The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-12-03

Lyons death had yet drifted back to
his native place.
Little by little it came out that only
five men We're absent from the settle
ment. Two Of these. litz and Baxter
Gurd. were brothers who had gone on
an extended trapping expedition. The
other absentees We're Highamson.
Lyons father-in law; Thomas Miller,
professional guide and hunter. and.
lastly, Henry Lyon himself, who had
gone up river to visit his traps, start
ing on the previous Friday. The other
men had all been away three weeks or
more. and all had started in canoes.
except Lyon, who, having sold his.
went on foot.
Next, by imperceptible degrees, the
talk slid round to the subject Of Lyons
wife. They had been married four
years and had no child. She had been
the belle of st. Amiel, and there had
been no small competition for her
hand. OF the absent men both Miller
and Fitz Gurd had been her suitors.
and the former and Lyon had never
been on good terms since the marriage.
The younger Gurd was wild fellow,
and only his brothers influence kept
him straight.
CHAPTER III.
"Thou shalt break ttrsm with a rod of
IRON"
70 sooner were we away than
IN put my eager question. "What
/ do you think of it?''
Joe shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you know any of these men?"
"AlI of them"
"How about the fellow who is on
bad terms With
November seized my arm. A man
was approaching through the dusk. As
he passed my companion hailed him.
"Hello. Baxter! Didn't know you'd
come back. Where you been?''
fright up on the hcadwaters."
"Fitz come down with you?"
mo: stayed on the line Of traps.
Did you want him, November?"
Yes. but it can wait. See any
moose?"
"Nary one; nothing but red deer"
Good night"
$50 long"
"That settles it," said November. III
he speaks the truth, as | believe he
does. it wasn't either of the Gurds shot
Lyon"
"Why not?''
Didn't you hear him say they hadn't
| <nl1 fho +
the man that shot Lyon had killed a
moose quite recent. That leaves just
Miller and Highamson-and 1t weren't
Miller"
You're sure of that?"
"Stark certain. One reason is that
Miller's above six foot, and the man
as camped with Lyon wasn't as tall
by six inches. Another reason. You
heard the storekeeper say how Miller
and Lyon wasn't on speaking terms
Yet the MAN who shot Lyon camped
with him-slep' beside him-must "a
talked to him. That weren't Miller"
His clear reasoning rang true.
"Highamson lives alone away w
above LYONS" continued November
"Hell make back home soon."
"Unless he's guilty ard has fed thu
country" suggested.
"He won't "a done that. 1t 'ud b.
as good as confession. No, he think
he's done his work to rights and ha
nothing to fear. Like as not he's bac!
home now"
The night had become both wild ant
clustering before we set out for Htg
hamson's hut. and all along the fores
paths which led to it the sleet ant
snow Of what November called "a rea
mean night beat in our faces.
1t was black dark or nearly so whe
at last building doomed up in fron
of us, faint light. showing under til
door.
"You there, Highamson? called OF
November.
AS there. was no answer, my con
panion pushed it open, and we ente
ed the small wooden room. where q
single table lamp burned dimt
He turned it up and looked aroun
, A pack lay on the floor unopened, al
gun leaned up in a corner.
"Just got ill.," commented Mover
, Der. Hasn't loosed up his pack yet
, He turned it over, A Ratchet WI
: thrust through the wide thongs whi'
bound it. November drew it out.
+ put your thumb along that edge
9 he said. BLUNT? Yes? Yet he dro
that old hatchet as deep in the wo
8 as Lyon drove his sharp one. He's
t strong man."
AS he spoke he was busylng III
!, self with the pack, examining its &C
# tents with deft fingers 1t held ht
save few clothes. little tea a
r salt and other fragments or pro
a sions and Bible. The finding OF
IL last was, could see, no surprise
II November. though the reason why
r should have suspected it's presence
manned hidden from me. But~I b
.e begun to realize that much was pl:
70 to him which to the ordinary man "