Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-09
CHAPTER X-Continued.

AO0AAy yOu, ME. A0mplln! ne
demanded, Offering his hand. Take q
seat, sir. Where have you been ali
this timer"
Why, I have been taking a walk in
the interior, Mr.. Lane, a. I told you
this forenoon thought Of doing"
He sank wearily into tho preferred
chair, ~ he uttered these words, and
Ar. Lane dropped into another, OPEN
ing his eyes wide with wondering as
Constituent.
You've been i'll, l suppose-or ship
(Wrecked-but where?" asked Mr.. Lane,
With gaze expressive of his curious
Interest,"
No; I've been waylaid by three rum
away sailors from the Nor'wester, at
che instigation of Hank Ripple" re-
turned Ralph, in turn scrutinizing Mr..
Lane, and wondering at his remarks.
they seem to have left me for dead,
taking my purse and papers,"
And when was this done?"
!, This afternOon-within an hour, in
fact, after left you'll"
The gaze OF Mr.. Lane became con-
centrated still more strongly upon his
visitor.
| See here, Mr.. Kemplin, he said, at
has been three months since you took
Leave OF me upon the forenoon in uues-
tion!"
Three months?" stammered Ralph.
1t was now his turn to stare, and the
wonder with which he took in the pur-
port OF the agents words was akin to
eonsternation.
lone of us must be dreaming, he
puttered. "Iu go of to the Yoko-
hama"
THE Yokohama, sir?" interrupted
che agent. "She has been to China
and back since saw you! She sailed,
% intended, the morning after you
vanished 30 strangely"
Ralph gasped for breath.
Impossible!" he muttered.
And here's letter from your faith
pr inquiring after you," pursued Mr..
Lane. The date will tell you that
you'zS been taking Rip Van Wrinkle
bleep of the strangest description"
The young Chicagoan looked shocked
and bewildered as he took in the pur-
port Of the missive in question, and the
agent resumed:
capt. Cross received line purpOrt-
Ing to come from you, and saying that
fou had suddenly decided to make a
voyage with Capt. Stepp to tho Arctic
Ocean. This letter, I can now see, was
ehe forgery of some enemy or plotter,
tor am aware that you have not been
In the Nor'wester, the survivors of
the Inflated ship"
Ill fated? Survivors gasped
Ralph, as everything seemed to reel
around him. Has anything happened
10 the Nor'wester?"
She's q total loss, probably. Got
nipped in the ice beyond Behring's
Straits, after securing an immense
cargo Of oil. Mr.. Hadley started out
on scout, with part OF the crew, and
was in turn followed by Mr.. Grabell
and several others, leaving Miss Stepp
and her aunt with the Captain and q
few frost-bitten sailors. Hadley and
Grabell, with the most of those who
left the ship with them, have arrived
IN town this morning, after the great
psf perils and fatigues. AS to the ship,
Hadley fears that she has been crushed,
and that the women are lost, with the
Captain and those with him."
Ralph raised his head imploringly.
please go over all the facts again, he
said. IL don't understand"
Mr.. Lane complied, giving details.
When the narration was ended, Ralph
passed his hand nervously across his
eyes.
Il must have been ill-fearfully ill
in some farm house-or elsewhere" he
Saltered. Il know nothing whatever
Of this lapse Of time-nor where I have
been--nor whom I seen-nor what l
have been doing"
"You don't?" cried Mr. Lane, start
ing up, abruptly. Il think I see, in
part, how the case stands. You must
be the singular stranger who has been
topping at old Bullet's!"
Bullet? Bullet? That's the man
about whom some inquiry was made OF
me by native as I came into town."
said Ralph.
Indeed? Then there's no doubt
ebout it: You are the mysterious
idiot, to borrow a current phrase, who
has been stopping at Bullets. AS to
che native in question:"
Here q shadow darkened the door of
Mr.. Lanes Office, and the man under
discussion entered-Kulul
"Good-day, Mr.. Lane, he said, pro-
aucing a package Of papers. Il have
followed Mr.. Kemplin into town, and
be indicated Ralph by q nod, ito re-
pair, so far as In me lies, the imposi-
lion and wrong Of which he has been q
was waylaid by three sailors near Kaliki
Bay, and received such injuries on the
head that he lost all knowledge Of his
past, where he came from, his Identity,
and everything else
Il see, cried Mr.. Lane. The light
1s coming at last"
Finding such sppreciative hearing,
Kulu went on to rotate the whole con-
Spiracy, detailing how he had found
the mysterious Idiot" and taken him
b Bullet; how Bullet had learned his
identity from his papers, and conceived
3he project Of marrying his daughter
70 him; and how this project had duly
illuminated, through Keeri's jealous
rage and violence, in the disasters Of
tho morning.
but all Is coming out right, 1t
leeems, was tho Kanaka's conclusion.
eMr. Kemplin 10 himself again, thanks
10 his latest beating. Keeri and his
hired rufaans have been pursued, and
The girl has been recovered. Old Bull
Pct has been set upon his pins by q pint
sof brandy, moro or less. And q to my
humble self, have taken advantage
NJ thA Oauaral NnmYuofiOr <o ou%nr R,Sl