Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-18

@pN-Lits, Brown 0cmpdnJ

"I suppose-Hiram Melville's
| claim"
That's it. You know he's always
had an idea that the Yuga country
vas worth prospecting. but we al
ways laughed at him. OF course II
is q pocket country; but it's my
opinion he found a pocket that
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 EN-? There's something else
suspicious, too. He wrote a letter,
the day before he died, and address
adj it to Ezra Melville. He must just
about got it by now He had the
clerk mail it for him. and got him
to witness it, saying it was his VIII
and what did the old hound have
to will except d mine Next day he
wrote another letter somewhere too
but l didn't find out who it was
to-
Il should say it was worth a
trip" Ray agreed. And a fast n
too. Ezra Melville will be showing
up one of these days. We want TO
be settin' pretty when he comes"
you've got the idea. 1t ought to
be the easiest job we ever did"
Ray was lost in thought. There's
an old cabin up that way some-
wherein the river. If his brother
does come up, he'll find us in pos
session-and nothing to do but go
back. So tomorrow Well load up
and pack horses and light out"
Up Poor Man creek, through
Spruce Pass
Sure. Then over to the Yuga.
OLD Hiram was hunting down some
kind of a scent in the vicinity of
that old cabin you speak of, last
heard of him"
All easy enough" Ray agreed.
He paused, and a queer, specula-
tive look came INTO his wild-beast's
eyes
But what l don't see-how you
can figure all this is going to help
ont with Beatrice ="
Jeffrey Nelson turned in his
chair. You can't, Ell? You need
S~pectacles.
We'll need someone to cook and
look after US. when we get W there.
wouldn't want to stay here: you
know how she loves the woods.
wouldn't be any of the other
boys up there to trouble you. You'd
have a clear field"
At d little town at the end of
Ben and Ezram ended the first
lap of their journey.
A canoe was bought for a reason
able sum-they were told they had a
good chance of selling it again when
they left the river rear Snowy Gulch
For a ridiculously small sum which
he mysteriously produced from the
pocket of his faded jeans Ezram
bought a secondhand rifle-an an
gun of large calihre but of en-
quality-and a box of shells
to match.
odd Hiram left a gun, but
we'll each need one" Ezram ex-
planned.
They would have need of good ca
.roe-craft before the journeys end,
the villagers told them Ezram had
not boosted of any such ability, and
at first Ben regarded the plan with
considerable m~isgivings And it was
with the most profound amazement
that. when they pushed off. he saw
Ezram deliberately seat himself in
the bow leaving the most important
place to his young companion.
GOOu heaven s. L IL CdpSlHe SOu III
a minute Ben said. How do you
Care risk it"
Push it off and stop botherin'
Ezram answered. There's a
paddIe-go ahead and shoot err
The waters caught the canoe,
speeding it downstream; and in ap-
prehension of immediate disaster
Ben seized the paddle. Swiftly he
thrust it into the streaming water
his side.
"Do you remember when You
shot the Athabaska Rapids" Ez-
ram had asked. 1t was all clear
enough In that life that was for
gotten he had evidently lived much
in a canoe, knowing every detail o.
river life
Late afternoon, and they worked
closer to the shore. And now. in the
gra twilight, Ezram saw the palct
to land.
1t was a small lagoon into which
a creek emptied. and beyond was an
open meadow, found SO often and sc
unexpectedly in the North woods
Swiftly Ben turned the canoe into
shore.
All at once a great clarity seemed
to take possession Of Ben's mind
Here. in these forests, were the
stimuli of which Forest. the ~alienist
had spoken; and his brain seemed