, 1877-09-07

now u Dig one, n niue one ana saw
blade. The horn " gone, but he Eel
conviction THAI tins knife was seconC
ink, and he pat il Ia his pocket. Look
ing about still further, he saw II crack
"HsIri crack
"No, SaD crack IA wide crack be
tween some rocks. Something suddenly
'old him there was a cave there, and that
he would find the body of Paul Picra in
that cave, lie did find cave, n very
cavernous Cavc-and he went and bor-
rowed a spade. entered and dug for sew
eral hours, till he struck something
hard"
"A box, containing the bones Of Paul
"No. He thought So, at first; but it
proved to be nothing but solid rock. He
dug here ana be dug thcre-but all was
rock; and now, being much tired, he
paused, and began to suspect he was on
the wrong scent. 4 less resolute man
would have dcspaired but No. says
Foxpaw, I'll dig in another way And
so he dug off, back to town again. and
made further inquiries about what Paul
Picra said and did the last time he was
seen; and showed the iack-knife conf
dentially.
Nobody had seen Paul have such a
knife, but Sol Foxpaw happened at last
on an old lady who remembered she had
bought some mixed yarn of Paul the day
he was missed. He seemed sick ard un-
happy, and said he wanted to go to sea for
his health. This was all that Foxpaw
could paw out of her. 1t seems little,
but he thought it a good deal. Wanted
to go to sea. That's another link says
Sol. "A man who goes to sea naturally
goes to a vessel, in the first place. Moss
creek is seaport place. l will go down
to the water-side and inquire among the
vessels. SO he went down, and by good
luck he soon discovered that, for years
past, the schooner Flying Turtle had been
in the habit Of bringing stock from the
city for the dry-goods store. Another
link, says Foxpaw. What more likely
than that Paul, knowing the skipper,
went in the Flying Turtle that day to the
cityf
$50 he asked the captain, who said he
was not sure he didn't, and that some
times he had; and he shouldn't wonder.
Here is half link more,' says Foxpaw.
Il will 60 in the Flying Turtle, and make
further inquiries
"It was during this trip, only days
voyage, that he added three or four more
links to his chain. On closely question
ing the captain, the latter remembered
that on the fatal day one of his passen-
gers from Mosscreek to the city was
rawboned, swarthy, ugly-looking man,
who had dissipated nose and a several
bladed jack knife. He remembered
saw blade in it, because it was the first
he ever saw; and had said at the time
that if he was as homely as the owner OF
the knife, he should cut his throat with
it, and leave the consequences to other
people. Foxpaw now showed the rusty
knife, and the skipper said it might be
the same; and added that the strangers
name was Murdman or Murkham, and
that on landing in the city, he had seen
him at the Jolly Tar tavern at the head
of the wharf"
"Seen Paul Picra3" said one listener,
much gratifed.
"Why, no! Pay attention Seen this
ugly fellow--don't you see9"
"Yes, I see; but don't see'-
"But you must wait and see, or you
will certainly lose the links. Up goes
Solomon Foxpaw to the jolly Tar, as
interested as if he had been>P Paul Picra's
only brother
"Did he have brother2"
"None of your business-and asked
the landlord to let him look at his arrival
book of three years before. The landlord
sent up garret for it, and they overhauled
it together; and, sure enough there stood
the name, at the proper date, in fierce,
big hand, of Mike Murdman, and'-
"Paul Picra."
"Nol What do you know about it4
Mike Murdman and Friend This is
the biggest link of the lot, says Sol to
the landlord. DO you recollect what
kind of looking man his friend wasP
"'No,' says the landlord, but l recol-
lect that next morning the two had a
quarrel. They had slept together, and
Murdman was charged by the other with
stealing his money In the night. But
Murdman swore no, and, as proof, said
he hadn't enough money to pay his own
bill; and they went out quarrelliDg, with
out paying. And that's the last ever
saw Of the other fellow, to my knowl-
edge
"More links-I'm getting chain y
says Foxpaw. Went out together, quar-
reling, about robbery. And did you ever
see Murdman again9'
40 yes says the landlord. Hes
captain of brig now. He came back a
year afterwards, and paid his bill, and
now he stops here once every three
months, every return-trip he makes. 1t
is time for him now; brig was due yes
terday; if you stop, I'll introduce him to
you"
"Was the man hung2"
swell, this beats all, declared" cried
1 81 4 IL