Part 27 (1/2)

Oakes looked surprised, then his eyes beamed in merriment. He smiled ever so slightly.

”That certainly was a beautiful charge you made over me,” said he.

He did not promise not to tell, however; but months afterwards, Dr.

Moore learned all about it from me, and I then found that Quintus had remained silent.

_CHAPTER XIX_

_A Faulty Story_

After breakfast, while Oakes gave the doctor a brief resume of our night's adventure, the two rival newspapers came out with ”extras” on the recent doings. Skinner's comments were sarcastic and bitter, and, while not actually inciting to lawlessness, played upon the roused feelings of the towns-people by scathing allusions to Hallen's inefficiency, and by reiterating the story of the false Quintus Oakes.

Our friend Dowd, on the other hand, came forward with a moderate, well-worded article that swayed the minds of the more thoughtful. The reading of his words won us more friends. Who does not like to hear two sides of an argument, or to read cool words of wisdom from one whose career ent.i.tles him to respect?

We had learned at breakfast that Hallen had taken hold with a grip of iron during the night. Many arrests had followed his activity, and the quietude of the forenoon was largely due to his efforts of the night before.

As we stood outside the hotel remarking upon the changed appearance of the streets, our attention was attracted to a small crowd approaching the Square from the direction of the Corners. There were men running ahead and shouting; then a close, compact body swaying around a central attraction. We thought we detected a man being helped along as though he were severely injured, and we clearly distinguished the words ”Shot at!”

”The murderer!” and many expressions of anger and terror.

Oakes looked into the ma.s.s of men and scanned the pale face of the injured one. ”It's Maloney,” he said, seizing the doctor and myself by the arm. He pushed his way forward as the crowd recognized and opened for Mr. Clark.

”Well, Maloney, what is it?” asked Oakes.

”I was shot at, sir,” he exclaimed, ”shot at, in the very spot where Mr.

Mark was killed; and then, sir, someone hit me a blow on the head, and I fell.”

I saw Oakes run his hand over Maloney's scalp.

”I was dazed, sir, when these men found me,” finished the gardener.

”Yes,” said two laborers, ”we found him on the ground just waking up, and acting queer-like. And here's the revolver; it was lying behind the rock, sir.”

”How did it happen?” asked Oakes.

”I heard a shot near me,” Maloney answered, ”a heavy revolver shot. I turned, and was then hit with something like a sand-bag, I guess, for everything got dim.”

Hallen walked him into the headquarters building, to avoid the rapidly increasing crowd.

”Shut the doors,” he ordered. The command was quickly obeyed, and we who had worked together were all within the building now, away from the crowd.

”Who was it?” asked Hallen of Maloney.

The man hesitated a while, but upon being pressed for an answer finally replied: ”I have not dared to mention my suspicions, sir, but the fellow looked like Mike O'Brien. At any rate, he was wounded; he was walking with a limp, sir, and I saw blood on his trousers leg. He must have been in a sc.r.a.p or an accident.”

”When I was coming to,” he continued, ”I saw him hiding a revolver behind a rock. I pointed out the place to the men when they came a few moments after, and they found it.”

”Why did you not cry out for help?” asked Oakes suddenly, even viciously, I thought.