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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 26, 1914)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26. 1911. PLATTSMOUTH SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL. PAGE November Joe The Detective of the Woods By HESKETH PRIGHARD Copyright. 1913. By Hcsketh Prich&rd CHAPTER III. TJ'ou shalt brck them with a rod of iron." NO sooner wore wo away tlina I put my eager question. "What do you think of it?" Joe shrugged his shoulders. "Do you know any uf these men?" -All of thrill." -I low about the fellow who is on bad terms with" November seized my nrm. A man v .is approaching through the dusk. As be passed my companion hailed him. "Hello. Baxter! 1 iln't know you'd come back. Where yon been?" "I'ight up on the headwaters." "1'itz come down with you;" o: stayed on the line of traps. Did you want him. November?" "Yes. bt it can wait. See any moose?" ".Nary one: n-thing but red deer." -Good night." "So Ions" -That settles It." said November. "If he speaks the truth, as I believe he does, it wasn't either of the Gurds shot Lyon." "Why not?" "Didn't you hear him say they hadn't seen any moose? And I toid you that the man that shot Lyon had killed a moose quite reeent. That leaves just Miller and Ilighamson and it weren't Miller." "You're sure of that?" "Stark certain. One reason is that Miller's alwvp six foot, and the man as camped witli I.yon wasn't as tall by sL inches. Another reason. Yon heard the storekeeper say how Miller and I.yon wasn't on speaking terms. Yet the man who shot Lyon camped with .him slep beside him must 'a' talked t him. That weren't Miller." His clear reasoning rang true. "lligharnsou lives alone away ur above Lyon's." continued November make back home soon." "Unless he's guilty and has tied the country." I suggested. "He won't 'a done that. It d br as good as a confession. No. he think? he's done his work to rights and has iiothirg to fear. Like as not he's back home now." The uight had become both wild and Mustering before we set out for His hamon's tint, and all along the forest paths which ted to it the sleet and snow of what November called "a real mean night" beat in our faces. It was black dark or nearly, so whor nt l ist a building loomed tip in front of us. a faint light showing under the door. You there. Ilighamson?" called out November. As there was no answer, my com panion pushed it open, and we enter ed the small wooden room, where on a single table a lamp burned dimly, lie turi.ed it up and looked around. A pack ;ay on tl.c tlccr unopened, and a con leaned up in a corner. "Just got in." commented Novem ber. "Hasn't loosed up his pack yet." He turned it over. A hatchet was thrust through the wide thongs which bound it. November drew it out. "Put your thumb along that edge," he said. "Blunt? Ye? Yet he drove that old hatchet as deep in the wood sis Lyon drove his sharp one. He's a strong tea l." As ie spoke he was busying him self with, the pack, examining its con tents with deft fingers. It held little s.ne a few clothes, a little tea and salt nl other fragments of provi sions and a Bible. The tinding of the l: st was. I could see, no surprise to November, though the reason why he si .-,i! J have suspected its presence ie irawied hidden from me. But I had begun to realize that much was plain to him which to the ordinary man was invisible. Having satisfied himself as to ever; article in the pack, he rapidly, re placed them and tied it up as he had found it. when I. glancing out of tin. small window, saw a light moving low among the? trees, to which I called No vember Joe s attention. "It's likely' Higliauison." he said, 'coming home with a lantern, Get you into that dark corner." I did so. while November stood it; the shadow at the back of the cIosih! door, i'l'om my position I could set' the lantern slowly approaching until it Dang a gleam of light through the window into the hut. -The next mo ment the door was thrust open, and the heavy breathing of a man became audible. It happened that at lirst Ilighamsori (siiiv neither of us. so that the first in timation that he had of our presence was November's "Hello!" Down crashed the lantern, and Us hearer started back with a quick, lioarse gasp. "Who's there?" he cried. -Who" "Them as is sent by Hal Lyon." Never have 1 seen words produce so tremendous an effect. Ilighamson