The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-12-03
NOyeInbo
Joe +.
The Detective of the
Woods
By hfSKETh PRICHARD
Copyright. 1919.
By Hesketh Prichard
By nfSKtTn PRICHARD
Copyright, 1919.
By Hesketh PrichArd


the bullet had torn hole at the base
of the neck. The ground beside him
was torn up as If by some small sharp
Instruments.
The idea occurred to me that would
try my hand at detection. went into
the shelter There found blanket.
two freshly aayed bearskins and a
pack, which lay open. came out
again and carefully examined the
ground in all directions. Suddenly
looking up. l saw November Joe
watching me with kind of grim and
covert amusement.
What are you looking for:" said he.
''The tracks of the murderer
"He didn't make none"
l pointed out the spot where the
ground was torn.
"The lumberman that found him.
spiked boots," said November.
'How do you know he was not the
murderer"
"He didn't get here till Lyon had
been dead for hours. Compare his
tracks with Lyon's-much fresher No,
Mr.. Sport, that cock won't fight. Lyon
reached here in the afternoon Of the
day before yesterday. He'd been visit
ing his traps upstream. He hadn't been
here moren a few minutes and was
lighting his pipe in the shelter there
when he. hears voice hail him. He
comes out and sees man In canoe
showed into the bank. That man shot
him dead and cleared off-without
leaving a trace"
GLOW can you be sure Of all this?"
Because l found a pipe OF tobacco
not rightly lit, but just charred on top,
beside Lyons body, and newly used
match in this shack. The man that
killed him come downstream and sur
prised him"
"How can you tell he came down
stream?"
Because, if he'd come upstream
Lyon would "a seen him from the
shack" said November with admirable
patience.
"You say the shot was fired from a
canoe?"
"The rivers too wide to shoot across,
and, anyway, there's the mark OF
where the canoe rested again the bank
No, this is the work of right smart
woodsman, and he's not left me one
c1ew asl to who he is. But I'm not
through with him, mister. Such mer
MS he needs catching-let's boil the
Fkettie,"
We laid the dead man inside The
shack, and sat down beside a tirt
which we built among the stones OF
1.-THE bank of the river. Here Novembe
! made tea In true woods fashion, draw
ing all the strength and bitterness
from,4he leaves by boiling themt wa
I wondering what he would do next. 70
it appeared that our chance of catch
ing the murderer was intinitesima
since he had left no clew save tn
mark on the bank where his cano
had rested among the reeds While b
fired his deadly bullet. put m
thoughts into words.
you're right" said Novembe
when chap who's used to the wood
life takes to crime, he's harder to Ia
hands on than lynx in alder patch
"Why did not the murderer sin
Lyons body In the water? 1T wol
have been we'll hidden there"
"He couldn't trust her; the current
sharp and would put the dead ma
ashore as like as not" he replied. "Al
If he'd landed to carry it down to b
canoe, he'd have left tracks. Al
more'n that, Lyon. might "a laid
thatsclearing till he was skeleton, b.
for the chance OF that lumberjack ha
pening along. There's one fact "
haven't given much weight to. Tn
shooting was premeditated The mu
| derer knew that ,Lyon would can
here. The chances are hundred
one against their having met by 9
cident. The chap that killed him Il
lowed him downstream. Now. suppo
j can find Lyons last camp, nj
= learn something more. 1t can't
very far off, for he had tidy siz
4 pack to carry, besides those gre
skins, which loaded him bit Al
anyway, it's my only chance"
So we set out upon our walk. \
vember soon picked up Lyons trs
leading from Big Tree portage to
Il disused tote road, which again led
j due west between the aisles of the +
I est. From midday on through I
u whole of the afternoon we Travelled
I til Joe found the deserted camp.
The very first thing my eye lit up
caused me to cry out in exciteme
for side by side, were two beds OF .
sam branches that had evidently be
placed under the shelter Of the sa
tent cover. November, then, was rig
p Lyon had camped with some one
] The night before he died.
called out to him. His quiet
u lience and an attitude as if rather
tached from events fell away from !