Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-02-02
November
Joe
The Detective of the
Woods
BY MSKETn PRIChARD
copyisht. 1913.
BY Hesketh Prichard
By MskEIH PRICHARD
Copyright. 1913.
BY Hesketh Prichard

said ].
T'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 1t. You've got your rod and
there's plenty Of fish in the lake."
With that I 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 I was Won
dering what clew he had to go upon.
Hardly any that l could think of-the
trail of the two men and the golden
hair, very little more.
About 2 o'clock I heard November
hail me.
What about the betT' I called on
sight of him. "Who pays%
"You pay. Mr.. Quaritch." said Joe.
"Why, who is 1t, thenT
"a fellow called Hank Harper"
"Why. I've heard Of him. He pass
es for a man Of high character" e.
Joe laughed. "All 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 l
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. l don't know who
the other is, and it don't much matter.
II we find Harper we find his partner.
Well. Miss virginny was fishing when
hey stole down upon her and carried
ner of. 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
nv IN the canoe to paddle herself
round and land elsewhere"
"But surely she could have escaped!'
I cried.
"She was under their rifles and had
10 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 found the
golden hair. So far. you see, every
thing fitted In together as good as
the jaws of a trap. and the message
on the bit Of paper about a ransom
carried 1t further on. So did the talk
we had with Harper-it must have
been him did the speaking-at Black
lake. When l knocked up Planx's re,
volver l was wonderful sorry to have
to do 1t, but promise Is a promise,
and he'd passed his word for safe
conduct. After, when my eyes fell
upon the trail left by Harper's part
ner. knew l never done better act
in my life. 1t give me start, l can
tell you, Mr.. Quaritch! You see, all
the weight was in the middle Of the
moccasion. The heels and toes were
hardly marked at all"
November looked at me as II expect.
ing me to see the meaning Of this
pecufiarity, but shook my head.
ut meant that the foot inside the
moccasion was a very little one, q
good bit shorter than the moccasin."
"You can't mean began.
YES" said Joe. "The second per
son at Black lake wasn't man at
all, but just Miss Virginny herself"
"Well, If that was 80. why, she had
the game in her hands then. She had
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. ut any rate, consent
ed to be kidnapped. She had just pad
died round and joined the two mel
later, and then when come to think
over 1t careful l saw how might
raise the name Of the man that was
helping her. lit out for Wilshere's
camp and asked the woman II there
was anything of Miss Virginny's miss
ing from her room. She said there
wasn't Then / saw my way q bit
l was In the woods with Miss Vir
ginny last year, and l know she's
mighty particular about persona
things. l don't believe she could live
day without sponge and CONT
and, most Of all, without a tooth
brush. None Of them high toned gals
can. Isn't that so?"
"Yes, that Is SO. but
"Well," went on November, If she
went of her own free will, as l was
thinking she did-or else why did she
come to Black lake?-if, as l say.
was right In my notion and she'd made
out the plans and kidnapped herself. the
man who was with her would be only
lust her servant, In q manner of speak
ing. And / was certain that one Of the
first things she'd do would be to SEND
him to some store to buy the things
she wanted most. She couldn't get bel
own from Planx's camp without CIV
ing herself away. 80 she was bound II
send Hank to hike out new ones from
somewhere"
"What happened thenT"
"I started In on the stores round
about this country, and with luck
stepped into the big store at Lavett'
and asked II any one had been buyini
truck Of that kind. They told me Hanl
Harper. l asked Just what. They sait
hairbrush, a comb. a couple OF tooth
. brush es and some other gear. Tha
was enough for me. They weren't 10
Mrs. Hank, who's halfbreed womal
and don't always remember to clea'
I herself o. Saturdays"
"I see." said l.
"The things were bought yesterday
so It all fits in, and there's no more lef
, to find out but why Miss Virginny ACT
ed the way she has. and that wei
know before tomorrow"
D -
II was well on toward 10 o'clock tina
night before we reached Harpers cal
In on Otter brook. At first we knocks
q and knocked In vain. but at length
Z eruff voice demanded angrily what "
. wanted. 49,. ~,