine. It was not cattle that Ragsdale was after, but something of far more importance. He was anxious to learn the true character of the gaunt Missourian, to learn if possible whether he really desired the murderer of Olive Chester captured. Furthermore, this man Shade. who seemed a good friend of the colo- nel’s, Ragsdale knew to be a villain, the lead- er in fact of the masked outlaws who had come so near murdering him on a certain oc- casion, as the reader remembers. The man’s mutilated hand had given him away to the lawyer detective on the previous night. Now, if Colonel Redhart was an_ honest man, why had he introduced this villain to Ragsdale as a detective from Cheyenne? Possibly Shade had deceived the colonel. Probably. he had not, however, and as Don Ramon, the Mexican, the man from Denver expected to learn much of importance ere he turned his back on Three Oaks Ranch. He was well aware that it was necessary to move with caution. He must be careful not to excite the suspicion of the gaunt colonel. As for Shade, the amateur man-hunter did not care. ‘Colonel, I once had a friend who lived in the Big Horn basin somewhere,” said Rags- dale, after a free exchange of opinions on various subjects. ‘‘I wonder if you didn't know him * ‘‘Like enough, though I hain’t been in these diggin’s more’n a year. What was his name ?” ‘¢ His name is Demming.” 66 Eh 3° ‘‘My friend’s name is Demming,” repeated the Mexican. ‘‘Not Evard Demming ?” ‘‘The same.” ‘* Good Lordy!” | dale, o ‘‘ Did you know him, colonel.” ‘Did I know him? Wal, I sh‘u’d smile. Why, dod blast it, senor, I bought this ranch o’ that ar feller, bout a year ago now. I did, fur a fact. So you know’d Evard Demming! Wal, that’s news, and good news, too, blamed ef ’tain’t.” ‘¢Tt makes us seem like friends, or rather old acquaintances, don’t it, colonel ?” returned Don Ramon, as he sipped daintily at his wine. ‘Wal, rayther.” ‘“Igs Mr. Demming still in the basin ?” _ The keen eyes of the disguised lawyer peered mildly up from under his brows at the man on the opposite side of the table. For an instant Colonel Redhart hesitated. ‘*T dunno,” he finally said. ‘‘T should like very much to meet him.” ‘‘T’ll see; mebbe I kin arrange it,” said the colonel reflectively. ‘*You don't know where he is, you say ?” ‘* Did I say that ?”’ ‘¢T so understood you.” | ‘¢Wal, I reckon I mout put my finger on the youngster, ef so be I took it inter my head to do it, senor.” . ‘“Then you know where Senor Demming is ?”’ **T reckon I do.” ‘‘ Then, surely, you will let me see him.” ‘Tl try’n arrange it. You see, ther young- ster got inter a leetle trouble, and has ter keep kinder shady fur ther present.” ‘“Indeed! I’d not expect Demming to do anything very bad.” “Wal, ’twan’t nothin’ wuss’n murder,” said the gaunt Missourian, laughing grimly. ‘* Murder!” ‘¢ That’s it,” senor.” ‘‘Do you tell me that Senor Demming com- mitted a murder? I thought him a fine man.” ‘‘T gaid he was ’cused of murder. Thar’s a blamed sight o’ difference atween bein’ ’cused and bein’ guilty, senor.” ‘¢True enough.” The colonel then entered into an explana. tion that seemed to satisfy the Mexican. “Tl look up Mr. Demming and cell him about you,” finally agreed the colonel. Toward night the wagon returned from the scene of the late accident. Colonel Redhart hurried to meet it, accom- panied by Senor Ramon. ‘‘ Whar’s the body ?” demanded the colonel, when he looked into the wagon and saw it empty. ‘“You didn’t expect us to bring the dead horse, did you, colonel?’ queried Benay Flash, grimly. ‘¢None o’ your jokes, Benay.” ‘‘ We found but one body, colonel—that of your horse.” é «Then, mebbe the young feller wasn’t dead ?” ‘‘T’'m of that opinion'myself,” returned the half-breed. ‘‘ Youcan’t ill Hilton Ragsdale, Colonel Redhart. He’ll turn up smiling as a basket of chips before you are aware of it.” ‘‘Dod blast him!” ‘* You wanted him dead ?” The black eyes of Flash fixed themselvés in a steady gaze on the countenance of his em- ployer. ‘“No, I didn’t; but I’d a-liked to have fetched him here and nursed him if he was bad hurt,” declared the colonel. ‘‘ Did ye s’arch the neighborhood, Benay ?” ** We did.” ‘And heard nothing from Hilton?’ ‘‘Not a word.” ‘“*Cur’us,” ‘He must have been only stunned,” said Flash. A troubled look visited the face of Colonel Redhart. Don Ramon watched him narrow- ly. He read in the Missourian's countenance disappointment, if not alarm. Finally the colonel turned away without introducing his companion. This made it necessary for the disguised lawyer to intro- duce himself. Benay Flash was communicative, and gave a compe account of the coming of Rags- the accident that had befallen him on the previous night, and of his (Benay’s) going out after the body. Colonel Redhart must have thought very much of the man from Denver,” said Don Ramon. | Flash; but, as 23 For answer Benay Flash laughed. ‘*Don’t you think so?’ ** No.” ‘** How is that ?” ‘The colonel likes only his friends.” a eee Senor Ragsdale his friend ?” cs 0.” ee No 2? ‘‘Again I say no. Colonel Redhart got sick of the fellow’s hanging around, and I believe he’s sorry now that we didn’t bring a dead body instead of an empty wagon.” Flash showed his teeth. ‘‘ The colonel must be a queer man.” ‘“* He is.” ‘‘T’ve heard that it was he who sent for Ragsdale to come and look into a murder case.” ‘‘That’s true.” ‘‘ Why did he send for him if he did not wish him to come ?” ‘‘ A pertinent question. The colonel had to make a splurge before the public. Ah! he’s a keen one, Senor Ramon. As for there being a murder, I doubt it some. Anyhow, if the girl, Olive Chester, was murdered, the man who did it will never suffer for it.” ‘You seem positive ?” ‘‘T feel that way.” ‘‘ Perhaps you suspect some one ?” ‘Of course I do. I know well enough who shot the girl.” 7 a you mind mentioning the name?” 6¢ O. ” “* Well >” It was with difficulty the young lawyer could restrain his eagerness. ‘“Tt was one of two men.” “Yes 2" ‘* Hither Evard Demming, or——” “Well?” ‘¢The girl’s other lover.” ‘* And she had two lovers ?” ‘*She did. Look at this?” Benay Flash, who stood leaning against a tree, now advanced suddenly to the side of Don Ramon, and drew from his pocket a locket! P Pressing a spring it flew open, and Flash held the open sides up for the Mexican's in- spection. There were the faces of Olive Chester and her lover. The lawyer was quite overcome at the sight, and forgetting himself in his wrath, he snatched the locket, crying: ‘¢Scoundrel! you stole this!” CHAPTER XXIII. TREACHERY. QUICK as a flash the half-breed was at the throat of the Mexican. The latter, however, threw him off violent- ly, and Flash fell to the ground. The next instant the half-breed whipped out a revolver and leveled it at the heart of the lawyer. Before Flash could press the trigger, a form sprung between the two, striking up the re- volver, which was discharged in the air. ‘¢ Benay Flash, what’s the use makin’ a fool of yerself ?” ‘“Tt was Colonel Redhart. ‘‘ He has robbed me!” exclaimed the facto- tum, trembling with rage. ‘* How’s this, Don Ramon? Seems mighty cur’us you can't git on the fust day ‘thout ittin’ inter a racket long of my men here, hat’s the trouble, anyhow ?” And now the disguised lawyer was forced to explain. He found that ne had made an awkward blunder in thus pouncing upon his cousin’s locket, which he was most anxious to obtain, and which he at once concluded the half- breed had stolen from the house of the Gid- leys. ‘‘T beg pardon, senor colonel,” said Don Ramon. ‘I lost my temper at seeing alocket in the hands of this man, that was but a few days since stolen from a friend of mine.” < You're a falsifier,” growled Flash. ‘If you don’t return the locket Pl shoot you on sight.” There was an awful look in the eyes of the speaker. The young lawyer realized his hasty work, and said: “T am sorry to have angered you, Senor said, this locket belongs to a CONMNCOOOKS.EO