The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-03-05
CHAPTER XIII.
10
FL l.I&A<l

the evening tue.
Hilary, seated opposite his friend,
told him of the conversation with
Louis, who, manipulating the tiller,
heard nothing.
eff Louis will swear to what he in
formed me-" he said, sit means that
we can clap Brousseau into Jail. 9th
erwise he'll never give up his schemes
against me, because he has personal
grievance"
Mr.. Askew," said LATE, might 1
put a question to you without giving
offense?
"You may, Connell." .........
I'm only saying what everybody's
saying in st. Boniface, and that is
about your cutting Brousseau out with
Mademoiselle Rosny."
81 guess it's true, Lafe," said Hilary.
'Lafe, she's-well, you understand"
81 guess I do" said LATE. He
stretched out a sinewy hand and
gripped Hilary's warmly. II wish
Clarice-my wife-could meet you," he
said.
But now about Brousseau."
81 asked you that" said LATE, "be-
cause there's lot hangs on it. Now
as to Louis-he wouldn't swear. IT
he did swear, he'd swear that he'd
been lying as soon as Brousseau
slipped him ten-dollar bill. No, sir,
it won't do. We've got to get the fox
right into the trap before we spring
it,
'Tm 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
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 it tight next time he wriggles.
That's my idea, Mr.. Askew"
81 guess you're right as usual Lafe,"
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 a steady sweep
toward the island, which, lying in mid
stream, received and broke the full
force of the daily tides. The wind
Thorn
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 it al
most to the seas verge.
In the center he could now make
out ridge Of low hills, which seemed
to ascend to 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. Hello! What's that?"
Somebody has got there before u.s."
said Connell.
A boat came into view, a little fish
Ing sloop, much like Duvals, beached
on the shore, the sails down, the bow
high above high water.
THAT boat belongs to jacques
Brousseau," said Louis, pointing to-
ward it.
whats he doing on my limits, I
wonder" unused Hilary.
Il guess he's making this his winter
quarters. He's trapped the seigniory
so long that he thinks it's his terri
tory"
They grounded. Duval, leaping
ashore, brought the bow round above
the water level. LATE and Hilary
stepped out and stretched their cramp-
ed limbs.
The wind blew keenly, but, once I'M
der the shelter of the island, they
found it warm autumn weather.
Leaving Louis stretched out in the
boat, under tarpaulin, LATE and Hill
airy 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
the existence Of well-defined trail.
They stopped and looked at it.
do you suppose old Jacques made
all that?" asked LATE.
TOO wide"
"And too hard, Mr.. Askew. This
has been stamped out this summer.
And Jacques has only been here
week, at most"
ocl-o5
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. Thet
were now scrambling up a 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
and pointed. Through the scrub they
could see Jacques Brousseau coming
out of an aperture in the cliff, deep
but narrow cleft that opened toward
the base into wide recess.
Jacques saw them at the same time
and 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 about to ascer-
tain the cause of the old mans fury.
He saw, near the caves mouth, large
slab Of granite. and heavy hammer