Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-01-05
NUMBER |
"How can you tell that?"

HOW can you tell tuat|
November pointed to the ground at
the far side Of the fire.
ITO begin with. No. had his camp
pitched over there" said he: then. see
ing my look Of perplexity.. he added
pityingly: We've westerly wind
these last two days. but before that the
wind was east. and he camped the frst
night with his back to II. And in the
new camp one bed O. boughs is fresher
than the other"
The thing seemed so absurdly OBJ
vious that was nettled.
IL suppose there are other indications
Dhaven't noticed" said.
There might be some you haven't
mentioned" he answered warily.
what are they?"
'That the man who killed Lyon Is
thick set and very strong: that he has
been a good while in the woods with.
out having gone to settlement; that
he owns blunt hatchet such as We
wood chaps call tomahawk No. g.
| ludt lie hllleu kuOOSc idSt WeCht tuhl
he can read; that he spent the night
before the murder in great trouble OF
mind and that likely he was religious
kind O. chap"
AS November reeled OF these details
In his quiet, low keyed voice stared at
him In amazement.
But how can you have found out all
that" said ut last. III It's correct
It's wonderful"
"I'll tell you, IL you want to hear.
when I've got my man-if l ever do
get him. One thing more is sure. he is
a chap who knew Lyon well. The rest
Of the Job lies in the settlement Of st.
Amiel, where Lyon lived"
We walked back to Big Tree portage
and from there ran down in the canoe
to st. Amiel. arriving the following
evening. About half mile short Of
the settlement November landed and
set up our camp. Afterward We went
on. / had never before visited the
ony Of scattered houses struggling be-
side the river. 1t possessed two stores
and one Of the smallest churches |
have ever seen.
"You can help me here If you WILL"
said November rs We paused before
the larger of the stores.
"Of course | will HowT
"By letting 'em think you've engaged
me as your guide, and we've come in
to st. Amiel to buy some grub and
gear we've run short Of"
"All right" And with this arrange
ment We entered the store.
l will not make any attempt to de-
scribe by what roundabout courses OF
talk November learned all the news
Of desolate little st. Amiel and Of the
surrounding countryside. The provin-
cial police had evidently found means
to close the mouth Of the lumberjack
for the time ut least, as no hint Of
Lyons death had yet drifted back to
his native place.
Little by little 1t came out that only
FIVE men were absent from the settle
ment. Two OF these. Fitz and Baxter
Gurd. were brothers who had gone on
an extended trapping expedition. The
other absentees We're Highamson.
Lyons father-in-law: Thomas Miller a
professional guide and hunter. and
lastly, Henry Lyon himself. who had
gone up river to visit his traps, start
ing on the previous Friday. The other
men had all been away three weeks or
more, and all had started In canoes,
except Lyon, who. having sold his.
went on foot.
Next, by imperceptible degrees. the
talk slid round to the subject Of Lyons
wife. They had been married four
years and had no child. She had been
the belle Of st. Amiel. and there had
been no small competition for her
hand. or the absent men both Miller
and Fitz Gurd had been her suitors.
and the former and Lyon mad never
been on good terms since the marriage
The younger Gurd was wild fellow.
and only his brothers influence kept
him straight.
r~o NO co~rrvuYD1