Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-12-22

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Stafford raised his thumb over his
shoulder. "In the scrub above
here"
Joe nodded. "Well, let's go to his
camping place and boil the kettle.
He'll sure have a bit Of fire there"
Joe stirred the smouldering logs
into life, but in doing so was so un-
fortunate as to overturn the kettle.
That's bad" he said. BEST tell
your man to get some more water"
Stafford sent off Sam on his err
rand: but no sooner had the Aleut
disappeared than November was on
his knees examining the charred
embers and delving among the ashes.
Get rid of your hired man for a
while longer, only so he don't suspect
anything" he said. II hear him COM
ing"
you mean he's in the robbery"
HE sure Is. And, what's more, 1t
looks to me like he's your only chance
Of getting your foxes back. Here
he comes"
| A moment later Sam appeared in
sight walking up the narrow track
between the rocks, kettle in hand.
grunted in acquiescence, and went off
up the hill that formed the center Of
the island.
"I told him to go gather some more
wood while the kettles boiling. Now
you can talk and tell me who you
think has the pelts Of my foxes"
"Your foxes amt dead"
"Ain't dead? You've forgot their
skinned carcasses!"
II allow we saw some skinned car
casses, but they was the carcasses Of
red foxes worth no more than 800
apiece instead of thousand. I ex-
amined those carcasses mighty care
full. Their eyes wasn't the right COLI
or for black foxes. That's one thing.
For another. found some red hairs.
1t amt in nature you can take a pelt
off and not a hair stick on the body
under"
| Stafford digested this in silence.
But why in creation should the
chaps have taken the trouble to bring
over red fox carcasses?" he inquired
at length.
That's easy answered. They was
after you best stock. It's pretty like
ly they didn't take them far, and they
wouldn't want you nosing about for
your live foxes"
"Is that it?"
Another thing. The robbers was
six days or more on Eel island. Now,
they could catch and kill all your
foxes in two. But to catch them so
they wouldn't be hurt would take
time. No, your foxes amt dead yet,
and they amt far off, neither, and
your Aleut knows who's got them.
He told you he'd been eight days on
this island, didn't he?"
Stafford nodded. Eight days, that's
what he said"
HE lied. l knew it the moment
set eyes on his fire. Not enough ash
es to this fire to make heat to keep
a man without a blanket comfort
able for eight days this weather. And
look! The boughs he's broke off for
his bed. They're too fresh. Ag'in, he
amt got no ak here. yet the charred
ends Of the thicker bits on the fire
has been cut with an AK. It's clear
as light The robbers ferried Sam
Il Oh fun hon
some wood for him so he shouldn't
be too cold, gave him grub to last till
bout the time you'd likely be home
and left him."
II guess you're right. I see it now.
I'm grateful to you"
Stafford reached for his rifle, but
Joe intervened.
stay you still, and I'll show you
the way we do in the lumber camps"
| Sans strong. squat figure advanc-
ed toward us. AS he stopped to
throw the wood he had brought on
the ground Joe caught his shoulder
with one hand and snatched the
knife from his belt with the other.
/ aIu lhCI thCiS oSiOoo thO kCo-
lures Of the Aleut an expression like
a maddog's. He flung himself,
gnashing and snarling, on November.
But he was in the grip Of man
too strong for him, and, though he re-
turned again and again to the attack.
the huge young woodsman twisted
him to earth. where Stafford and I
tied his struggling limbs.
This done we rolled him over.
"Now," said Stafford, "who is it has
got my foxes?"
The Aleut shook his head.
Stafford pulled out his revolver,
opened the breech, made sure it was
loaded and cooked it. Next he held
his watch in front of Sans face and
pointed out the fact that it wanted
but five minutes to the hour.
I'm telling him If he don't con-
fess." he said, "I'll shoot him when
the hand reaches the hour" He turn
ed to us. You'd best CO."
Good heavens! You don't really
meant cried.
Stafford winked. Joe and l went
down to the beach below.
A quarter Of an hour passed before
Stafford Joined US.
Whats happened?" I asked.
Hes confessed. all right" Then
Stafford looked at Joe. 1T all went
through just the way you said. 1t
was a rival fox farmer, Jurgensen.
did it. Landed on Eel island with his
wife the night I left, they were there
until two days ago; took them all
their time and Sans to get my foxes.
Then they brought him over here"
| And now I will leave out any ac-
count of the events Of the next six
teen hours which we spent in the
skiff and pick up the thread Of this
history again with Stafford knocking
at the door of the Jurgensens' cabin
on Upsala island. We had landed
there after dark.