River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-28
SMOKE BELLEW
Continued from page 2

/ 90 an get that gun he dropped.
| You might let me tell what happen
ed Smoke objected.
'eYou shut up" the man snarled al
him. Il reckon your gun'll tell the
story"
All the men examined Smokes rife
"One shot" Blackboard concluded.
Pierre, with nostrils that quivered
and distended like a deer's, shifted at
the breech. Him one fresh shot" he
said
The bullet entered his back" Smoke
said He was facing me when he was
/ shot You see, it came from the other
/ bank"
| Blackboard considered this PROPOSE
ton for a scant second and shook his
head. Nope. 1t won't do. Turn him
around TO face the other bank. that's
how you whopped him in the back
Some Of you boys run up an down the
trail an see if you can see any tracks
maxim for the other bank"
Their report was that on that side
the snow was unbroken Blackboard.
bending over the dead man. straighten
ed up with woolly, furry wad in his
hand Shredding this, be found inn
bedded in the center the bullet which
had perforated the body Its nose was
spread to the size Of a half dollar; its
butt end. steel jacketed, vas undam-
aged He compared it with cartridge
from Smokes belt.
That's plain enough evidence, stran-
ger. to satisfy blind man. It's soft
nosed an steel jacketed; yourn is soft
nosed and steel jacketed. It's 1890;
yourn is 1870. It's manufactured by
the ] & I. Arms company; yourn is
manufactured by the J. 4 L. Arms
company. Now, you come along, an
well go over to the bank an see jest
how you done it,"
Il was bushwhacked myself, Smoke
said Look at the hole in my parka."
While Blackboard examined it one OF
the voyagers threw open the breech Of
the dead mans gun. It was patent to
al that it had been fired once. The
empty cartridge was still in the cham
Der.
"A d shame poor Joe didn't get
you" Blackboard said bitterly. But
he did pretty well with hole like that
in him Come on, you"
Search the other bank first" Smoke
urged
You shut up an come on. an let the
facts do the talkin'."
They left the trail at the same spot
he had and followed it on up the bank
and in among the trees.
Him dance that place keep him feet
warm" Louis pointed out. THAT
place him crawl on belly. That place
him put one elbow wen him shoot"
And there's the empty cartridge he
done it with was Blackbeard's dis
covery Boys, there's only one thing
to do We're decent and law abidin',
an we got to handle this right an reg
ular Wen cache the outfit an run
him an poor Joe back to Two Cabins.
| reckon we've seen an can testify to
what'n stretch his neck
1t was three hours after dark when
the dead man. Smoke and his captOrs
arrived at Two Cabins. By the star
light Smoke could make out a dozen
or more recently built cabins smuggling
about a larger and older cabin on
fat by the river bank Thrust inside
this older cabin, he found it tenanted
by a young giant of a man, his wife
and an old blind man
The woman. whom her husband cali
ed Lucy, was herself strapping crea-
ture Of the frontier type. The old
man. as Smoke learned afterward. had
been a trapper on the Stewart for years
and had gone finally blind the winter
before The camp of Two Cabins, he
was also to learn, had been made the
previous fall by a dozen men who ar
rived in half as many polling boats
loaded with provisions Here they had
found the blind trapper on the site OF
Two Cabins. and about his cabin they
had built their own
In five minutes all the men of Two
Cabins were damned into the room.
Smoke. showed off into a corner. ignor-
ed and scowled at, his hands and feet
tied with thongs Of moose hide. look
ed on. Thirty-eight men he counted,
wild and husky crew. His captors told
the tale over and over, each the center
of an excited and wrathful group.
1t was while counting the men that
Smoke caught sight of a familiar face.
1t was Breck. the man whose boat
Smoke had run through the rapids on
the way to Dawson. He wondered
why the other did not come and speak
TO him, but himself gave no sign of
| recognition. Later. when, with shield
ed face. Breck passed him a wink
Smoke understood.
Blackboard, whom Smoke heard call
ed Eli Harding, ended the discussion
as to whether or not the prisoner
should be Immediately lynched. Hold
onr' he roared Keep your shirts on
That man belongs to me. 1 caught
him. an / brought him here.
| brought him here for fair an i'm
| partial trial. an, by -, a fair an i'm