The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-04-09

CHAPTER XIII.
Tho Island.

Louis. who. manipulating the uhcr,
heard nothing.
IF Louis will swear 10 what he in
formed me-" he said. ''it means that
we can clap Brousseau into Jail. 9th
crwise he'll never give up his schemes
against me, because he has a personal
grievance"
mir. Askew." said LATE. might l
nut a question to you without giving
offense?"
You may. ConnelI."
Tin only saying what everybody's
saying in ST. Boniface. and that is
about your cutting Brousseau out wirh
MademoiselIe Rosny."
4 II guess it's true. Lafe." said Hilary.
"Lafe. she's-weIl. you understand"
II guess do" said LATE. He
stretched out sinewy hand and
gripped Hilary's warmly. Il wish
Clarice-my wife-could meet you" he
said
Il hope she will. Lafe, some day.
BIT now about Brousseau."
IL asked You that" said LATE, be
cause there's a lot hangs on it. 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 a ten-dollar bill. No, sir,
IT won't do. We've got to get the fox
right into the trap before we spring
H."
I'm afraid am no hand at spring
ing traps, Lafe."
NO. Bur we've got TO give him rope
enough to hang himself We don't
want to 70 off at half-cock That's
palmer. amt it? My advice is as be-
fore; lie low. You see, sir, when
man schemes and schemes and plans
lis crooked work. all that he's doing
is 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 it. And he'll
twist il tight next time he wriggles.
That's my idea. Mr.. Askew-"
II guess you're right as usual LATE"
answered Hilary. But I've been ly
ing low laundering long time"
No more was said upon the subject.
Out in the Gulf the choppiness of the
waves had changed TO steady sweep
toward the island. which. lying in mid
III 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 70 make out the luxurious
growth of conifers that covered 1T al
fmost to the seas verge.
ii In the center he could now make
out ridge of low hills. which seemed
10 ascend TO a terminal cliff, having
on one side a gentle slope and. on the
other. precipitous descent toward
/ the water.
There ought 10 he some fine cut
ting there for US some day" said
hilary. Hello, Whars that?"
Somebody has got there before u.s."
sod ConnelI.
" boat came into view. n little fish
ping sIoop. much like Duvals. beached
high above high water.
THAT boat belongs TO Jacques
II Brousseau," said Louis. pointing to-
ward it,
whats he doing on my limits. I
>wonder." unused Hilary.
n Il guess he's making this his winter
IA quarters He's trapped the seigniory
"A so long that he thinks it's his terri
tory
They grounded. Duval, Ieaping
ashore. brought the bow round above
the water level. Lafe and Hilary
stepped out and stretched their cramp-
ed limbs.
The wind blew keenIy. but. once un-
der the shelter OF the island. they
found It warm autumn weather
Leaving Louis stretched out in The
boat. under a tarpaulin, LATE and Hill
airy started up the sloping beach toward
the interior. The first thing that they
NOTICED as peculiar, when they lad
passed the outer fringe of trees. was
the existence of a well-defined trail
They stopped and looked at ii.
do You suppose old Jacques made
all that?" asked Lafe.
Too wide"
And too hard. Mr. Askew. This
has been stamped out this summer.
And Jacques has only been here a
week. mt most
"Then-?" asked Hilary.
Somebody else has been on the
island all summer. or at least most of
the summer. Maybe two or three Of
them. 1t looks like IT.
The trail had disappeared. They
were 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
Widening into small caves.
Suddenly LATE gripped Hilary's arm
AID pointed. Through the scrub they
could see Jacques Brousseau coming
ont of an aperture I'm the cliff, deep
hut narrow cleft that opened toward
the base into wide recess.
Jacques saw them at the same time
end stood motionless. As LATE and
Hilary advanced he seemed to be gal
vanized into life. He rushed toward
them. screaming, his face convulsed
with fury.
Hilary cast his eyes nbout to ascer-
tain the cause Of the old mans fury.
He saw, near the cnve's mouth, a large
slab Of granite. and a heavy hammer
lying beside It.