gave a bellow of fury, end the next Instant he and November were struggling together. I sprang to my companion's aid. and even then it was- no easy task fpr the two of us to master the powerful old man. As we held him down I caught my first sight of his ash gray face. Ills mouth grinned open, and there was a terrible intention in his staring eyes. Hut all changed as he recog nized his visitor. "Norember! November Joe!" cried he. "Get up!" And as Ilighamson rose to hU feet. "Whatever for did you do It?' asked November in his quiet voice. But now its quietness carried a men ace. "Io what? I didn't-I" Iligham son paused, and there was something unquestionably fine about the old man as he added: "No. I won't lie. It's true I shot Hal Lyon. And what's more if it was to do again I'd do it again. It's the best deed I ever done. Yes. I say that, though I know it's written in the book. 'Who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.' " "Why did yon do it?" repeated No vein her. Ilighamson gave him a look. ""I'll tell you. I did it for my little Janey's sake. lie was her husband. See here! I'll tell you why 1 stiot Hal Lyon. Along of the first week of last month I went a way "back into the woods trapping tniiskrats I was gone tnore'n the month, and the day I conn1 back I went over to see Janey. Hal Lyon weren't there. If he had been I shouldn't never 'a needed to travel so far to get even with him I'.ut that's neither here nor there. He'd gone to his bear traps above His Tree. Hut the liight before he left he'd got in one of And the Next Instant He and Novem ber Were Struggling Together. his q';rre!s with my .Tanoy. Hit her. he did. There was one tooth gone where his list fell." Never have I seen such fury as burn el in the old man's eyes as he groaned out the last words. "Janey, that had the prettiest face for fifty miles around. She tried to hide it from me she didn't want me to ki ow. L'ut theie was her poor face all swe le and binck and blue find the gap among her white teeth. Bit by bit it all came out. It weren't the first time Lyon 'd took his hands to her. no. n-tr the third nor the fourth. There on the spot as I looked at her I made up my mind I'd go after hiui. and I'd make him promise me, aye. swear to me on the Holy Book, never to lay hand on Ler sigain. If he wouldn't swear I'd put bi n where his hacds cou'dii't reach her. I found him camp ed r way up alongside a backwater near his traps, and 1 told him I d seen Janey and that he must swear. He wouldn't. He said he'd learn her to tell on him. He'd smash her in the mouth again. Then he lay down and s.'ep'. I wonder now he weren't afraid of n-o. but I suppose that was along of me being a quiet. God tearing chap. Hour by hour I lay awake, and then I couldn't stand it no more, ami I got up and palled a bit of candle 1 had from my pack, fixed up a candlestick and looked in my P.ihle for guidance. And the words I lit on were 'Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron.' That was the gun clear enough. Then I blew out the light, and I think I slop', for I dreamed. "Next morning Lyon was up early, no had two or three green skins that he'd took off the day before, and he saiil he was going straight home to smash Janey. I lay there, anil 1 said nothing, black nor white. His judg ment was set. I knew he couldn't make all the distance in one day. and I was pretty sure he'd camp at Dig Trie. 1 arrived there just after him. as I could travel faster by canoe than him walking, and so kop near him all day. It was nigh sunset, and 1 bent j down under the bank so he couldn't sec me. He went Into the old shack. I called out his name. 1 heard him cursing at my voice, and when he showed his face 1 shot him dead. 1 never lauded; I never left no tracks. I thought I was safe, sure. You've took me; vet only for Janey's sake 1 wouldn't care. 1 did right, but she i won't like them to say her father's a murderer. That's alL" November sat on the edge of tho table, nis handsome face was grave. Nothing more was said for a good i while. Then Illghauisou stood up. iiji y "I'm ready. November, but yon'll let me see Janey again before you give me over to the police." . November looked him in the eyes. "Expect you'll see a good deal ot Janey yet. She'll be lonesome over there now that her brute husband's gone. She'll want you to live with her." he said. "D'ye mean" November nodded. "If the police can catch you for themselves, let 'em. and you'd lessen the chance of that a wonderful deal if you was to burn them moose shank moccaslons you're wearing. When did you kill your moose?" "Tuesday's a week. And my moc casins was wore out. so 1 fixed 'em up woods fashion." "1 know. The hair on 'em is slip ping. 1 found some of it in your tracks in the camp, away above Big Tree. "That's how I knew you'd killed a moose. 