The Irish standard., 1903-06-20
Mystery Of the
Bayou Woods
BY WALKER KENNEDY.
Copyright, 1903. by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
CHAPTER II.-CoNT1NUED.

Then he seemed to reflect moment,
and the expression of alarm was sue
ceeded by one of relief. The chief
had never let his eye wander from
Bills face, for it was to certain ex-
tent an open page when read Alright.
Had Boggs at once put on an air'of
defiance, the officer would have said:
''This fellow knows all about the af-
fair, but he will not tell" If he had
shown signs of fear when the officer
entered, and without appearing to
reflect had assumed a jaunty, sus-
picious or defiant air, the chief
would have been sure that Bill had
himself taken hand in the crime.
But when he stopped to reflect the
chief knew just as well what was
passing in the scamp's mind as if he
had spoken out. If Bill had to review
the recent past in order to ascertain
whether there was anything for
which he could be wanted. it was evil
dent that he was not implicated in
the murder.
The chief told him that he and his
friend wanted to warm themselves
for a minute or two, asked him a
few questions, satisfied himself that
Bill had never even heard of the trag-
edy and then departed.
"That place offers every induce
ment to a man to go out and assas-
sinate his fellow man, but this time
believe it plays no part in the trag-
edy. Our labor is simplified that
much; for where we have to examine
the denizens of the Den as witnesses
there is so much ornamental, artistic
and clumsy lying done that it is al
most Impossible to get the truth.
Sometimes, however, those fellows
have trick of telling the truth just
to throw the police off the track"
They now drove around the woods
until they came to the roundabout
path already referred to in the state
ment of Herbert Wright. The horse
was hitched to tree and the two
men began to plow their way through
the snow. 1t had melted just enough
to make their footprints as distinct
as if they had been drawn by an ar
tist on paper. Suddenly Warde called
attention to the fact that there were
two series of footprints in the snow,
and that some one elese than Wright
had traversed the path. 1t was fur
ther discovered that the footprints
were pointed in opposite directions;
in other words, one of the persons
had been coming to the city and the
other had been going from it. 1t
would be interesting to know who
had taken the roundabout path from
the city and why he had done so. 1t
occurred at once to the two men
that perhaps Wright had gone back
by that route.
This suggested an examination Of
the tracks, and it was Immediately
apparent that they had been made
by two persons. or at least by a
person who had worn two different
kinds of shoes, for the footprints
were nothing alike. 1t was known
that Wright had made the tracks
pointing to the city. but who had
made the others? Following the trail
was easy, so the two men walked
rapidly along toward the scene of the
murder. This trip through the Bayou
Woods was by no means inspiring.
The land was locked in settled
gloom and the wind took it's way
with desolate insistance through
the sombcr trees. No noise broke the
silence save such as was made by the
chief and the newspaper man, in
whose faces was wide dissimilarity
of expression. In the eyes of the elder
interest of man plying his accus-
toned trade, while the face of the
latter quivercd now and then with the
excitement of an experience too
novel as yet, even in his reportorial
life, to Leave his nerves entirely
steady. They made Il strange con-
trast walking side by side through
that weird silence of snow and forest,
and yet both were equally alert,
equally in earnest.
At length they came to the object
of their search-the thing that had
once been John Z. Wright, "the Cot
ton King The dead man lay on his
back, his face turned up to the sky
and his staring eyes fixed upon the
black branches of tree overhead.
There was frozen blood in his hair,
and his head rested in dark red
pool that stained the snow. The Off
Ger made as minute an examination as
possible without touching the body Of
the dead man. Several blows had
%lo Il 1,1,
geon. There was no evidence any
where of the use of a pistol, though
1t was possible that an examination
of the body by the coroner might re-
veal pistol wounds that could not now
be seen on account of the position Of
the corpse. The face of the dead
man had upon it look of CHASTITY
surprise, which was presumptive evi-
dence that the attack had come with
out any warning whatever.
Everything would Indicate" said
the officer, "that the attack had come
from behind. and that Wright fell for
ward, and that the murderer beat
him about the head until he killed
him. His gun, you see, is at some
distance beyond his head; his hat
fell in the same direction"
ut is also evident, should say"
declared Warde, "that some one be-
sides the old mans son has touched
the body. Judging from the disturb
ances Of the snow, which seems to be
recent, the body has been turned COM
.pletely over. wonder if the foot
prints can throw any light upon the