Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-01-05
CHAPTER u.
Tho Crime at Big Tree Portage.

II HAVE sometimes wondered wheth.
er he was not irked at the pros
pect Of my proffered companion
ship and whether he did not at
first intend to shake me of by obvious
and primitive methods. l had my work,
and more than my work. cut out for me
In keeping up with November, who, al
though he was carrying pack while !
was unloaded. travelled through the
woods at an astonishing pace.
He moved from the thighs. bending
little forward. However thick the un.
derbrush and the trees, he never once
halted or even wavered. but passed on
ward with neither check nor pause.
Meanwhile. l blundered in his tracks
until at last, when we came out on the
bank of a strong and swiftly flowing
river. I was fairly done and felt that
had the journey continued much
longer I must have been forced b
give In.
November threw down his pack and
bl&uSO W " oCoAbC ~ " AAAS
be walked or downstream, only to re-
appear with a canoe.
The rustic Of the water as 1t Kissed
against our stem and the wind in the
birches and jumpers on the banks soon
lulled me- l was only awakened by the
canoe touching the bank Mt Big Tree.
Big Tree portage Is recognized
camping place situated between the
great main lumber camp Of Bristen
and Harpur and the settlement Of st.
Amiel, and 1t lies about equidistant
from both. A small shelter Of boughs
stood beneath the spreading branches
Of large fir: the ground all about was
strewn with tins and debris. On q bare
space In front Of the shelter. beside the
charred logs Of campfire, patch Of
blue caught my eye. This. as my sight
grew accustomed to the light. resolved
Itself into the shape Of huge man. He
lay upon his face, and the wind flut-
tered the blue blouse which he was
wearing. 1t came upon me with a
shock that l was looking at the body
Of Henry Lyon. the murdered man.
November, standing up in the canoe,
wood picture in his buckskin shirt
and jeans. surveyed the scene In ST.
lence, then pushed off again and pad
died up and down. staring at the bank.
After bit he put in and waded ashore.
In obedience to sign stayed in the
canoe. fsom which ! watched the
movements of my companion. First
he went to the body and examined 1t
with minute care; next he disappeared
within the shelter. came out and stood
for minute staring toward the riv-
er; finally he called to me to come
ashore.
had seen November turn the body
over. and as l came up l was aware
Of a great ginger bearded face, horri-
bly, pale. confronting the sky. 1t was
easy to see how the man had died, for
the bullet had torn hole ut the base
of the neck. The ground beside him
was torn up as II by some small sharp
instruments.
The idea occurred to me that would
try my hand at detection. I went into
the shelter. There found blanket,
two freshly hayed bearskins and a
pack, which lay open. l came out
again and carefully examined the
ground In all directions. Suddenly
looking up, / saw November Joe
watching me with a kind of grim and
covert amusement.
what are you looking for?" said he.
1.-THE tracks Of the murderer"
"He didn't make none"
pointed out the spot where the
ground was torn.
"The lumberman that found him
spiked boots." said November.
"How do you know he was not the
murderer
"He didn't get here till Lyon had
been dead for hours. Compare his
tracks with Lyon's-much fresher. No,
Mr.. Sport. that cock won't fight. Lyon
reached here in the afternoon Of the
day before yesterday. He'd been visit
ing his traps upstream. He hadn't been
here more'n a few minutes and was
lighting his pipe In the shelter there
when he hears voice hail him. He
comes out and sees a man In canoe
showed into the bank. That man shot
him dead and cleared off-without
leaving trace"
"How can you be sure Of all this?"
Because l found pipe Of tobacco
not rightly lit, but just charred on top,
beside Lyons body, and a newly used
match In this shack. The man that
killed him come downstream and sur
prised him"
"How can you tell he came down
stream"
Because, If he'd come upstream
Lyon would "a seen him from the
shack" said November with admirable
patience.
"You say the shot was fred from a
cancer
"The rivers too wide to shoot across,
and. anyway, there's the mark Of
where the canoe rested again the bunk.
No, this Is the work Of right smart
woodsman, and he's not left me one
clew as to who he Is. But I'm not
through with him. mister. Such men
as he needs catching-let's boil the
kettle"
We laid the dead man inside the
shack, and sat down beside a 6re
which we built among the stones on
the bank of the river. Here November
made tea In true woods fashion. draw.
ing all the strength and bitterness
from the leaves by boiling them. I was