1 found your candlestick too. Here it is." He took from his pocket the little piece of spruce stick, which had puzzled me so much, and turned toward nie. "This end's sharp to stick into the earth; that end's slit, and you fix tho candle ia with a bit birch bark. Now it can go into the stove along o' the moccasins." He opened the stove door and thrust in the articles. "Only three know your secret. Ilig hamson, and if 1 was you 1 wouldn't make it four, not eveu by adding a woman to it." Ilighamson held out his hand. "You always was a white man Nov." said tie. Hours later, as we sat drinking a final cup of tea at. the camp fire. I said "After you examined Lyon's tippet camp you told me seven things tibuu' the murderer. You've explained how you knew them, all but three." "What are the three?" "First, how did you know that Hig hamson had been a long time in tht woods without visiting a settlement?' "His moccasins was wore out anc" patched with raw moose hide. Tlx tracks of them was plain." replied No vein her. I nodded. "And how could you tel.' that Jio was religious and spent the night in great trouble of mind?" November paused in filling his pipe "He couldn't sleep." said he. "and sr he got up and cut that candlestick What'd he want to light a candle to; but to read by? And why should he want to read in the middle of tht night if he was not in trouble? Anc if lie was in trouble, what book would he want to read? Besides, not out trapper in a hundred carries any boot but the Bible." "I see. But how did you know V was in the middle of the night?" "Did you notice where he cut hif candlestick?" "No," said I. "1 did. and he made two false cuti where his kuife slipped in the dark You're wonderful at questions." "And .voir at answers." November stirred the embers nndei t!ie kettle, and the firelight lit up his l!ne face as ho turned with a ynwn. 'My," said he. "but I'm glad Hig tinmson had his reasons. I'd 'a hated to think of that o'.d man shut in wher he couldn't see the sun rise. Wouldn't you?" CHAPTER IV. The Seven Lumberjacks. ITMlK more 1 saw of Joe In the days which followed, the more I appreciated the man and the more I became convinced of his remarkable gifts. It was not long aft r our return from St Amiel before Joe succeeded in getting me a fair shot at the large red deer buck of Widde ney pond, and it so happened Chat the killing if this buck brought us news of old Ilighamson. for we took the head down to him to set up. Joe end I walked over and found him living with his daughter. Janey Lyon, for the police had never been success ful in discovering the identity of the avenger of B:g Tree portage. The two seemed very happy together, but I must acknowledge that I feared from what I saw that the- beautiful Janey would not. continue to bear the name of Lyon much longer. I said as much to November Joe as we were walking back. "That's nature." said he. "Old Man Ilighamson to'd me that neither Bax ter Gurd nor Milier don't give her no peace. Well. I guess a woman's better rna rried a uy way." It was drawing on toward evening and l ad begun lo rain when we turned from the woods into the mile long trail that led to November's shack. His quick glance fell at once upon the ground and, following his eye. I saw the impression of fresh tracks. "What do they tel! jou'r" 1 asked, for It was always a matter of interest to me to i ut November's skill to the little daily tcsls that came in my way. "Try yourself." said he. "A man in moccasins probably an Indian has passed along. Isn't that right?" I asked. November Joe smiled grimly. "Not just quite. The man isn't an Indian: he's a white man. and he car ries big news and has not come very far." "You're sure?" I said, stooping to ex amine the trail more closely, but with out result. "Certain! The Indian moccasin hns no raised heel. These have. Tie's not come far. He's traveling fast see. he springs from the ball of the foot, and when n man finishes a Journey on the run