The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-01-07

" expiring. for a first axiom Of the
true camper in the woods is never to
leave his fire alight behind him in case
of chance ember starting forest
conf1agration
In this case November had taken of
nearly every bit of wood before I
heard him utter a smothered exclama-
ton rs he held up piece of stick.
| took it into my own hands and
looked it over. It was charred. but
saw that one end had been split and
| the other end sharnened
What in the world is it," asked.
puzzled
November smiled. "Just evidence" :"
he answered
I was glad he had at last found
something to go upon. for. so far. the
camp had appeared to produce parsi-
mUniously little that was suggestive
| Nevertheless. | did not see how this
| little bit of spruce. crudely fashioned
and split as it was. would lead us very
| far.
November spent another few min
utes in looking everything over a Sec
ond time. then he took up his Ak and
| split a couple of logs and lit the fire.
| Over 1t he hung his inevitable kettle
and boiled up the leaves of our morn
| ing brew with a liberal handful fresh
| ~ added
| "Well," said. as he touched the end
of burning ember tc his pipe. has
this camp helped your
Some" said November. "And your
He put the question quite seriously.
though I suspect not without some in
ward irony.
Il can see that two men slept under
one tent cover that they cut the wood
for their fire in that marsh we visited
and that they were here for a day.
| perhaps two"
'One was here for three days. the
other one night" corrected November
How can you tell that?''
November pointed to the ground at
the far side of the fire
ITO begin with. No. I had his camp
pitched over there" said he: then. see
ing my look of perplexity. he added
| pityingly: We've a westerly wind
these last two days. but before that the
wind was east. and he camped the first
hight with his back to it, 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
! haven'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 good while in the woods with
out having gone to a settlement; that
! he owns blunt hatchet such as we
wood chaps call 'tomahawk No. g.
that he killed moose last week; that
he can read: that be spent the night
before the murder in great trouble of
mind and that likely he was religious
kind O. chap"
AS November reeled off these details
In his quiet. low keyed voice stared at
him in amaZement.
But how can you have found out all
that?" said at last. IF it's correct
it's wonderful"
"Ill tell you. if you want to hear.
when I've got my man-if ever do
get him. One thing more is sure. he is
chap who knew Lyon we'll. 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
place, and found it to be little col
ony Of scattered houses struggling be-
side the river It possessed two stores
and one of the smallest churches |
have ever seen.
! You can help me here if you will.'
said November as 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
will not make any attempt to de-
| scribe by what rounda bout 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 at least, rs no hint of
Lyons death had yet drifted back to
bis native place.
Little by little it 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 OF
more. and all had started in canoes,
except Lyon. who. having sold his