The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-01-28
By nESKETn PRlCnARD
Copyright, 1913,
By Hesketh Prichard

lit match after match and peered
about the stove. for the interior of the
cabin was pretty dark even in the day
time.
After this he bent over the table
and, drawing his knife. scratched at a
stain on the near side, and then ut Il
similar stain upon the other.
I'm through he said at length.
Stafford who had been watching
Joe's proceedings with an air of i'll
credulity that bordered on dcrision.
turned sharply to question him:
Found out anything:"
Not much.' answered Joe.
well. all | can see is that the vii
lain has eaten n good share of my
grub
II dare say" said Joe, There was
two Of them. you know"
mo. | don't! And what else can
you tell me about them?"
II think they was man and wife.
She's smallish woman; I'd guess she's
maybe weakly, too. And he's fond
Of reading; nyway. he can read"
piciously.
WHAT" he shouted Are you kid
ding me? Or how did you get all that:"
That's easy" replied November
''There are two or three traces of u lii
tie flat foot in front of the stove and
woman couldn't run this job on her
own, SO it's likely there was man
too"
Stafford grunted. "lou said she was
weakly"
II thought maybe she was, for if she
hadn't split the water out of the kettle
most times she took it off the stove
there wouldn't be any track. and here
is one near Oh top of the other so it
happened more'n once on the same
spot. She found her kettle heavy, Mi
Staiford,' Joe said seriously.
I'm free To own that seems sense.
acknowledged Stafford. But the read
ing--that's different
"rable's been pulled up alongside
the hunk-see that scrape of the lec?-
aud he's had the lamp close up along
side near the edge where the stain is.
There's plenty old oil stains in the mid
die of the table but these close to the
edges amt been long on, You can see
that for yourself"
"By lingo" said the fox farmer
"Anything elsc:'
"Ihe chap what robbed you was a
trappcr all right and had killed red
fox recent, SO recent he carried it
across and skinned it here"
"Where;'
"By your stove Joe bent down and
picked up some short red hairs. "Clum
sy skinning," said he. Let's go out
and take Iool, round the island"
Stafford led the way. At a short dis
lance some of the skinned carcasses
lay. Joe turned them over Suddenly
he bent down with that quick intent
ness that | had learned to connect
with his more important discoveries
From one he passed to another till he
had handled every carcass. Stafford
pointed out another island lying some
five miles north, whore he told us, he
kept his less valuable stock.
'Thcre's Il lot of red and cross foxes
over there on Edith Island It's named
for my eldest gal," he said when
ever there happens a black one in the
htters try to catch it and bring 1t
over here to Eel lIullo, What's
that?"
Stafford stood with his hands Shad-
ing his eyes staring at Edith island
Look. That's smoke or I'm dream
ing he cried
4 very faint liUe Of BLUSH haze rose
from the distant rock.
Smoke it is" said Joe.
But The island is ,ininhabited Come
on. come on cried Sta ford eNcitedly.
1T may be those rulians clearing out
Edith island too. Well get after them. ;"
"all right Mr.. Stafford" agreed Joe
but | guess its liable to be your
Alcut Sam uInrooned over there"
"Why?'
THAT'S a signal fire. Whoevers
made that fire is putting on moss. And
I've noticed things here that make me
think it amt likely they killed SAM
The wind served us fairly WE'LL and
ps we ran under the lee Of the land We
were aware of a figure standing on the
beach waiting for us
Its Ale"t sam, sure enough said
Stafford.
The Aleut proved to be a squat fell
low of Il most Moneolian east of couu-
tenance. We roWed ashore in the can
vas boat and on the beach Stafford
held q rapid conversation With his
man in Indian. Neither Joe nor !
could follow what was said, but pres
emily Stafford enlightened us.
sam says that one night, four days
after | left Eel island, he had Just
eaten his supper when he heard Il
Knocking on the door. Thinking it
must be NE who had returned, he
opened it. Seeing no one. he stepped
out into the dark, when Il pair of arms