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His shack was his tabernacle of justice There he sat, hands folded, and gave out his decisions, his advice, his sentences He sat until otheronly for his et out of heat or storm, he was a fixture on the porch of the Good Old Queen Bess For hours he would stare at the river, his pale eyes never see to blink For hours he would remain without a , fat, e was sleeping at his feet or dragging hiers elected to make a journey to the little store where he bartered for food and necessities
It was Father Layonne who ca after Kent's unsuccessful atteht An hour later it was Father Layonne who traveled the beaten path to the door of Dirty Fingers' shack If a visible eers' face, it hen the little missioner caue let itself loose, and until late at night they talked ofFather Layonne did not coers learned what that business was, he shook his head disconsolately, folded his fat arhtly over his sto to see Kent It was not his custom People must come to him And he did not like to walk It was fully a third of a mile from his shack to barracks, possibly half a ht to him-In his cell Kent waited It was not difficult for him to hear voices in Kedsty's office when the door was open, and he knew that the Inspector did not coone on his ers Usually he was at the barracks an hour or so earlier
Kent ure out a reason for Kedsty's lateness, but he did observe that after his arrival there was more than the usual movement between the office door and the outside of the barracks Once he was positive that he heard Cardigan's voice, and then he was equally sure that he heard Mercer's He grinned at that He , for Mercer would be in no condition to talk for several days He was glad that a turn in the hall hid the door of the detachment office from him, and that the three cells were in an alcove, safely out of sight of the curious eyes of visitors He was also glad that he had no other prisoner for company His situation was one in which he wanted to be alone To the plan that was for itself in his mind, solitude was as vital as the cooperation of Alexander Toppet Fingers