Askov American., 1943-12-30
Snow Evidence
By VIC YARDMAN
Associated Newspapers.
WNU Features.
CONSTABLE TOM DRAKE of the

ing a double line of tracks. On both
sides, save for the double line of
footprints and a few deep impress
sions about two inches square, the
snow lay in an unbroken blanket.
Presently they came to a clump of
shrubbery. Behind it the footprints
ended. There was a deep impress
sion in the snow about the size of
mans body.
''This is where it happened all
right" Drake said. He pointed to
the footprints. "That set of prints
there was made by Morrison as he
approached. That other line, head
ing back the way we came, was
made by him returning with Ed
wards body across his shoulders.
The impressions are deeper"
''It must have happened before
last nights Storm" Sam Bailey
said. Except for Morrison's, there
isn't the sign of footprint
Drake shook his head. ''Morri-
son said when he found the body it
was lying out in the open. If it
had happened before the storm it
would have been covered with snow,
wouldn't it?"
Bailey scratched his head. "Seems
logical. Still, how did Edwards him
self get here without leaving any
footprints"
Both men looked puzzled. 'Wait
here" Drake said. He made wide
circle of the spot. All he found was
several deep impressions, about two
inches square, which he had OBJ
served when he first entered the
field.
'Not a sign of a human foot
mark" he reported to Bailey. 81
thought perhaps someone might
have done some long-range shoot
ing. Let's get back to the car"
''There's no one around here hates
Edwards enough to want to kill
him." Bailey observed. ut must
have been a stranger"
IF there were any strangers
around we'd have heard of it,"
Drake lighted a cigarette and puffed
a few moments in silence. ED
wards has been having good luck
this winter with his traps. There's
a report that he brought in a silver
fox. Times are hard, and men do
strange things when the reward
amounts to the profit silver fox
pelt would bring"
He was silent again. Bailey
guessed he was recalling the names
of men who might 60 so far as to
commit murder for silver fox pelt.
''Joe Lambert's wife is going to
have baby" Bailey hazarded. ''He
needs money bad"
''It wouldn't be Joe. He hasn't
the courage"
Suddenly Bailey grinned. "Well,
how about Nifty Shepp?" Nifty
Shepp lived alone on the outskirts
of the village, lazy, shiftless, low
able sort who frittered away his
time inventing worthless gadgets
during the winter which he sold to
tourists during the summer.
Suddenly Drake snapped his fin
gers. "By golly, I think I've got
it," He drew on his gloves and
started the car.
"Got what? The murderer? Who
was it,"
Nifty"
Fifteen minutes later Drake
stopped in front of the shack in
which Edwards, the murdered vic
tim, had lived. They went inside.
''He was sitting here at the table
when it happened" Drake said.
Those dark stains on the floor were
made by blood" He flung open the
back door and went out. "Just as
I suspected" he said moment
later, re-entering the room. "Come
on, we're going to call on Nifty"
1t was ten miles to Nifty Shepp's
place. The short northern day was
drawing to a close when they
reached it. A light showed in the
cabins window. "Go in and talk
to him." Drake directed. keep
him inside while I have a look
around"
Ten minutes later Drake entered
the kitchen where Bailey and Nifty
Shepp were engaged in conversa-
ton. Nifty looked up in surprise at
sight of Drake
'Why, howdy, Tom. Didn't know
you were here too. You been sittin'
out there in the cold all this time?"
''No, Nifty, haven't. I've been
searching your barn. I found a
pair of stills in there, one of your
inventions. Those stills make an
impression in the snow about two
inches square. If you were carry
ing anything as heavy as a man
while wearing them they'd sink pref
ty far down into the snow. I also
found a trail that led off through
your back lot toward Edwards. Co.
ing that way it's only couple of
miles. We found the marks of stills
all around Edwards body. Bailey,
clamp the cuffs on him before he
gets a notion to plug us too."
Long-Distance Walker
In 1868 Edward Weston walked 100
measured miles in Westchester