you may be sufc he thinks he's got a good reason for getting to the end of it. This trail leads nowhere but to my shack, and we'll sure find our man there." Ten minutes later, when we came In sight of November's home, we were aware of a big man sitting dn a log smoking his pipe beside ihe door. He was middle aged, with a hard face. and there wasmore gray In his russet beard than his age warranted. As soon as we appeared he leaped up and came across the open to meet us. "Blackmask Is at it again!" he cried. I saw a gleam of anticipation, if not of pleasure, cross November's face. He turned to me. "This is Mr. Close, manager. of the River Star Pulp company's Camp C." he said. "I'd like to make yori known to Mr. Quaritch. Mr. Close." This courtesy concluded, he added In his deliberate tdnes. "What's Blackmask done now?' "lie's at his old tricks! But this year we'll lay him by the heels, or my name's not Joshua Close." The speak er looked up. and. seeing my puzzled expression, addressed himself to me. "Last year there were five separate robberies committed on the road be tween Camp C and the settlement." he explained. "Each time It was just a single lumberjack who got held up, and each time n man in a black mask was the robber. November here was away." "Up In Wyoming with a Philadel phia lawyer after elk." supplemented the tall young woodsman. "The police failed to make any ar rest, though onco they were on the ground within four hours of the hold up," went on Close. "But all that is ancient history. It is what happened to Dan Michaels last night that brought' me here at seven miles an hour Dan has been working for pret. ty nigh a three months' stretch, and tlie day before yesterday he on nie intc the office and told me his mother was dead and he must have leave for the funeral. He had a good big roll of bills due. and 1 could see he meant tc blow them, so 1 paid him and told him I'd try to keep a job warm for him til! he came back from the funeral. I gave him ten days to get through with his spree Something I'd said annoyed him. and after telling the cook his opinion of me and saying he wouldn't sleep another night in a camp where F was boss he legged out for the settle ment." "By himself?" "Yes. alone. Next morning, bright and early, he was back again, and this was the yarn he slung me. He'd made about eight miles when it came on darkish, and he decided to camp just beyond where we did the most of out timber cut last year. He slept at once and remembers nothing more until lie was started awake by a voice shouting at him. He sat up blinking, but the talk he heard soon fetched his eyes cpen. " 'Hands up and no fooling!' "Of course he put up his hands. He'd no choice, for he couldn't see any one. Then another man who was in the bushes behind his back ordered him to haul out his bundle of notes and chuck them to the far side of the fire or take the consequences. Dan saw a revolver barrel gleam in the bush. Flo cursed a bit. but the thieves had the drop on him. so he just had to out with his wad of notes and heave them over as he was told. A birch lo in the fire flared up at the minute, and as the notes touched tho ground he saw a rhnp In a black mask step out and pick them up and then jump back into tho dark. Then the voice that spoke .first gave him the hint not to move fx- two hours or he'd be shot like a dog. lie sat out the two hours by his watch without hearing a sound and then came back to C. "When the boys got all the facts the whole camp was nigh as mad as he was. They put tip $o0 reward for any one giving Information that will lead to catching the robbers, and I added another hundred for Cio corn pan j So now, Joe. If you can clap your hand on the brutes you'll be do ing yourself a good turn and others too." Close ended his narration, and looked at November, who had listened throughout in his habitual silence. "Do the boys up at C know you've come to me?" he said. "No, I thought it wiser they shouldn't." November remained silent for a mo ment. "Y'ou'd best get away back, Mr. Close." he ald at length. "I'll go down to Perkins' clearing; and have a look at the spot where the robbery took place, and then I'll find some excuse to take me to Camp C, when 1 can make my report to you.' To this Close agreed, and the two of us set out through the woods to the site of Dan Michaels' bivouac. The ashes of a fire and a few boiighs made Its scanty furnishings, and iu neither did November take much interest forth and back he moved, apparently following lines of tracks which the drenching raiu of the previous day had almost obliterated, until. Indeed, after ten minutes, he gave It up. "Well, well." said he. in his soft cadenced voice, "he always did have the luck." "Who?" "The robber. Look at last year! Got clear every time." "The robbers.' 