Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-04-16
CHAPTER XIV.-Continued.

CHAPTER XIV.-Continued.
Then came another surprise, for sud
denly Old Cy caught sight of a man
just emerging from behind a rock fully
ten rods from the rising smoke; he
stopped, lifted a canoe into view, ad-
vanced to the shore, slid it halfway
into the water, returned to the rock,
picked up a rifle, then pushed the
fshed into the outlet.
The two watchers on the ridge eX.
changed chances.
He's goin' to tend his traps, an
mebbe ourn," Old Cy said at last, and
then led the way back to their bark
shack. Here he halted, and placing
one hand scoop-fashion over his ear,
listened %intently until he caught the
canoe gunwale. First slightly, then a
more distinctive thud. and then less
and less until the sound ceased.
THE coasts clear, ne added, now
III OIL IAullulll Wlll0DCl, al WHO llIC
old cats away We'll take a peek at his
den
A hurried gathering of their few be-
longings was made, the canoe was
showed into the lagoon, and no time
was lost until the lake was crossed
and they drew along side of where the
smoke was still rising in a thin film.
No landing was possible here, for the
shore was a sheer face of upright
slate, and only where this lone trap
per had launched his canoe could they
make one.
From here a series of o%utcropping
slate lodges rose one above another,
and between them and parallel to the
shore, narrow, irregular passages par
italy closed by broken rock. 1t was
all of slaty formation, Jagged, serrated
and gray with moss.
Following one of these passages, Old
Cy and Ray came to the ledge out of
which the smoke was rising from a
crevasse. 1t was a little lower than
one in front, perhaps 40 feet in
breadth, double that in length, and of
a more even surface. At each end vas
a short transverse passage hardly
wide enough to walk in, and a few feet
deep.
And now, after a more careful ex-
animation of the creVasse out of which
the thin film of smoke rose, Old Cy
began a search. Up and down each
narrow passway he peeped and peer
ed, but nowhere was a crack or
a to be found in their walls. In
places they were as high as his head,
sheer faces of slate, then broken, SER
rated, moss-coated, or of yellow, rusty
color. Here and there a stunted spruce
had taken root in some crack, and
over, back from the topmost ledge,
this green enclosure began and con-
tinued up the low mountain. Here,
also, in a sunny nook below this belt
pie signs of a trapper's occupation in
the way of pelts stretched upon forked
sticks and hanging from a cord cross.
ing this niche. They were of the
usual species found in this wilderness
"a dozen muskrat, with a few mink
and otter skins and one lynx.
Another sign of human presence
was also noted, for here a log showing
ak marks, with split wood and chips
all about, was seen.
Some O. them pelts is ourn," Ole
Cy calculated, glancing at the array
IAN I've a notion we'd best hook or
to EN-. Mebbe not, though he added
a moment later, 1T might git us into
more trouble"
But Ray was getting more and more
uneasy each moment since they hat
landed there. It seemed to him a mos
dangerous exploit, and while Old Cy
had hunted over this curious confusion
of slate lodges and stared at the risint
film of smoke, Ray had covertly
watched the lakes outlet.
Il don't think we'd better stay her,
much longer" he said at last. wv,
can't tell how soon that man ma,
come back and catch US"
Guess you're right" Old Cy assert
ed %terseiy, and after one more look a
the inch-wide crack out of which thu
smoke rose, he led the way to thei
"Thar's a cave thar, sure's a gun,
he muttered, as they skirted the bolt
shore ono more, IAN that smoke
comm out ont. / wish I dared sta!
here a little longer n hunt fer It,"
Old Cy was right, there was a cav
there beneath the slate ledge-in fact
two caves; and In one, safe and sc
cure, as it's owner the notorious Nc
CURE believed, were concealed thu
savings Of his lifetime.