Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-01-19

VnOmDSOnS Dig uNnQ QlYeO lntO tue
breast of Chris shirt and when 1t
came out again 1t held bundle Of
notes.
"You smart cussr' said Chris to No
vember Joe.
A few busy hours followed. and 1t
was the next afternoon before I found
myself again at November's shanty
and asked for the explanations which
had been promised me.
1.-THE moment I heard Thompson's
story" began November. 1T started
me thinking a bit. You remember how
plain they saw the tracks Of the rob
Der. the size. the patch, the exact mum
ber Of nails 1t sort Of seemed that
road agent who went around In pair
Of boots like that was maybe fool or
maybe laying false trail. As SOON as
I saw the tracks I knew wasn't far
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" I put In. You thought
"How did know he was a light
mani 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 It !"
"But howT'
"See, here's the way Of it suspi-
cioned some one In O 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 robDer. whoever be was.
couldn't operate far from camp. Then
the drugglng settled 1t. Don't you re-
member the kettle had nothing In itT
would have spoken. but November
held up his hand
mo, I know Thompson hadn't filled
II. but he hadn't cleaned it either. We
woods chaps always leave the tea
leaves In the kettle till we want To
boil up the next brew. So 1t looked
queer that some one had washed out
that kettle. Now. II the robber come
from outside he'd never do that. no
need to. He'd be gone afore they
could suspect the kettle. No. that
clean kettle said plain as speaking that
It was one Of the six.
Now" went on November. when |
knew that, knew good bit. and
when I saw the scratches on the rock
I was able to settle up the whole ca
boodle-Chris put that stuff In the ten.
and as soon rs It sent them of asleep
he picked the money OF them. Then
he went down to the brook. taking the
kettle. the big boots nnd something to
hold q pack of stones with him. He
waded out to that fat rock and wash
ed out the kettle: then he filed mp 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 wnded out to the rock again.
so as to leave no tracks. and changed
back into his own moccasins. went to
the hut and to sleep"
"But the scratches on the rockf
What made them?"
1.-THE nails in the boots. Chris drew
up his feet to fasten up the boots and
the nails slipped bit on the rock
"But the time. November. You said
the robbery was done between 2 and
8 In the morning How did you know
that?''
"By the birches. He'd turn to the
light to put on his boots, and the moon
only rose above them trees about 2
Till then that side Of the rock was IN
black shadow"
"And the stones In the pack"
"The heel tracks was good and
marked You yourself noticed how the
chap walked on his heels?"
"Yes."
"That told me. A man With weight
upon bis back always does IT. And
when saw the stones that had been
raked up out Of the river bed why
there 1t was like print and palmer
that the robber was light man That
got me as far az to know 1t was one
Of two men d. It Chris and Bill
Mavers isn't sizable either Of them:
they're smallish made. 1t were one or
other ! knew. Then whichever II was
utter he got the money what did he do
with it?"
"Took 1t with him or hid 1t" said /.
as November seemed to expect reply
"When comes to think 1t over !
was pretty sure he hid 1t. cos II there'd
happened to be any argument or
quarrel or trouble about 1t there might
"a been a search. and II the notes had
a been found Oh one Of them they'd
have dropped him sure. Next point
was where did he hide It? There was
the rocks und the river bank and the