Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1905-01-13
Copyright. 1877. BY Rosznr BorHzEs SOFA
Al rights reserved
CHAPTER x.-(continued.)

| whole long and snort o IL.
well sail in on the capen an see
what we kin do with him." grovled
Ned seating himself on stone and
| twirling his stick in his hand. Il
leave it all t. you; take it an SEQ aow
yell come out"
Then followed another long con-
sultation among the other three.
1t was not until late that night they
proceeded to carry out their plan. The
old hermit whom they called the cap
tain was taken apart from his fell
low prisoner and seated on stone.
Ben Allen then proceeded to interro-
gate him.
"You are Captain Joseph Miller of
the schooner Eleanor amt ye?" he
asked.
Those two rogues told you that.
They know it, and it's no use to deny
it."
"You left wife at home-a wife
and child?"
"Yes."
"Your wife was named Mollie and
your boy babys name Paul?"
IL don't admit or deny"
after you sailed away so many
years your wife gave you up for dead.
and with her child removed to Fresno,
where she lives now. She never told
her son the sad, uncertain fate of his
father, fearing when he grew up he
would start in search of him, and
she always had superstitious dread
o. the forests O. Alaska"
The sea captain sat unmoved
throughout the narrative. Ben went
"But when Paul Miller grew to be
a man he heard of the fabulous riches
In Alaska and came to find it. He had
amassed quite a fortune, when he
was robbed, followed the robbers to
the woods and was captured by them
Now, the young man yonder is Paul
Miller, your son."
The stern old captain was unmoved
save a slight twitchlng at the cor
ners of his mouth, but he made no
answer. Ben continued:
Though you may have lost the
walrus hide on which the map to the
buried treasure is, yet you know the
spot. and can take us there. You
shall do it or 1 swear that your son
shall die before your face"
Again Ben Allen was disappointed,
The old man was wholly unmoved, as
if he had been talking to stone. The
captors waited about him with half
suppressed breathing, hoping that
something would occur to break his
imperturbability but they were dis
appointed.
The threat of Morris had only been
to intimidate the prisoner. He was
willing to make any sort of threats,
but not being the hardened criminal
Ned Padgett was he called halt at
the line of murder.
Boys" continued Morris, II haven't
given up all hope yet We may be
able to do somethin' with him. Let's
keep up the scare"
Agreed"
1--WE can even get a rope and go
through pretense O. hangin' the
youngster."
That's it; go through anything to
make the old rascal tell us where 1t
Is"
With this resolution more firmly
fixed in their minds they once more
returned to where the old captain sat
as unmoved as when they left him.
well, Captain Miller, have you de-
cided to tell US where you cached the
tire; ,ure?" asked Ben Allen.
NO" was the immediate answer.
do you want to see your son hang
before your eyes?"
81 have no son.
Don't you know that young man
is your SOM"
The prisoner fixed his great blue
orbs on the speaker and in firm, I'M
moved tone answered:
HE is not my son. / may have a
son living. l once did. but he is not
my son. l like the young man, for he
is noble, brave aid honest. but he Is
no relation to me-"
They were wholly unprepared Tor
this answer. The sincerity with which
it was given took everyone aback and
for several moments they stood
aghast and silent. The ex-sea captain,
after a brief silence. continued:
Even II had the walrus hide
wc Id not give IL to you. Even II |