Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1915-07-31

had the murderer retraced his steps
toward the scene Of his crime? Why
did the officers of the law appear so
Indifferent to the fact that their delay
was giving the murderer just that
much more start Of them? Why had
the murderer dropped the fateful
glove? All these questions he asked
himself, but could frame no satisfac-
tory reply. Putting his hand in his
pocket Darlington found to his sur
prise that he still retained the glove.
How it came there he could not tell,
as he thought he had handed it back
to the constable.
"Well, Pm damnedw he exclaimed.
He had been so wrapt in his
thoughts that on looking up he found
he was several rods beyond the cross
roads. Looking back and seeing no
one, Darlington jumped the fence and
cut across a stretch of scrub oak
striking the cross road about a mile
from the river lane. He was then in
doubt as to whether he had passed
the bars mentioned by Langlois, and
was about to go back toward the lane
when he espied the broken rail on the
other side of the road further down.
Following instructions the American
crawled through the bars, and fol-
lowed the cow track back into the
bush which was so thick and matted
that he was completely shut out from
sight in few minutes. The shack
was on a small knoll in the midst of
what in winter and spring, was evil
IDENTIFY swamp, grown thick with
hazel bushes, young hickories, naples
and chestnuts.
A more desolate place than that
occupied by the shack would be diff
cult to imagine. 1t had evidently been
built when an attempt was made to
get out the timber. The tall stumps
seen everywhere showed the marks of
age and this accounted for the thick
ness of the underground. The door
of the inhospitable looking place
yielded readily. Within it was more
cheerful and bore the ear marks of
recent occupancy. There was a heap
of wood ashes on the hearth stone
of the open fire place, and imbedded
in them several live Goals glowed a
welcome and an invitation to put on
more fuel. This was easily done as
there was plenty of it thrown in the
corner. After replenishing the fire
harrington looked at his watch. He
found it was after 9 o'clock and he
began to realize that he was both
tired and hungry.
Looking around the single roomed
place he observed that rough couch
made of maple saplings resting on
forked stakes occupied the corner
farthest from the door. The mattress
was of hemlock boughs supported by
net work of hickory withes. All
of it was evidently the handiwork of
one accustomed to live in the woods.
That the bed had recently been built
was evident from the fact that both
withes and maple saplings were green
as were the hemlock boughs. In one
corner stood two packing boxes one
above the other, on end. These had
been equipped with shelves. Here he
found what greatly interested him,
three tin plates, knives, forks, both
of wood and steel, the forks being
four prOnged, several tin cups, a
coffee pot, tea kettle, an old fash
toned iron skillet with it's thick cover
for baking in the open fire place, two
or three cans of condensed milk, some
coffee, some bacon, flour, sugar and
two loaves of bakers bread. 1t was
a queer combination of modern COM
fort and backwoods crudity.
The consul did not stop to seek any
explanation of their presence, but set
about utilizing them. He cut some
bacon and in short time had a good
sized meal, hearty if rough, sizzling
on the tin plate before him. A cup
of coffee rounded out the repast.
There was no butter, and Darlington
thought he had never known bacon
grease to taste quite so sweet. Find
ing in his pocket solitary cigar, he
lit it and throwing himself on the bed
of boughs attempted to review the
events of the night. The warmth, and
the lack of sleep numbed his brain,
and with his last consciousness, he
carefully laid his cigar on the three
legged stool beside him.