The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-01-14
CHAPTER III.

n 70 sooner were We away than |
III put my eager question. What
/ do you think of it?''
Joe shrugged his shoulders.
do you know any Of these menT'
"AlI Of them
Flow about the fellow who is on
bad terms with
November seized my arm. man
was approaching through the dusk. AS
he passed my companion hailed him
"Hello. Baxter! Didn't know you'd
come back. Where you been?'
Right up on the headwaters."
"Fitz come down with you?
NO: stayed on the line of traps
Did you want him. November?"
Yes, but it can wait See any
mooseY'
"Nary one: nothing but red deer"
Good night"
$50 long"
THAT settles It," said November. IF
be speaks the truth. as | believe he
does. it wasn't either of the Gurds shot
Lyon"
why not!
Didn't you hear him say they hadn't
seen any moose? And l told you that
the man that shot Lyon had killed Il
moose quite recent That leaves just
Miller and Highamson-and it weren't
Miller"
You're sure OF thatT
stark certain One reason is that
NfiiIer's above six foot. and the man
as camped with Lyon wasn't us tall
| by six inches Another reason. You
heard the storekeeper say how Miller
and Lyon wasn't on speaking terms
Yet the man who shot Lyon carped
with him-slep' beside hin-mnst a
talked to him. That weren't Miller"
His clear reasoning rang true.
"Highamson lives alone away up
He'll make back home soon"
unless he's guilty and has fed the
country" suggested
He won't "a done that 1t 'ud be
rs good as Il confession. No. he thinks
he's done his work to rights and has
| IluluILlss " Line llot He ttiSh
home now
The night had become both wild anC
clustering before we set out for Hig
hamson's hut and all along the forest
paths which led to 1t the sleet anG
snow OF what November called "a rea
mean night" beat In our faces
Ii was black dark or nearly so wher
at last a building loomed up in from
of us. a faint light showing under th'
door.
You there. Highamson?" called ou
November.
panion pushed it open. and we enter
ed the small wooden room, where o.
single table lamp burned dimly
He turned it up and looked around
A pack lay on the door unopened. AM
gun leaned up in u corner.
Just got in.'' commented Noven
Der. Hasn't loosed up his pack yet.
He turned it over. A hatchet wa
thrust through the wide thongs whic
bound it. November drew it out
Put your thumb along that edge,
he said blunt? Yes? Yet he drov
that old hatchet as deep in the WOO
as Lyon drove his sharp one. He's
strong man."
AS he spoke he was busyins hin
J self with the pack. examining it's col
tents with deft fingers. 1t held littl
save few clothes. little tea an
salt and other fragments Of prov
sions and Bible. The finding OF til
last was. | could see. no surprise
November. though the reason why /
should have suspected its presence r.
mained hidden from me. But ! ha
begun to realize that much was plai
I to him which to the ordinary man W;
, invisible.
Having satisfied himself as to ever
article in the pack. he rapidly r
placed them and tied it up as ne ha
found it. when |. glancing out of ii
SMALL window. saw Il light moving 10
| among the trees. to which I called N
vember Joe's attention.
+ Its likely Highamson," he sal
coming nome with lantern. u
you into that dark corner
did SO. while November stood
the shadow at the back of the clos.
door. From my position could s.
the lantern slowly approaching until
flung CLEAN of light through q
window into the hut The next m
ment the door was thrust open. al
+ the heavy breathing of man becan
! audible.
1t happened that at first Highamst
saw neither of US. so that the first
timation that he had of our presen
was Noyember's "Hellor'