Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-11-28


nj Is fitted for a skipper on it's wa
tiers except one who knows every reef.
The occupants of the befogged boat
did not know what moment it might
strike one of these reefs. a hole be
made in its bottom and they would all
perish.
Suddenly they discovered within a
dozen yards Of them a shore in one
part of which was a narrow indenta-
ton in the rocks by which they might
make a landing. They were 50 relieved
that all raised their voices in happy
EXPLANATIONS. AS they were making
their way to the landing place the dim
figure of a man appeared on the shore
and shouted:
keep off! You can't land here!"
"We will land here,' replied the skip
per, land We'll stay here till the fog
lifts"
"You won't land here" said the other
doggedly.
AS the nose of the boat scraped the
shore of Mark island the man who pro-
hibited the landing pushed her away.
A man or the boat seized an oar and
was about to bring it down on the 9TH
er's head when he stepped back and,
drawing a revolver, threatened to shoot
the first man who attempted to come
ashore.
There was a violent protest on the
part Of the occupants of the boat
against being turned back in the fog.
| rNccih1u fn fhoin 1oofh Th1ro ~o,,D
women aboard, and they begged the
men to leave the inhospitable place and
finally prevailed upon them to do so.
So they drifted away, muttering curses
upon the man who had refused them a
landing.
A deathknell had been sounded for
the secret of Mark island. Had the
man permitted the landing the party
would not have remained long on the
island and might not have gone 100
yards from their boat, for the fog
soon lifted, and they got safely back
to their destination with the story Of
their inhuman treatment.
But why had they been thus treat
ed? The reply was that something
was going on at Mark island that the
perpetrators were unwilling to have
known. The story and this supposed
reason for the party having been re-
fused a landing at the point of a pis-
tol passed from mouth to mouth. 1t
was suggested that the desolate lady
was kept there a prisoner. But if this
were so why had she not asked to be
taken away by those on some Of the
passing boats? Others thought that
some other person was held there and
the desolate lady was a party to the
outrage; but, though they differed as
to the crime, they all agreed that
Mark island was used for a criminal
purpose.
Meanwhile Mark island remained an
unknown place. All were curious to
know what was going on there, but
1t was no ones business to find out,
especially since this could not be done
except at the risk of getting shot.
More boats sailed about it than before,
and on every boat persons stared at it
wonderingly. All had heard Of the
desolate lady and expected to see her
sitting on a rock. like a mermaid.
combing her hair. But the lady did
not appear. Indeed, no one was to be
seen on the island. Yet the house was
located in its center and so surrounded
by trees as to be invisible.
Meanwhile the story Of Mark island
reached a person who pricked up his
ears the moment he heard it. Later.
when the Portland boat touched the
landing at Orr's island, he stepped
ashore and put up at one of the no.
tells. He listened attentively to any
one who would talk to him about the
mystery, but said nothing himself.
The next day several other men arrived
at Orr's island, each man bearing a
rifle. When asked why they were arm.
ed they replied that they were going
on a hunt for moose in the Maine
woods. Since it was about the LIST of
September, not far from the shooting
season, the story was believed.
One morning the man who had first
arrived, accompanied by the hunting
party, hired a boat and sailed out
through the cut separating Orr's and
Bailey's islands; then they turned their
course to the eastward.
A few miles sail brought them to
Mark island, and instead Of gaping al
i. 1t they made straight for the shore
On reaching it the 0aen cooked their
rifles and jumped on the rocks. Theil
landing was not opposed, and they
went up to the house. They found IL
shut up, barred and bolted. Not ever
, a dog barked or a cat mewed.
They broke in the doors and begaI
a search of the premises. In the eel
lar they found a complete counterfeit
er's outfit.
< The leader Of the party, a United
l States government detective, had long
. been looking for the makers Of GER
tain spurious bills that had been find
: ing their way into circulation. A few
e Of these bills had been put out in New
. England, but the bulk of them in othel
s locations. A man Of education and re
f1nement was finally discovered to b.
v the perpetrator, and the man who hat