1 corrected. "There's but one." said he. "Michaels mentioned two volees and the man in the mask stepped into sight at the same moment as the fire glint ed on the revolver of the other man in the bushes." Without a word Ntfvenibef ted hie td the farther side of the dad fire and parted the booghS 6f a sp'ruce; which I had previously seen llim ex amine. At a height of less thah five feet from the ground one br two twigs were broken, and the bark had been rubbed near the trunk. "lie was a mighty interesting man, him with the revolver." November threw back bis handsome head and laughed. "There was only one eUAj. .Hid he fixed tb revolver here Irf that fork. It was a good Muff he played on Dau4 ma kin g him. think there. was two agin him! The rain's washed out most of the tracks, so we'll go up to Camp C and try our luck there. But first I'd better shoot a deer, and the boys '11 think I only come to carry them some meat, as 1 often do when I kill anywhere nigh the camp." As we made our way toward C. No vember found the tracks of a young luick which had crossed the tote road since the rain, and while I waited he slipped away like a shadow into the wild raspberry growth, returning twen ty minutes later with the buck upon his shoulders. On reaching Camp C November sold -Ids deer to the cook, and then we went to the office. The men were all away at work, but we found the manager, to "Hands up and no fooling!" whom November told his news. 1 noticed, however, he said nothing of hi idea that there had been but one robber. "That just spells total failure," re marked C lose when he had finished. November assented. "Guess we'll have to wait till another chap is held up." said he. "You think they'll try their hand at it again?" "Sure. Who'd stop after such suc cess?" "I'd be inclined to agree with you if it wasn't for the fact that the men won't leave singly now. They're scared to. A party of six started this after noon. They wore doping they' have the luck to meet the scoundrels and bucking how they'd let daylight into them if they did. But of course they won't turn up they'd be shy of such a big party." "Maybe," said November. "With your permission, Mr. Close, me and Quaritch'il sleep here tonight." "All right. But I can't attend to you. I'm behind with my accounts, and I must even them up if it takes all night." "And there's one question I'd lie to have an answer to. It's just this: How did t lie robber know that Dan Michaels was worth holding up? Or th.ii he was going off on the spree? He mast have been told by some one. Blackmask has got a friend in Camp C all right That is, unless" "Aye. unless?" repeated the manager. But November would say no more. An idea had come into his mind, but Close could not draw it from him: yet I could see he had entire trust in the taciturn young woodsman. Next morning November ceemed hi no-hurry to go. and shortly before the taidday meal a party of half a dozen men rushed iuto the camp. They were all shouting at once, and it was impos sible for a time to discover what the turmoil was, about Leaning against the wall of the bunkhouse. the silent November surveyed the clamoring knot of men with grim humor. "I tell jou again, we've been held up, robbed, cleaned out. tho whole six of us!" yelled a short man with A sandy beo td. "Thot is true!" cried a fair haired Swede. On this they all began shouting again. Waving their arms and explain ing. November advanced. "Look. boys, that's an easy, comfortable log over I here!" The Swede answered him with a snarl, but meeting November's ryes, thohght better of it Joe was the last person upon whom any one would would choose to fix a quarrel. "I was suggesting, boys." continued November, "that there's the log handy, aiid if you'd each choose a soft spot and leave one to speak and the others listen till he's through with if! we'd get at the facts. Every minute wasted gives them as robbed you the chance to get off clear." "November's right," said a huge lumberman called .Thompson. "Here's what happened. We six got our time yesterday morning, and after dinner we started ott together. It were cord iiig along dark when Ave camped in the old log hut of Tldeson's bridge. Serin what had happened to Dan. we iigrttvt to . keep A watch till dawn, first watch was Harry's. In an hodr and A half he were to wake me. lie never did. The sml were up before I woke, and there was all the others sleeping round me. 1 Was wonderful surprised, but I took the kettle find was going down to fill her at the brook. It was then that X Jipticed nay roll of. bills was gone from my bel I came run ning back. Harry woke, and when I told him he clutches at his belt and j finds his money gone too. Then Chri.s, Bill Mavor, Wedding Charlie and last of all Long Lars they wakes up. and danged if the lot of them hadn't been robbed same as us." A unanimous groan verified the state ment. "We was tearing mad." went on the spokesman. "Then out we goes to search for the tracks of the thieves." A look of despair crossed Novem ber's face. I knew he was thinking of the invaluable information the feet of the six victims must have blotted out forever. "l"ou found them?" inquired Novem ber. "We did. They was plain enough." replied the big lumberman. "One man done it. lie come up from the brook, did his business and went back to the water. He was a big, heavy chap with large feet, and he wore tanned cowhide boots patched on the right foot Tli ere were seventeen nails in the heel of the right boot and fifteen iu the other. How's that for track ing?" CHAPTER V. The Guilty Man. THERE was no doubt about the fact that November was sur prised. He said nothing for a full minute, then he looked up sharply. "How many bottles of whisky had you?" s:dd lie. "Nary one," answered Thompson. "There isn't one nearer than Laval lotte. as you well know. We wasn't drunk, we was drugged. We must, 'a' been, though how it was done beats me. for we had nothing but bread and bacon and tea. and I made the tea my self." "Where's the kettle?" "We left that and the frying pan back at the hut, for we're going to hunt the country for the thief. You'll come along. Nov?" "On my own condition, or I'll have nothing to do with It." "What's it?" "That nary a man of yon goes back to Tideson's bridge hut till 1 give yon leave." "Bnt we want to catch the robber." "Very well. Go and try if you think you can do it." An outburst of argument arose, but soon one and another began to say: "We'll leave it to you. Nor." "Mind yon fetch my ?100 back for me. Nov " "Leave Nov alone." "Go Inn. Nov." November laughed. "1 suppose yon all slept with your money on you?" It appeared they all bad. and Lars and Chris, who possessed pocketbooks. and found them flung, empty, in a cor ner of the hut. "Well. Mr. Quaritch and me'll be getting along, boys. I'll let yon know if I've any luck." Then suddenly No vember turned to the bis spokesman and said. "By the way. Thompson, did you fill that kettle at the brrtoit before you found you'd lost your cash?" "No: I run right back." "That's lucky," said November, and we walked away in a roar of shouted questions to the canoe placed at our disposal by Close. By water we could run down to Tideson's bridge iu au hour or two. "Do you think this is the work of the same man that held up Dan Mi rhaels?" "Guess so. Can't be sure. The ground's fine and soft, and we, ought to get the answer to a good mapy ques tions down there." Thanks to the canoe and a short cut known to November, we arrived at our destination iu admirable time. First of all. skirting the path, we went to the hut where the six had slept. A few articles dropped from the hastily made packs lay about, the fry ing pan beside the stove and the kettle on its side by the door. November moved round examining everything iu his deft, light way. Lastly, he picked up the kettle and peered inside. "What's in it?" said I. "Nothing,"' returned November. "Weil. Thompson told you he hadn't filled it," I reminded him. He gave me a queer little smile. "Just so," said he and strolled for lifty yards or so up the tote road. "I've been along looking at the foot marks of them six mossbacks," he vol unteered. "Now we'll look around here." The inspection of the tracks was nat urally a somewhat lengthy business. November had studied the trail of the six men to some purpose, for, though he hardly paused as he ranged the trod den