The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-01-21


knock it down and take the roof off |
and carry the stove into D.
I listened to November making this |
astonishing statement. and / hoped
showed no surprise. What on earth |
was the garne that he was playing?
Hurry up, boys. and send for the
police or there may be trouble. Who's
going?"
II don't mind if CO." offered Chris
"l'll start right now. The sooner we
get Mr.-Close safe in Jail the better"
We all saw Chris off, and then the
men took us back into the bunk house.
where they talked and argued for an
hour. November had relapsed into
his usual taciturnity. But when at
length he spoke again his words acted
like il bombshell
Say. boys" he said. and the ca
dence of his accent was very marked.
Its about time we let the boss out"
Every head jerked round III his di-
rection. Let him out?" shouted
dozen voices. Before the police
Gomez"
BEST So" replied November in his
gentle manner. You see, it wasn't him
held you up, boys"
Who was it then?"
November stood up.
Come. and III show you"
Finally four of us boarded the big
canoe and set Off
/ lost all sense of direction in the
darkness until we came out on the
banks Of the brook near Tideson's
bridge. We crossed. and all four of US
crouched in the shadow of a big rock
not twenty yards from the hut. We
had been forewarned by November to
keep very quiet and to watch the hut
The pale foreights Of dawn were
already in the air when l felt Novem-
Der move slightly. and moment later
I heard stick break. then footballs on
the bridge. A blush shadow came
cautiously down the bank. hesitating
at every step. but always approaching
the hut. until at last it passed within
1t. Then match hared inside.
saw it pass the broken window. There
was a pause. The door crcaked faint
fy and the figure stole out again.
put out my hands toward Novem-
ber-he was gone.
Meantime the figure from the hut
was moving up the path to the road
and a second figure was gaining on
him. | recognized November's mighty
outlines as he followed with arms out
stretched. Then the arms fell. and
there was cry. almost shrek.
When We ran up November was hold
ing Chris struggling on the ground
''Search him. boys" said November
Hes got the stuff OH him."
Thompson's big hand dived into the
breast of Chris shirt and when it
came out again it held a bundle Of
notes.
You smart cussw said Chris to No
vember Joe
A few busy hours followed. and it
| was the next afternoon before | found
myself again at November's shanty
and asked for the explanations which
had been promised me-
THE moment heard Thompson's
story" began November. at started
| me thinking a bit. You remember how
| plain they saw the tracks of the rob-
Der. the size. the patch. the exact num-
ber of nails. 1t sort of seemed that n
road agent who went around in Il pair
of boots like that was maybe fool or
maybe laying false trail AS soon as
| z f.,ca a{yS en-
out as to the false trail The chap
wanted the tracks seen. He walked
more'n once on the soft ground a-pur-
pose"
Then he wasn't heavy man, any
way" put in. you thought
How did know he was light
man? Well. you saw those stones l
showed you He put them in pack
Or something and carried 'em to make
them heavy tracks. | guessed from
the set out one of them six had done II"
But howT'
See. here's the way of 1t. | suspi-
cioned some one in G from Dan Mi
chaels' case. And look at those five
holdups last year. Each one. was done
within ten miles of G. That showed
me that the robber, whoever he was
couldn't operate far from camp. Then
the drugging settled it. Don't you re-
member the kettle had nothing in it?"
would have spoken, but November
held up his hand.
mo, know Thompson hadn't filed
| Ry,t ha IN nj OIL + nif
woods chaps always leave the tea
leaves in the kettle till we want to
boil up the next brew. So it looked
| queer that some one had washed out
that kettle. Now, If the robber come
from outside he'd never do that. nc
need to. He'd be gone afore they
could suspect the kettle. No. that
clean kettle said plain as speaking that
1t was one of the six. 49,.
i Now" went on November, when
;. knew that, | knew good bit, and
when | saw the scratches on the rock
was able to settle up the whole ca
boodle-Chris put that stuff in the tea
and as soon rs it sent them off asleep
he picked the money off them Then
he went down to the brook. taking the
kettle. the big boots and something tG
, hold pack of stones with him. He
waded ont to that fat rock and wash
ed ont the kettle: then he filed up his
, pack with stones and put on the boss
big boots. After that he had no more
to do but to walk up to the hut and
back again. laying the false trail. After
| that he waded out to the rock again
: go as to leave no tracks. and changed
back into his own moccasins. went tt