Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-12-08
CHAPTER VIII.
The Case Of Miss Virginia PLANK.

without speech. Suddenly from sohe-
where ahead there broke out the souno
Of two shots and after minute OF TWO
more.
Two shots going on at steady inter-
vals," said Joe. That's call ior heip'
There they go again. Wed best toiio"
them up"
We travelled for half an hour, guided
by the sound, and came in sight OF
man standing among the trees. We saw
him raise his rifle and fire twice
straight upward to the sky.
It's Plank" said Joe in surprise.
What? The millionaire you went
into the woods with to locate timber
last year?"
THE identical man."
AS we approached Joe hailed him.
PLANK was a thick shouldered, stout
man, his big body set back upon MS
hips. his big chin thrust forward In
way that accumulated the arrogance OF
his bulging lips and eyes.
'Ho! It's you joel" he cried
Yes, Mr.. PLANK"
That is lucky, for l need your help.
NV daughter was murdered yesterday.
The words made me gasp and not me
only.
Miss Virginny!" cried Joe. You
can't mean that Nobody would be
brute enough to kill Miss Vifginny!
AS we walked PLANK gave us the fol-
lowing facts: 1t appeared that he had
been spending the last two weeks in
log hut which had been lent him by
friend. Mr.. Wilshere. His household
consisted of one servant-his daughters
nurse, a middle aged woman whom
they had brought with them from New
York-two guides and man cook. On
the previous day Miss Virginia had
taken her rod after lunch, as she had
often done before, and gone off to the
river to fish.
AT went to join her. She was
not there. Her rod lay broken, ana
there were signs Of y struggle and the
tracks of two men, / shouted for Ed,
the old guide. He came running down,
and we took the trail 1t led us straight
over to the Mooseshank lake. The ruff
fans had put her in our own canoe and
gone out on the lake"
PLANK paused and presently continu-
ed:
I'VE went round the lake and found
on the far side the spot where they had
beached the canoe. Leading up into the
woods from that point, we again struck
the trail Of the two men, but my daugh-
ter was no longer with them. When
they left the canoe they were going
light. They must have drowned her In
the lake. It's clear enough. Presently
I saw something floating on the water.
It was her hat"
Had Miss Virginny any jewelry on
herr" asked Joe.
"A watch and a necklace"
What value?"
Seven or eight hundred dollars
Huh" said November rehectively.
And what did you do after finding her
hat?"
I'VE trailed the two villains until
they got on to some rocky ground IT
was too dark then to do more, so we
returned. Five thousand dollars II you
lay hands on them," he said.
By the river the traces were so plain
that any one could read them-the
slender feet Of the victim and the larg-
er footprints Of the two men. The fish,
ing rod, snapped off toward the top OF
the middle joint, had been left where II
Jt
tried to defend herself with it. Next
we went to the lake.
November literally nosed his way
along. The moccasined tracks OF the
two men showed family here and there
on the softer parts Of the ground.
Looks as if they was toting some
thing" said Joe. They must a car
ried her. Stop! They set her down here
for a spell"
Another moment brought us over the
rise and in sight of Mooseshank lake. l
halted involuntarily. The place seemed
created for the scene Of tragedy.
November had pushed on to the spot
where footprints and other signs snow
ed where the men had entered the ca
noe. The deep slide Of "A moccasined
foot in the mud seemed to tell of the
effort it required to get the girl en-
barked
They took her out on the lake ana
murdered her." groaned Plank. Drag
ging? There's no use dragging, that
water goes plumb down to the root OF
the world"
After that we went around to the
other side of the lake and saw the
beached canoe. The two sets OF mocca-
sined tracks showed clearly on the strip
of mud by the water. but were soon
lost in the tumbled debris Of two
year-old stony landslip over which
trailing appeared quite impossible. No
vember was busy about this landing
place for a longer time than l expected
then he crossed the landslide at right
angles and disappeared from our view.
Soon he came hurrying toward US.
She isn't dead"
WHAT"
Anyways, she wasn't when she pass
ed here l have a proof here that you
will think mighty good" He drew out
little leather case had given him
and extracted from it a long hair OF
beautiful red gold color. Look at that:
found it in the spruces above there.
PLANK took it gently in his great fin
gers. He was visibly much moved. For
a few seconds he held it without speak
ing. then. That grew on Virginia's S
head. sure enough, Joe. Is it possible
my girl is alive?"
She is, sure, Don't be afraid
You'll soon have news of her, l can
promise you that Mr.. PLANK This
wasn't no case of murder. It's just an
abduction. They'd never be such fools
as to kill her. They're cutter than that.
Isn't she your daughter? They'll hold
her to big ransom. That's their game
An ugly look came into PlanX's eyes.
That's their game. is it? I'm not