ground, so swift were his eyes that he lumed each of the men to me as lie pointed to their several tracks. As we approached tho bank he indicated a distinct set of footsteps, which we followed to the hut and back again to the water. "He's the chap that did it," said No vember. "That's pretty plain." "He is a heavier man than I am, and he walks rather on his heels." November nodded, and began to fol low the trail. Which went down It the stream. He stood at the water's edge examining some stones which had been recently displaced, theu wad ed down into it. "Where was his boat?" I asked. But November had by lioW reached a large fiat stone some feet out in the water, and this he was looking round and over with great care. Then he beckoned to nie. The stone Was a large, flat one. as t have said, and he showed me some scratches upon its farther surface. The scratches were deep and irregular. 1 stared at them, but to me they conveyed nothing. "They don't look like the mark of a bdat," t ventU red. "They aren't. But that chap made them all right," he said. "But how or whyj'' " . November laughed. "I won't a' -that yet, but I'll tell you this. ; . robbery was done between 2 and .; o'clock last night." "What makes you say that?" November pointed to a grove of bii h on the n arcr bank. "Those trees." Mio answered; th n. on Seeing lny look of bewilderment, h November Had Reached a Large Fiat Stone. added, "and he wa-n't a 'Jo p and man an' heavier than you. bur a little thin 7iap, and h" hadn't a boat." "TIumi how did he get away by waling?" "Maybe he waded." "If he did he must have left the stream somewhere,". I cx lainied. "Sure." "Ti:cn you'll be able to fiiid hi trades where he landed." "No need to." "Why?" "Because I'm sure of my man." "Is it the same who held up Dan Michaels?" "Yes." With that I had to be satisfied. It was late at :ii?ht when we approached Camp C. We jur.iped ashore and went silently .straight to the oil'-e. where the m;narer lived. A crowd stood round, and two men were holding the door; one was the burly Thompson. "Hello: Y'ou needn't bother n more. Nov." he shouted. "We've got hira." "Who've you rot?", "The blackguard that robbed Us." "Good!" said November. "Who is it?" "Look at him!" Thompson bnnced open the office door and showed us the manager, Close, sitting on .1 chair by the lire, looking a good deal dis heveled. "Mr. Close?" exclaimed November. "i'cs, the boss no other!" "Got evidence?"' inquired Novemler, staring r.t Close. "Tiptop! No one seen him frcm dark to dawn. And we got the boots, round "em in a biscuit tin n a shell" in the shanty just behind hue where he sleeps.' v "Y'ou fool! I was at my accounts all night!"' cried Close lo Thompson. November took no notice. "Who found the boots?" said he. "Cookee, when he was cleaning up. Found a bottle of sleeping stuff, too nearly empty!" shouted two or three together. November whistled. "Good for Cookee. Has he owned up?" he nod ded at Close. "Was they your boots, Mr. Close?" "Yes," roared Close. "But he denies the robbery!" said Thompson excitedly. ""Of course 1 deny it!" cried Close. "Let's see them boots," put in No vember. "The boys took "em to the bunk house," mi hi Thompson. "Say, Nov. think of him paying us with one hand and robbing us with tho other, the" "Wonderful!"' observed November In his dry way. He continued to .stare hard at Close, who at last locked up. end I could have sworn I saw Novem ber Joe's dark lashed eyelid droop biightly in his direction. A change came over the manager. "Get out of here." he cried ar.giil. "Get out of here, you and your w;hls detective!" and some uncommonly warm language charged out at the back of the closing door. The men who had been robbe.l and their comrades closed round :i3 No vember examined the boots. "Seventeen iu one heel and fifteen in the of her cowhide boots." paid Chris. "TJlat's what he that robbed in wore, and I'll swear lo that." "I could we.tr to it t," agreed No vember. "Take them and the sleeping ntuu"." pursued Chris. "It's a silver fox skin to a fed ou a convictiou, eh, Novem ber?" "Have you sent for the police?" "Not yet. We'd Waited till you von.e up. We'll Fend now." "The sooner the better." : aid No vember. "And whoever goes' 11 find four chaps from Camp B in the hut by Tideson's bridge. They've orders to knock It down and take the roof o!'.' and carry the stove into I." (To r.e Continued.)