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But, even if you do let Smith run, that 'blind tiger' of Wyker's must go out of business. I'll start John Jacobs after that hole one of these days. He holds the balance of power on public sentiment out here. He'll clear it out. His hatred of saloons is like Smith's hatred of Shirley, only it's a righteous indignation.
"I wonder why she tried to hide that old salt can." "How do you know it was a salt can?" Jacobs asked. "Because it is exactly like a salt can I saw at Pryor Gaines' old cabin, and because some salt fell out as she tipped it over," Asher replied. "You have an eye for details," Jacobs returned. "That was Gretchen Gimpke, Hans Wyker's girl.
Five days later her letter came back "unclaimed" with a brief statement from the Cloverdale postmaster that Miss Jane Aydelot had passed away on the day the letter was written, much beloved, etc. John Jacobs had no need to be warned by Asher Aydelot of Hans Wyker's doings. He knew all of Wyker's movements through Rosie Gimpke.
My sheep can't get to the water because my pasture is fenced. That's on Wyker's side, anyhow. I won't risk fording to get over there. It's as dead right now as it will ever be," Jacobs asserted. Their trail grew narrower and more secluded, winding up a steep hill between high banks.
"Say, Aydelot," Champers said suddenly, "you have more influence with John Jacobs 'n anybody else, I know. If you see the Jew, pass it on to him that Wyker's at his old cut-ups again over in Wykerton, and he's danged bitter against Jacobs.
This from a large man who held the door open long enough to stare up the open street for the sign of the coming stage and to let in a surge of cold air at the same time. "Well, shut the door, Champers. The stage doesn't come inside. It stops at Hans Wyker's saloon first, anyhow," one of the men behind a counter declared.
In the game now, Smith was to deliver beer and whisky into Wyker's hands. Wyker would do the rest. Whoever opposed him must suffer for his rashness. It was cooler in the large dining-room where Thaine Aydelot and Leigh Shirley had met by chance at noontime.
"Jo Bennington is helping Thaine, and our new hired girl, Rosie Gimpke, from over on Little Wolf. She came this morning just after you left," Virginia replied. "She acts and looks like she'd never had a kind word spoken to her." "Rosie Gimpke must be Hans Wyker's granddaughter. There's a nest of them over on Little Wolf.
Carey has gone West for a vacation and John Jacobs is raising cain over at Wykerton because a hired hand, just a waif of an orphan boy, got drunk in Hans Wyker's joint and fell into Big Wolf and was drowned. Funny thing about it was that Darley Champers came out against Wyker for the first time. It may go hard with the old Dutchman yet.
I'd like to get out of town a little while. That joint of Wyker's has seen more'n one fellow laid out, and some of 'em went down Big Wolf later, and some of 'em fell into Little Wolf and never come out. It's a hole, I tell you. And Smith is a devil tonight." On the homeward way Dr. Carey said quietly: "By the way, Champers, I saw you at Cloverdale, Ohio, last week."
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