The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-05-19

and 8 sleepy policeman stood at the gate as we left the ferry house for the road. Perpendicularly from the rail- road track rise the rocky walls of the Palisades. They were covered with snow in patches and looked as if some giant hand had unevenly sprinkled them with fine white sugar. Snow and slush filled in the space between the railroad ties. Two long and lean hackmen told us that it was "smart" three miles to the Weehawken police station. My companion muttered something about it's being only mile and hack fare being necessary ad- junct to woman's company, where upon l independently offered to pay half the fare. This was imperiously declined, and we were soon pumping over the snow covered rocks and sand to the police station. There little withered old man, in cardigan jacket and cap several sizes too large for him, on which was placarded station keeper" volubly volunteered all the information he knew about the den eff counterfeiters. It wasn't much. He knew that somewhere" in the Pali- sades there was small house, and that there the sound of hammering metal had been heard at night and smoke had been seen coming out of the chimney. Yes, the police were work ing on the case, of course, and had learned great deal about the counter feiters. They were only waiting to find out where the place was and then they would arrest the men. When they expected to find the men was a problem for the future, how near or far the "station- keeper" did not know.
 "Well, we'll take a tramp and see what we can find," said De Belle, "that is if you haven't given up that absurd idea of accompanying me-"
 "More determined than ever," was my uncompromising reply, and we started to walk along the road at the base of the Palisades. The walking was horrible, and grim smile played about the mustache of my companion as he saw me, with lifted skirts, flop ping about in the snow and slush.
 "Pleasant walking" he said
 deigned no reply. After we had waded about 8 mile I heard faint sound like the ring of a hammer upon an anvil.
 "Listenp'I said. "Do you hear that?"
 GA blacksmith shop somewhere around"
 He was right. We turned an angle in the wall of rock and jammed in corner was a wooden shanty not much bigger than corn crib. The musical ring of an impromptu anvil chorus came from it's interior. Inside brawny smith was forging railroad bolts. He looked up in surprise as we entered, and paused in his labor. De Belle cautiously questioned him about the object of our search, but he knew nothing. We took up our march again. Along the stretch of road ran the towering wall of rock, and on our other hand stretched the icy Hudson. We picked our way through the dirty snow for another mile or so, when we came to break in the wall of rock. It seemed as if the stone had been split and parted, leaving an irregular path between the sides. This path went upward at a steep angle, but we managed to toll up. It turned and twisted SO that when we had gone several rods we lost sight of the river; rocky walls shut us out from the roadway we had left. I was nearly breathless when the path ceased to go upward, and we came to 8 level. Here it narrowed, and De Belle, turning to me, said:
 "I think we are on the wrong track. This path probably ends near here. It looks, though, just like a place where my game might house themselves. We'll go on little fur ther, anyway"
 A little further, and the split in the rock became so narrow that we could not traverse it without touching the sides of the walls. We kept on, how ever, and when we had about made up our minds to turn back we suddenly came upon an open basin. It was cir cular in shape, and was studded here and there with gaunt tree. At the far side of this basin was a clump of trees, and from their top we noticed 8 thin column of smoke rising.
 "See that2" said De Belle in whis- per. "There's our game"
 I was too excited to say anything.
 "Now," continued the detective, "you stay here in the shadow of the rock and I'll see what that smoke means"
 "Can't I go with you2"
 "No."
 knew by the tone that this "no" meant no, and when saw him take a heavy revolver from his pocket and cock it I did not hesitate 10 obey. Tellinp me tO remain nerfactlv uuiat