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

thing with MS usual SWilt CdiS. XIV
lit match after match and peerec
about the stove, for the interior Of the
cabin was pretty dark even in the
daytime.
After this he bent over the table
and, drawing his knife, scratched at
stain on the near side, and then at
similar stain upon the other.
I'm through" he said at length.
Stafford, who had been watching
Joe's proceedings with an air Of in
credulity that bordered on derision
turned sharply to question him:
Found out anything?"
Not much" Joe answered.
well, all I can see is that the vii
lain has eaten a good share Of my
grub"
"I dare say" said Joe. There was
two Of them, you know"
mo, don't! And what else car
you tell me about them?"
II think they were man and wife
She's a smallish woman; I'd guess
she's maybe weakly, too. And he's
fond of reading; anyway. he car
read"
Stafford stared at November hall
suspiciously.
"What?" he shouted. Are you
kidding me? Or how did you get al
that"
That's easy" replied November
There are two or three traces Of q
little fiat foot in front Of the stove
and a woman couldn't run this job
on her own, so it's likely there was
man too"
Stafford grunted. You said she
was weakly"
1T thought maybe she was, for II
she hadn't split the water out Of the
kettle most times she took 1t of the
stove there wouldn't be any track
and here is one near on top Of the
other, so it happened more'n once or
the same spot. She found her ket.
tie heavy, Mr.. Stafford" Joe said seri-
ously.
I'm free to own that seems sense.
acknowledged Stafford. "But the
reading-that's different"
Tables been pulled up alongside
the bunk-see that scrape Of the leg:
and he's had the lamp close 'uI
alongside near the edge where the
stain is. There's plenty old oil stains
in the middle Of the table, but these
close to the edges amt been long on
You can see that for yourself"
"By jingo!" said the fox farmer
Anything else?"
"The chap what robbed you was q
trapper all right and had killed a red
fox recent, so recent he carried II
across and skinned it here"
"Where?"
by your stove" Joe bent down and
picked up some short red hairs
Clumsy skinning," said he. Lets
go out and take look around the
island"
Stafford led the way. At short dis.
tance some of the skinned carcasses
lay Joe turned them over Sudden
ly he bent down with that quick in
tentness that 1 had learned to con-
meet with his more important discov-
cries. From one he passed to
another till he had handled every car
cass. Stafford pointed out another
island laying some five miles north
where, he told us, he kept his less
valuable stock.
There is a lot Of red and cross
foxes over there on Edith island
It's named for my eldest gal," he
said. Whenever there happens 6
black one in the litters try to catch
it and bring it over here to Eel
Hullo! What's that?"
Stafford stood with his hands
shading his eyes staring at Edith is'
land.
Look! There's smoke or I'm
dreaming" he cried.
A very faint line of blush haze
rose from the distant rock.
Smoke it is" said Joe.
But the island Is inhabited. Come
on, come on" cried Stafford excited.
ly. 1T may be those ruffians clear
ing out Edith island too. Well gel
after them"
"All right. Mr.. Stafford" agreed
Joe. But I guess it's liable to be
your Aleut Sam marooned ovel
there"
"Why?"
That's a signal fire. Whoever:
made that fire is putting on moss
And I've noticed things here thai
make me think it amt likely they
killed Sam"
The wind served us fairly we'll, ant
as we ran under the lee of the land we
were aware Of a figure standing or
the beach waiting for us.
Its Aleut Sam, sure enough" sale
Stafford.
The Aleut proved to be squat fel'
low of a most Mongolian cast Of
countenance. We rowed ashore ir
the canvas boat, and on the beach
Stafford held a rapid conversation
with his man in Indian. Neither Joe
nor 1 could follow what was said, bu
presently Stafford enlightened us.
sam says that one night, foul
days after left Eel island. he haG
just eaten his supper when he heart
a knocking on the doo' Thinking i
must be me who ha turned, HI
opened it. Seeing no :. he stepped
out into the dark, when a pair o.
arms were thrown around him, ant
cloth that smelt like the stuff tina
made him go to sleep in the hospita
(Sam's had most of his toes off OF
account of frost bite down to Valdez
was clapped about his head. HI
struggled. but he says he does not re
member any more until he woke VI
on the beach here. 1t was still dark
and the men and boat were gone.
Toward evening he discovered ;
| barrel of dried fish which had beer
tumbled ashore from the boat which
marooned him-tO keep him from
starving. / suppose. He went up in