The Bossier banner., 1916-01-06

Pierre, with nostriIs that quivered
| md distended like Il deers. shifted at
| the hreech Hin one fresh shot" be
said
THE bullet entered his back" Smoke
said He was facing me when be 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 Blackb beard.
bending over the dead man. straighten
ed up with woolly, furry wad in his
hand Shredding this. he found i'm
aedGed in the center the bullet which
had perforated the body. It's nose was
spread to the size of Il half dollar; its
butt end. steel jacketed. was undam-
aged He compared 1t 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
uosed and steel jacketed. It's a 3030;
yourn is 30-3O It's manufactured by
the J. Il T. Arms company: yourn is
manufactured by the J. & T Arms
company Now, you come along. an
we1l go over to the bank an see jest
how you done it
II was bushwhacked myself" Smoke
said Look ut the hole in my parka."
While Blackboard examined it one OF
the voyugers threw open the breech of
the dead mans gun. 1t was patent to
all that it had been fired once. The
empty cartridge was still in the cham
ber.
"A d shame poor Joe didn't get
YOU" Blackboard said bitterly. But
he did pretty well with Il hole like that
in him. Come ON. you"
Search the other bank first" Smoke
4 Urged.
You shut up an come on. an let the
facts do the talkin'."
They left the trail at the same spot
be 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 Blackbe;lrd's dis.
coyery. 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'H stretch his neck.
tt .wassthree hours after. dark wheI
? arrived at TWO Cabfns. 81 the star
I light Smoke could make sut dozen
. or more recently built cabins smuggling
about larger and older cabin on ;
. fat by the river bank Thrust inside
+ this older cabin. he found it tenantee
I by young giant of man. his wifi,
3 and an old blind man.
1 The woman. whom her husband call
. ed Lucy. was herself "A strapping crea
> ture of the frontier type. The OLE
{ man, as Smoke learned afterward. hat
been a trapper on the Stewart for years
, and had gone finally blind the winte
before The camp, of Two Cabins. b,
! was also to learn. had been made th'
q previous fall by dozen men who ar
t rived in half as many polling boat
D loaded with provisions Here they hat
| found the blind trapper on the site o
/, Two Cabins. and about his cabin the,
, had built their own. -
: In FIVE minutes all the men OF Tw'
e Cabins were jammed into the room
e Smoke. showed off into a corner. ignor
ed and Scowled at his hands and fee
, tied with thongs of moose hide, look
] ed On. Thirty eight men he counted, ;
: wild and husky crew His captors tolt
G the tale over and over. each the cente
0 of an excited and wrathful group.
; 1t was while counting the men rha
Smoke caught sight of a familiar face
!. 1t was Breck. the man whose boa
!, Smoke had run through the rapids Oh
Q the way to Dawson, He wondered
0 why the other did not come and speal
/ to him. but himself gave no sign O
= recognition. Later. when, with shield
ed face. Breck passed him Il wink
!. Smoke understood.
i Blackboard. whom Smoke heard call
t ed Eli Harding. ended the discussion
rs to whether or not the prisone
3 should be Immediately lynched. Hole
en- he roared Keep your shirts on
$ That man belongs to me. caugh
: him. an brought him here.
brought him here for a fair an i'm
. partial trial an. by -, fair an i'm
4 partial trial he's goin' to get! Chucl
Y him in a bunk till mornin', an wei
, hold the trial right here"