The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-04-24
CHAPTER XIII
The IsiapE

-fV-
The IsIapI
LATE and Hilary ssr1eo 1cr tne Is
land at one o'clock They planned t(
spend three hourf mere ana return OF
the evening tid<
Hilary, sesfu opposite ms 1r1eno
told him 4 the conversation witt
Lou,s W., manipulating the tiller
heard rthihs.
are louis will swear to what he in
sorred me-" he said, sit means thai
v2can clap Brousseau into Jail. 9th
4rwise he'll never give up his scheme.
against me, because he has a persona
grievance"
'Mr. Askew," said Lafe, might
put question to you without giving
offense?"
"You may, Cornell"
'Im only saying what everybody't
saying in st. Boniface, and that IL
about your cutting Brousseau out with
Mademoiselle Rosny."
81 guess it's true, Lafe," said Hilary
"Lafe. she's--well. you understand"
81 guess / do" said LATE. He
stretched out a sinewy hand and
gripped Hilary's warmly. Il wish
Clarice-my wife-could meet you," be
said.
II hope she will, LATE, some day
But now about Brousseau."
II asked you that" said LATE, ''be.
cause there's q lot hangs on 1t. Now
as to Louis--he wouldn't swear. Ii
he did swear. he'd swear that he'd
been lying as soon as Brousseau
slipped him ten-dollar bill. No, sir
1t won't do. We've got to get the fox
right into the trap before we spring
it."
"I'm afraid I am no hand at spring
ing traps, Lafe."
mo. But we've got to give him rope
enough to hang himself. We don't
want to go off at half-cock. That's
palmer, amt It? My advice is as be-
fore; lie low. You see, sir, when a
man schemes and schemes and plans
his crooked work, all that he's doing
IL to twist the rope tighter round his
own neck. We've got him now, but
we must get the moose tight, SO that
he won't wriggle out of 1t. And he'll
twist it tight next time he wriggles.
That's my idea, Mr.. Askew."
~ guess you're right as usual LATE, /"
answered Hilary. ''But I've been ly-
ing low a laundering long time"
No more was said upon the subject.
Out in the Gulf the choppiness Of the
waves had changed to a steady sweep
toward the island, which, lying In mid
stream, received and broke the full
force OF the daily tides. The wind
aided them, and they swept through
the water. Hilary watched the near
ing land with interest that deepened
as he began to make out the luxurious
growth Of conifers that covered 1t al
faost to the seas verge.
In the center he could now make
out ridge of low hills, which seemed
to ascend to a terminal cliff, having
on one side gentle slope and, on the
other, a precipitous descent toward
the water.
'There ought to be some fine cut
ting there for US some day." said
Hilary. "Hetlo! What's that?"
Somebody has got there before us"
said Connell.
A boat came into view, a little fish
ing sloop, much like Duval's, beached
on the shore, the sails down, the bow
high above high water.
THAT boat belongs to Jacques
Rousseau" said Louis, pointing to-
ward it.
~What's he doing on my limits. /
wonder" unused Hilary.
II guess he's making this his winter
quarters. He's trapped the seigniory
20 long that he thinks it's his terri
tory"
They grounded. Duval, leaping
ashore, brought the bow round above
the water level. LATE and Hillary
stepped out and stretched their cramr-
ed limbs.
The wind blew keenly, but, once un-
der the shelter Of the island, they
found 1t warm autumn weather.
Leaving Louis stretched out in the
boat, under q tarpaulin, LATE and Hill
ny started up the sloping beach toward
the interior. The first thing that they
noticed as peculiar, when they had
passed the outer fringe Of trees, was
he existence Of a well-defined trail.
They stopped and looked at 1t.
ado you suppose old Jacques made
all that?" asked LATE.
'aToo WIDE"
@And too hard, Mr.. Askew. This
aas been stamped out this summer.
And Jacques has only been here q
week. at most"
'Then-r asked Hilary.
Somebody else has been on the
sland all summer, or at least most OF
he summer. Maybe two or three OF
hem. It looks like II"
The trail had disappeared They
we're now scrambling up gulley be-
tween great rocks that lowered on
either side Of them. At the top Of
the elevation appeared the point OF
the island. and the face Of the great
cliff. cleft into numerous assures, some