The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-12-10

er looked IN. aud, seeing my puzzled |
expression. addressed himself to me
Last year there were five separate
rohheries committed on the road be |
tween Camp G ard the settlement" he
explained Each time it was Just |
single lumberiack who got held up. |
and each time man in black mask
was the robber. November here was
away"
up in Wyoming With a Philadel'
phia lawyer after elk supplemented
the tall young woodsman.
1.-The police failed to make any ar.
rest, though once they We're on the
ground within four hours Of the hold
up," went on Close. But all that Is
ancient history. 1t Is what happened
to Dan Michaels last night that
brought me here at seven miles an
hour. Dan has been working for pref
ty nigh a three months stretch. and
the day before yesterday he came into
the office and told me his mother was
dead and he must have leave for the
funeral. He had good big roll OF
bills due, and could sec he meant to
blow them, so paid him and told him
I'd try to keep job warm for him till
he came back from the funeral.
gave him ten days to get through with
his spree. Something I'd said annoyed
him, and after telling the cook his
opinion of me and saying he wouldn't
sleep another night in a camp where
was boss he legged out for the settle
ment"
"By himself?"
"Yes, alone Next morning, bright
and early, he was back again. and this
was the yarn he slung me. He'd made
about eight miles when 1t came on
darkish, and he decided to camp just
beyond where we did the most Of our
timber cut last year. He slept at once
and remembers nothing more until he
was started awake by voice shouting
at him. He sat up blinking, but the
talk he heard soon fetched his eyes
open.
"'Hands up and no fOoling!
"Of course he put up his hands.
He'd no choice, for he couldn't see any
one. Then another man who was In
the bushes behind his back ordered
him to haul out his bundle Of notes
and chuck them to the far side of the
fire or take the consequences. Dan
saw a revolver barrel CLEAN in the
bush. He cursed bit, but the thieves
had the drop on him. so he just had to
out with his wad Of notes and heave
them over as he was told birch log
in the fire f1ared up at the minute, and
as the notes touched the ground he
saw chap in a black mask step out
and pick them up and then jump back
into the dark. Then the voice that
spoke first gave him the hint not to
move for two hours or he'd be shot
like a dog. He sat out the two hours
by his watch without herring sound
and then came back to G.
when the boys got all the facts
the whole camp was nigh as mad as
he was. They put up $50 reward
for any one giving information that
will lead to catching the robbers, and
added another hundred for the com
pany. So now, Joe, II you can clal
your hand on the brutcs you'll be do
ing yourself good turn and Others
too"
Close ended his narration, and looked
; at November. WHO had listened
throughout in his habitual silence.
do the boys up at G know YOU'VE
, come to me?' he said.
mo, thought it wiser the!
shouldn't
ment.
you'd best get away back, MI
Close" he said at length. I'll 6
down to Perkins clearing, and have
look at the spot where the robber
: took place, and then I'll find som
excuse to take me to Camp G, Whe
/ can make my report to you.'
TO this Close agreed. and the tw
: of us set out through the woods to tn
u site of Dan Michaels' bivouac. III
II ashes of fire and few boughs mad
. it's scanty furnishings, and In neithe
' did November take much lntefes
' Forth and back lie moved. apparent
following lines OF tracks which tn
y tlrenching rain of the previous da
had almost obliterated, until. indeed
after ten minutes, he gave 1t up.
"Well, we'll" said he in his so
cadenced voice, he always did has
:. the luck"
"Who"
1.-The robber Look at last year! G.
clear every time"
:" THE robbers" l corrected.
=, "There's but one" said he.
> "Michaels mentioned two voices, III
the man In the mask stepped into sig
:, at the same moment as the fire gli1
" ed on the revolver Of the other mt
49, in the bushes"
y. Without word November led Il
~ y. to the farther side of the dead fl
-, and parted the boughs of sprut
W. which had previously seen him G
Nv oro;po At hpirht Of less than Il