The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-07

"PerllouS Place, you suppose! NO,
Paul Picra he supposed; for he knew
what to suppose. He certainly cut
those letters, Foxpaw felt convinced
and he put down p p as his first link
Now says he, I've got something to
work on and he felt encouraged
Looking about him little sharper, as if
| Providence had directed him, he found a
rusty jackknife, which had had ten
blades. 1t had three now; a big one, a
little one. and saw blade. The horn
was gone; but he felt a conviction that
this knife was a second link, and he put it
in his pocket. Looking about still further
he saw a crack"
Heard a crack"
"No! Saw crack-a wide crack be-
tween some rocks. Something suddenly
told him there was a cave there, and that
he would find the body of Paul Picra in
that cave-a very cavernous cave-and
he went and borrowed a spade, entered,
and dug for several hours, till he struck
something hard"
GA box, containing the bones of Paul. u
"No. He thought SO at first; but it
proved to be nothing but solid rock. He
dug here and he dug there-but all was
rock, and now, being much tired, he
paused, and began to suspect he was on
the wrong scent. A less resolute man
would have despaired, 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 jackknife conf
dentially.
"Nobody had seen Paul have such a
knife, but Sol FoXpaw happened at last
on an cid lady who remembered she had
bought some mixed yarn of Paul the day
he was missed. He seemed sick and I'M
happy, and said he wanted to go to sea
for his health. This was all that Fox
paw 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. Mosscreek is a seaport place.
will 90 down to the watersi and in
quire among the vessels So he went
down, and by good luck he soon discOv-
cred 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 Fox
paw. What more likely than that Paul,
knowing the skipper, went in the Flying
Turtle that day to the city?'
So 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.
{ l will go in the Flying Turtle and make
further inquiries.
1t 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 q
w-boned, swarthy, ugly-looking man,
who had dissipated nose and several
bladed iack-knife. He remembered a
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 Murkman, and
that on landing in the city he had seen
him at the Jolly Tar Tavern at the head
of the wharf"
"Seen Paul Picra:" said one listener,
much gratified.
Why, no! Pay attention! Seen this
ugly fellow-don't you see?"
Yes, 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 in
terested as if he had been Paul Picra's
only brother"
Odd he have brother?"
"None of your business-and asked
the landlord to let him look at his arrival
book of three years before. The land
lord sent to the garnet 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."
ono! What do you know about tt
Mike Murdman and friend This is
the biggest link of the lot said Sol tC
the landlord. DO you recollect what
kind of looking man his friend was?'
{" No. says the landlord, but Irecol
lect that next morning the two had {
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 owr
bill; and they went out, quarreling, with
out paying. And that's the last l evel
saw of the other fellow, to my knowl
edge
GO More links-rm getting chainp
says Foxpaw. Went out together, quar-
reling about robbery. And did you evel
see Murdman again?'
$50 yes says the landlord. He's
Captain of brig now. He came bach
a year afterward and paid his bill, ant
now he stops here once every three
months, every return trip he makes. 1
is time for him now; brig was due yes
terday; if you stop I'll introduce him t(
you"
Was the man hhng?"
"Well, this beats all, declarew crieC
Daniel Wonder, exasperated. =" Her,
you are wanting to get at the end of thu