d ringing at my door-bell. Hastily dressing myself,
I went down, and there, to my surprise, stood Tod Duncan. He was so
disguised, however, that I did not recognize him until he addressed me
and told me who he was. He was attired in a suit of coarse brown
ducking, heavy boots, and a slouch hat; around his neck he wore a large
red handkerchief, and he looked more like a German tramp than like my
old friend. I felt at once that something was wrong, or that he was in
some trouble; so I asked him in, and we went to my room. My family were
away at the time, and there was no one in the house but myself, and as
he looked tired and hungry, I produced what eatables I had in the house,
and he made a hearty meal. After he had finished, he turned to me, and
laughingly said:

"'The devil himself wouldn't know me in this rig, would he?'

"I told him I thought not, and then asked him what was the cause of his
strange disguise and his unexpected appearance in Des Moines. He told me
that he had got into some trouble about a game of poker in Leadville,
and that he had shot and perhaps killed a notorious gambler in that
city. He wished me to help him, as he was hiding from the officers who
were after him, until the affair blew over. He seemed particularly
anxious that I should help him to get away. Upon asking him how the
affair happened he related the following incident to me. It happened
that he was playing a game of poker in Leadville, with a notorious and
unscrupulous gambler, and that at one time when there was a large amount
of money on the table, this gambler deliberately displayed four aces,
when Duncan held an ace which had been dealt to him in the first hand.
Upon accusing the gambler of attempting to cheat him, that worthy drew a
pistol and attempted to intimidate him. He was too quick for his
opponent, however, and quick as a flash, he had fired upon him, and the
man fell. Hastily gathering up the money that was upon the table, Duncan
succeeded in making good his escape from the house, amid a scene of
confusion and uproar impossible to describe. He showed me," continued
Mr. Miller, "a considerable sum of money, in proof of his assertion, and
of course I have no reason to doubt his word. He further informed me
that his trunks were in Chicago and that he was desirous of obtaining
them. I provided him with pen and paper, and he wrote a letter which
purported to be written in St. Louis and addressed to myself, stating
that he was