The Bossier banner., 1915-02-11

luOlc.
The next morning Joe was early
astr
What are you going to do. today"
said l.
I'm going to find out the name of
| the man that has Miss Virginny hid
away. If you'll wait here. Mr.. Quar-
itch, I'll come back as soon as I've
done it. You've got your rod and
there's plenty of fish in the lake."
With that had to be content. Be-
fore starting Joe had laid bet with
me that he would come back with the
name of her abductor, and l was won
dering what clew he had to go upon.
Hardly any that could think of-the
trail of the two men and the golden
hair, very little more.
About 2 o'clock | heard November
hail me.
What about the bet?" / called on
sight of him. "Who pays?"
"You pay. Mr. Quaritch." said Joe.
"Why, who is it. then?"
"a fellow called Hank Harper"
|
es for man of high character"
Joe laughed. CAN the same. he's the
chap who done it." said he 81 expect
he's got her up at his cabin on Otter
brook
Look here. November said. "You
tell me Hank Harper is in the kidnap-
ing business and l believe you. be-
cause I've never known you speak
without solid facts behind you. But
think you owe ME the whole yarn"
Joe pulled out his pipe. "All right.
Mr.. Quaritch. To begin at the begin
ming. There are two of them. Ones
this man Harper. I don't know who
the other is. and it don't much matter
If we find Harper we find his partner
Well. Miss Virginny was fishing when
they stole dowS upon her and carried
her off. I've already told you what
happened until they took to the canoe.
They padded across the lake and the
two men got out. leaving Miss Virgin
ny in the canoe to paddle herself
round and land elsewhere"
But surely she could have escaped!'
cried.
"Shc was under their rifles and hao
to do exactly what she was ordered.
found where she'd landed and follow,
ed her tracks to that little waterfall
stream, and it was there l found the
golden hair So far. you see. every.
thing fitted in together as good as
the jaws of IL trap. and the message
on the bit Of paper about d ransom
carried it further on. So did the tall
we had with Harper-it must have
been him did the speaking-at Black
lake. When l knocked up Planx's re
volver was wonderful sorry to have
to do it. but il promise is promise
and he'd passed his word for a safe
4 conduct. After, when my eyes fel
upon the trail left by Harper's part
ner, knew never done Il better act
in my life. 1t give me start, car
tell you, Mr.. Quaritch. You see, al
the weight was in the middle Of thu
moccasion. 'The heels and toes wer,
hardly marked at all"
November looked at me as if expect
ing me to see the meaning of thi!
popularity, but l shook my head.
ut meant that the foot inside tn,
moccasion was a very little one, .
good bit shorter than the moccasin."
You can't mean began
j yes" said Joe. THE second per
: son at Black lake wasn't man u,
all, but just Miss Virginny herself"
well, if that was SO, why, she hat
; the game in her hands then. She hat
' only to appeal to us-to speak"
Joe interrupted me. Hers was an
other sort of game You see. I'm pret
ty sure that Miss Virginny has kid
naped herself. or. at any rate, consent
ed to be kidnapped. She had just pad
died round and joined the two mel
later, and then when l come TO thin
over it careful / saw how ! Nigh
raise the name of the man that wa
helping her lit out for Wilshere'
camp and asked the woman if ther
; was anything of Miss Virginny's miss
ing from her room She said ther
wasn't Then l saw my way a bi,
| vas in the woods with Miss Vii
: ginny last year, and l know She
mighty particular about persona
things l don't believe she could liv
a day without sponge and com
: and. most Of all, without tootl
:, brush None of them high toned gal
can Isn't that so?'
NNne fbot ;e, h,,<,.s
= "Well,'' went on November, IF sh
: went Of her own free will, as wa
: thinking she did-or else why did sh
come to Black lake?-if. as l say,
q was right in my notion and she'd mad
out the plans and kidnapped herself. tn
man who was with her would be, onl
just her servant, in Il manner of speak
: ing. And | was certain that one of til
:, first things she'd do would be to sen
him to some store to buy the thing
q she wanted most She couldn't get he
own from Planx's camp without gi,
!. ing herself away. SO she was bound
;, send Hank to hike out new ones froI
!, somewhere.
'What happened then?"
+ 81 started in OH the stores roune
il about this country, and with luck
! stepped into the big store ut Lnvett
;, and asked if any one had been Mlyin
. truck of that kind. They told me Han
q Harper | asked just what. They sal
!, hairbrush, a comb, a couple Of tootl
brushes and some other gear TIL;
!. WAS enough for me- They weren't f(
= Mrs Hank. who's a halfbreed wona
! and don't always remember to clea
herself o. Saturdays"