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

days, patiently, for the next link, and
then the brig came to port, and Murd-
man came to the tavern, and the land
lord introduced him to Foxpaw, over a
glass, and they sat down to talk. Sol
was usually cool fellow, but, as he
afterward said, he had his scruples about
sitting down and talking with a murder
eI, and he felt very pale and nervous,
considering the critical business he was
on. Sol eyed him carefully all over, and
he seemed tolook homelier and homelier
the more he examined him. He thought
of poor Paul Picra, and felt ashamed of
himself because he had been drinking in
friendly manner with this monster, who
for three years had escaped being hung,
and who no doubt imagined he should
escs pc forever.
al have drank with him, thinks
Sol, but it was means to an end; and,
as that end is ropes end, shouldn't
feel ashamed; but must begin to gather
up more links, however | FEEL And
pretty soon he had good opening"
"'Do you chew?' says Mike Murd-
man.
"'I do, says Sol, holding out plug;
and if you don't like to bite it off, here's
a knife to cut it, Andhe pulled out the
rusty Jackknife he had found in the
woods.
Whats this?' says Mike, staring at
the knife, just as Sol expected he would.
"'Only a knife l found, says Sol.
Perhaps you've lost one. Does it be-
long to your
"'To me?' says Mike, looking at it
with shudder and coloring up. L
guess not. Take it back. Horrible.
don't cut tobacco with such knife as
thatr
t' You needn't be afraid. 1t is rusty
but you don't think there's blood on it,
do your
dc Blood?' says Mike, with another
shudder.
"' Yes, blood repeats Sol, severely.
AS l told you, found that knife, and
who knows but there's blood, and human
blood, on it, which makes it so rusty?
The murderer might have thown it
away after he had done the deed,
mightn't he? and thought nobody would
find it?'
Glow should know?'
"' 1t is an old knife continues Sol,
but an older head owned it, | reckon.
Yet the oldest heads are liable to get out
of their latitude and longitude. Now, you
are a seafaring man, and have you ever
been to Mosscreek|
Mosscreek? Well, Imay say have,
once
=" And more, too
" No Only once
"ODly once. And what did you go
there for?'
"I didn't go there for" says Mike,
with a kind of sheer, as if he was mad
to be so questioned; and Sol said he
looked confused. 4 didn't go there for
anything. Igot drunk-stepped aboard
the vessel by accident
"By accident? A stranger there?
Then you don't remember young clerk,
Paul Picra?'
"No.'
-" Nor the woods that cave?'
"'No.'
81 thought not. Short memory, l sup
pose|
"' You ask great many questionsr'
now says Mike. Are you crazy? You
are very pale
"' 1t is you who are pale says Sol;
and want you to answer me some more
questions
"'N Not another word till you take
more brandy says Mike. You need it.
"'O One word for me and two for him
self, thought Sol. His guilt makes him
faint, and he wants glass to stiffen him
up. I'm willing. More drink will make
him less cautious
$50 he agreed, and they drank two or
three times more. He seemed to gulp
it down like fish, Sol said, and |
thought I should soon get him drunk.
But, instead of that, | got t1oored my
self. | lost all consciousness and was
put to bed, and the next day was una
bic to find him anywhere. Suspecting
that he had got the start of me, and had
fled out of my reach for the present, |
now thought, says old Sol, that the best
thing that could do was to go back to
Mosscreek for day, and have talk with
Paul's old employer and the town author
tiles So Solomon FoXpaw did go back,
and told them all that he had discovered
and heard; and what do you think? They
actually laughed in his face, and said
that all these links, which he had taken
so much pains to get together, amounted
to nothing"
"That was all they knew" exclaimed
Daniel Wonders indignanthearers. "But
how did Solomon Foxpaw get hold of the
slippery murderer at last?"
He didn't get hold him." said Daniel
Wonder.
"No?"
"No. What the authorities said dis,
couraged him, and then he resolved that
he would not pursue the search any fur.
Their"
but who did get the murderer?"
Nobody"
"Then who found the body of Pau,
Picra?"
Everybody. For, on the very day
when Foxpaw gave up the search, Pau
Picra came back to Mosscreek, safe ant
sound"
What! Then he wasn't murdered a
all?"
Why, no! l told you in the frs
Mace that il was q rpOort Rut IL