River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-28

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discovered the Two Cabins and if he
would fetch it next day. At the first
hint Of dawn he was under way, easily
following the half oblitpratpd trail.
And then it came, the unexpected
leaping out upon him on IL bend of the
river. 1t seemed to him that he heard
and felt simultaneously The crack OF
the rife came from the right, and the
bullet. tearing through and across the
shoulders of his drill parka and wool
en- coat. pivOted him half around with
the shock of it's impact He staggered
on his twisted snowshoes to recover
balance and heard a second crack of
the rife This time it was a clean
miss He did not wait for more. but
plunged across the snow for the shell
tering trees of the bank a hundred feet
away
He climbed the bank, the dogs tloun
dering behind, and lodged in among
the trees and brush Slipping out Of
his snowshoes, he wallowed forward
ut full length and peered cautiously
out. Nothing was to be seen. Whoev
er had shot at him was lying quiet
among the trees of the opposite bank.
'If something doesn't happen pretty
soon" he muttered at the end of half
an hour, 'I'll have to sneak away and
build fire or freeze my feet"
He craWled back a few yards, pack
I'd down the snow. danced Il jig that
sent the blood back into his feet and
managed to endure another half hour
Then from down the river he heard
the unmistakable jingle Of dog bells
Peering out. he saw sled round the
bend Only one man was in it, strain
ing at the gee pole and urging the
| dogs along
The effect on Smoke was one of
shock. for it was the first human he
had seen since he parted from Shorty
| three weeks before His next thought
was Of the potential murderer conceal
ed on the opposite bank.
without exposing himself Smoke
whistled warningly. The man did not
hear and came on rapidly. Again and
more sharply Smoke whistled. The
man whoaed his dogs, stopped and had
turned and faced Smoke when the rifle
cracked. The instant afterward Smoke
fired into the woods in the direction Of
the sound
The man on the river had been
struck by the first shot. The shock
Of the high velocity bullet staggered
him He stumbled awkWardly to the
sled. half falling, and pulled rife out
from under the lashings. AS be strOve
TO raise it to his shoulder he crumpled
at the waist and sank down slowly to
a sitting posture on the sled. Then
abruptly. as the gun went off aimless
", he pitched backward and across the
corner of the sled load, so that Smoke
could see only his legs and stomach
From below came more jingling
bells. The man did not move. Around
The bend swung three sleds, accOmpa
MED by half a dozen men. Smoke
cried warningly, but they had seen the
condition Of the first sled, and they
dashed on to it.
No shots came from the other bank.
and Smoke. calling his dogs to follow
emerged into the open. There were
exclamations from the men, and two
Of them. f1inging off the mittens of
their right hands. leveled their rifles
at him.
Come on, you red handed murderer
you" one Of them. black bearded
man, commanded IAN jest pitch that
gun of yourn in the snow"
Smoke hesitated, then dropped his
rifle and came up to them.
"Go through him, Louis. an take his
weapons" the black bearded man or
dered
Louis was French Canadian voy
ageur, Smoke decided, as were four Of
the others His search revealed only
smokes hunting knife, which was ap
propriated
Now. what have you got to say for
Yourself, stranger, before shoot you
dead?" the black bearded man de
manded
THAT you're making a mistake If
you think | killed that man." Smoke
answered.
A cry came from one of the voy-
ageurs. He had quested along the
trail and found Smokes tracks where
he had left it to take refuge on the
bank The man explained the nature
of his find.
.'Whatd you kill Joe Kinade forT
he of the black beard asked.
81 tell you didn't" Smoke began.
Jaw. what's the good Of talkin'? We
got YOU red handed. Right up there's
where you left the trail when you
heard him comm. You laid among the
trees an bushwhacked him. Pierre