The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-08-28

a descent of the steep bank until
we reached the rocky bed of the
stream. Undaunted, she went on,
springing from stone to stone and
steadying herself with her stick. II
we could only discover the body of the
dead woman, then the rest would be
clear, she declared. She would openly
denounce the assassin.
The sun had set, and the sky above
showed the crimson of the distant
afterglow, warning us that it was time
we began to think of how to make our
exit. We were passing around a sharp
bend in the glen where the powders
were so thickly moss grown that our
feet fell noiselessly, when l thought
| heard a voice, and raising my hand
we both halted suddenly.
Someone is there" / whispered
quickly. Behind that rock" She
nodded in the affirmative, for she, too.
had heard the voice.
We listened, but the sound was not
repeated. That someone was on the
other side of the rock knew, for in
a tree in the vicinity thrush was hop
ping from twig to twig, sounding its
alarm-cry and Directing to being dis
turbed.
Therefore we crept silently forward
together to ascertain who were the in
truders. The only manner, however,
In which to get a view beyond the
huge rock that, having fallen across the
stream centuries ago, had diverted its
channel, was to Chamber up its messy
sides to the summit. This we did ca.
gerly and breathlessly, without betray.
ing our presence by the utterance of
single word and laying ourselves fiat
as We came to its summit.
Then together We peered over, just
however, in time to see two dark fig.
ures Of men disappearing into the
thicket on the opposite side of the
glen.
who are they, l wonder?" / asked
do you recognize them?"
mo. They are entire strangers to
me-" was her answer. But they seem
fairly we'll dressed. Perhaps two
sportsmen from some shooting party
in the neighborhood. They've lost
their way most probably"
But don't think they carried guns,
l said. "One of them had something
over his shoulder"
Wasn't it a gun? l thought i,
was"
mo, he wasn't carrying it like he'd
! carry a gun. 1t was Shorthand
seemed more like a spade"
"A spade!" she gasped quickly in
a low voice.
| At the moment my eye caught sight
Of a portion of the ground below us
at the base of the rock which had evi
IDENTIFY been recently disturbed.
1T is spade the man is carrying!'
I cried excitedly. Look down there
They've just been burying something!'
Her quick eyes followed the direc
ton indicated, and she answered
Il really believe they have concealed
something"
Then when we had allowed the mer
to get beyond hearing, we both slipped
down to the other side of the bowldel
and there discovered many signs tha
the earth had been hurriedly exca
waited and only just replaced.
Quicker than 1t takes to describe tn,
exciting incident which followed, W,
1 hroka dnup tho hropob - n %roo an,
with it commenced moving the freshl!
disturbed earth, which was still sof
and easily removed.
Muriel found dead branch in tn,
vicinity, and both of us set to worl
with will, eager to ascertain vha
was hidden there. That somethin,
had certainly been concealed was, I,
us, quite evident, but what 1t reail,
was we could not surmise.
Digging with a piece of wood wa
hard and laborious work and 1t wa
a long time before we removed stuff
cient earth to make hole of any size
But Muriel exerted all her energy. an,
both of US worked on in logged silenc
full of wonder and anticipation. Wit
a spade we should have soon been abb
to investigate, but the earth havin
apparently been stamped down har
prior to the last covering being pu
upon 1t, our progress was very slo,
and difficult.
At last, quarter of an hour or s
AFTER we had commenced. Murie
standing In the hole and having du
her stake deeply into the ground, sue
denly cried:
Look! Look. Mr.. Gregg! Why
whatever is that?"
bent forward as she indicated, an
my eyes met an object SO unexpecte
that l was held dumb and motionles.
The amazing enigma was surel
complete!
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