The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-16
5H19.lilila NON So1lpatV

would make many a placer look
sick, before he died."
"But he might have got the mug.
gets somewhere else"
Hold your horses. Where
would he get 'em? There's some
thing else suspicious too. He
wrote a letter, the day before he
died, and addressed It to- Ezra
Melville. 10 must Just about got
It by now. He had the clerk mail
It for him and got him to witness
II. saying Il was his willard what
did the old hound have TO viii, ex'
cept a miner Next day Ne wrote
another letter soneAshete too--but
didn't find out who It was to-"
IT should say Il was worth a
trip" Ray agreed. "And in Q fast
one, too. Ezra Melville will be
shown up one OF these days. We
want to be settin' pretty when he
comes"
"You've got the idea. II opsht 70
be the easiest job we ever did. y
Ray was lost IN thought. There's
an old cabin up that way some.
WHEREOF the river. II his brother
does come up, he'll find us IN pos
session-and nothing to do but 30
back. So tomorrow we'll load ny
and pack horses and light out"
up Poor Man crece, through
Spruce Pass"
"sure, Then over to the Yusa
Old Hiram was hunting down sonlG
kind Of scent In the vicinity Of
that old cabin you speak Of, last
heard OF him."
"Ali easy enough" Ray agreed,
He paused, and queer. speculative
look came into his Wild.beast's
eyes. But what don't see-how
you can figure all this is going To
help mo out with Beatrice"
jeffrey Nelson turned in bis
chair. "You can't, en- You need
spectacles.
We'll need some one to cook and
, look after us, whun we get up thera
Who should Il oe but Beatrice? She
wouldn't want to stay here; you
know how she loves the woods.
There wouldn't be any OF the other
boys up there to trouble you. You'd
have a clear field"
At a little town at the end Of
steel Ben and Earam ended the first
lap Of their journey.
A canoe was bought for a reason
able sum-they we're told they had
good chance Of selling It again
when they left the river near Snowy
Gulch. For a ridiculously small
sum which he mysteriously pro
duced from the pocket Of his faded
Jeans, Ezram bought second.
hand rifle-an ancient gun Of large
caliber but OF enduring quality
and a box OF shells 10 match.
"old Hiram loft me a gun, bit
we'll each need one," EEram eS,
planned.
They would have need Of good
canoe.craft bef3re the journeys
end, the villagers told them. Ez.
ram had not boasted OF any such
ability. and at first Ben regarded
the plan with considerable misgiv.
iMgs. And II was With the mos.
profound amazement that, when
they pushed OF, he saw ESram do.
liberately scat himself In the bow,
leaving the more important place
to his young companion.
Good heavens. I'll capsize you ~
minute Ben said. "How do
you dare risk IT."
Push off aud stop bothertn' me-.
Ezram answered. There's a paddle
go ahead and shoot err"
The waters caught the canoe,
speeding II downstream; and IN
apprehension Of immediate disaster
Ben seized the paddle. Swiftly he
thrust II into the streaming water
at his side.
do you remember when you
shot the Athabaska Rapids2" Ez-
ram had asked. It was all eleRr
enough. In that life that was for
gotten he had evidently liAed much
In a canoe, knowing every detail
Of river life.
Late afternoon, and they worked
closer to the shore. And now, IN
the gray Of twilight, Esram saw ths
place to land.
It was a small lagoon into which
a creek emptied, and beyond was
an open meadow, found SO often
and go Unexpectedly In the Norta
woods. Swiftly Ben turned the
canoe into shore.
All at once a great clarity seem
ed to take possession Of Ben'e
mind. Here in these forests; were
the stimuli Of which Forest, the
ailenist, had spoken; and his brNn
seemed to leap, as in one impulse
to the truth. Suddenly he knew the
answer to all the questions and
problems that had troubled him Sc
long.
He sprang up, HE eyes blazing
II remember everything an In
audible voice spoke within him.
Then he whispered feverishly, to
his familiar wilds. "And I have
come home"
CHAPTER ".
A Bolt From the Blue.
TkSAS-TFkfataS ~