Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-23

:
us up short with sharp Hist" As
We strained our eyes into blackness
we made out the shape of an automo-
bile just ahead. It's lights had been
eXtinguished and its engine was dead
Wait here" Davis again command
ed as he crept silently toward it to
make sure that the tonneau was IN,
occupied. He was back with us in a
minute.
Let me have that lamp Of yours
Kent" he whispered, at the same time
lighting cigarette.
rs that safe?" / exclaimed in sur
prise, amazed that he would dare to
smoke when he had been taking such
precautions against our being discov.
cred.
Sure" he replied laconically. who,
ever was in that automobile is at least
half a mile away by now. The glass
on the front lamps is nearly cold
want to see the number, though. We
may find it useful"
Taking my little electric lamp he ad-
vanced toward the machine again,
flashing the light for a second on the
number, and then peering by its light
into the tOnneau, exclaiming as ne
Strengthened up: = thought So"
If it was safe for him to smoke, the
constable and l felt that it was safe
for US, too, to relax our precautions,
and together we had advanced until
We We're beside him.
What did you flnd?" I asked. won
dering at his exclamation.
What l expected" he replied en-
igmatlcally.
The manner of his answer provoked
NE and | determined then and there
to have It out with him.
Look here. Davis" I said; Il
brought you into this case and l DO not
like the way you have acted about it.
I have freely told you everything !
have discovered and have aided you
in every way / can. Before go a step
farther on this trip l want to know
more about it,"
What is it you wish to know" he
asked. The constable edged nearer
for fear he might miss something of
our conversation.
First, where are we going?"
ITO what is known as the deserted
cottage, about a half mile farther on,
at the edge of this clearing, a shack
that was built for a shelter for lum-
bermen or quarrymen-which was it,
Dodds?"
Built for one and used by t'other, "
the constable replied, but faint been
used by either, so far as l know, for
dozen years"
How do you know the missing post
master is there?"
Traced him
How"
Bicycle tracks" he answered with
a chuckIe You were not the only
person who discovered that Rouser,
when he disappeared, went on bicycle.
In fact, Kent, you are a little slow as
a detective. BY the time you had as
certained that much, I ascertained
where the bicycle tracks led to and
had even gone so far as to have Dodds
get warrants for Rouser and his ac-
complete"
I still do not see how you got evil
dence enough to get a warrant for
CrandaH. Did you find him out here
with the missing postmaster"
I didn't say l had a warrant for
Crandal," replied the inspector sharp
ly. Did you ever hear of a John Doe
warrant?"
How do you know they are out here
nOw?" l asked.
We'll soon find out Come on" he
answered. starting across the clearing
almost at a dog-trot
There were many more questions I
wanted to put to him. but there was
no opportunity, and, besides, l doubted
much if he would have answered them
At first he made little effort to move
quietly, but after We had gone a
quarter of a mile or more he called
back in whisper, Quietly now"
We had come to a path which led
us through short thick growth of un
derbrush. As noiselessly as Indians
following a trail We felt our way along
the silence broken now and then by
the sound of a bough bent back, or q
rustling leaf. Soon the path brought
US out on some rising ground Not fifty
yards ahead of us appeared the de
serted cottage.
That's it." whispered Dodds.
SSH" answered Davis. "Wait
herei"
We stopped there just at the edge
Of the underbrush, peering into the
darkness, straining our eyes to SEE
and our ears TO hear. From the one
window in the side of the one-story
log hut dim light shone, proving tha
the place was either occupied or haC
been very recently. AS we became
more and more accustomed to tht
darkness l could see that there were
apparently two paths, the one OF
which we We're standing and another
leading off at about right angle.
AS we looked and listened I heard
sharp crack, like the breaking of
rwig that had been stepped on.
The sound, so far as | could judge
came from the other path, APPARENT,
a hundred feet away from the cottage
l turned toward Davis and saw tina