Show I 1 the T he house of the three ganders gander ift 3 5 by IRVING BACHELLER nervier gr Ner Tle copyright by br irving irvinc CHAPTER I 1 4 1 the fugitive and the pocket eye that dam on tho the jacquette Rac quette so BO increased the prosperity and size elzo of the small mall settlements mettle ments on either shore share of tile the river that a bridge became necessary it was wa built tho the two communities separated by lowing flowing water lind had long boon at war with each other the bridge drew draw them toge together into one village tillage their petty jealousies vanished it was unregenerate colonel Sp enlow the miller and local republican boss who gave tho the new nev place its ita truthful and euphonious name lie ile called it amity dam thus visiting on its inhabitants a n certain curious penalty for the olus bins of their fathers they were soon known as aa amity dammers long after that tho the little village was tho homo home of a far famed mystery out of which camo came a murderer convicted in the face of unexampled difficulties and against the testimony of three eyewitnesses eye ye witnesses it was moreover for a time the home of a number of remarkable characters related to the mystery one of them was the boy shad morry son on whose courage and shrewd antul intuition served state and put him on the road to fortune shad was discovered on a bright june day da in 1800 lie he lay asleep on a bed of moss under a group of pine trees two fishermen fl who had conie come ashore for luncheon found him nobody know knew exactly when he was born a matter of slight importance shads chads life began the day lie he was discovered it to Is likely that he had been eating and drinking a little more than sixteen years the Ils fishermen bermen carne came upon him suddenly ue lay sprawled on his back with an ancient long mm tie loading shotgun at his side he was a pale thin lad in ragged clothing both big toes protruded from holes in his boots the fishermen aroused him ire he sat oat up and rubbed his eyes and stared in confusion at the strangers str angera looking down at him the odor of frying bacon came to his nostrils kindly faces acea were before him 1 I guess I 1 must be dead he hjad win they saw to the heart of the boy when he asked from the lifting cloud of his slumber dumber Is god here one of the men put his hand band on the toya boys shoulder th and gave him a gentle chake no as he said wake up young man youre still dreaming youre not dead yet come lunch Is most ready still it was a fact that the old shad morrison Mor ryson known to a few people in the forest township of blair was dead that tho the water at his feet was in effect the river jordan moreover it would seen that god was really there well I 1 kind 0 expected to be dead when I 1 woke up said the boy as he arose if I acutt re T laz I 1 glad of it I 1 want tolf tolve vo 11 a pitiful look of drooping dis ra gement and supplication was in alt the figure of the lad as he arose I 1 ti the matter are ye lost oo 00 of the strangers asked atun lun way away from home your name and where inhere do yop roa live 11 wont dont dast tell ye 11 are re you hungry St arvin aint had to eat cat days but one an a chip in mick well ell youre in luckl luck I 1 heres sandwiches VV and bacon and eggs and fish thrush are frying fulong 11 As an he spoke the fisherman was undoing packages of food from tho the pack basket tae boy trembled with eagerness as aa be saw nw it ilia his face quivered bloh oloh oh mister can I 1 have a sandwich now he asked you bet take two thea boy devoured them lie he ate ilkka ii hungry dog just returned from the chase aase ai 1 I feel better already said the boy bilgo ill go an wash im dirty I 1 aint i fit to eat with nobody not even myself i jae he hurriedly undressed on the river bank the li fishermen shermen observed that athe back it of his blo shirt was slashed ana Y 1 pl bloody the skin ot of hla his back sred rid and swollen amy r Q G A 1 boy I 1 what has happened paa sto tp your byk back one of the men mail in a d jt it look bad the boy asked bad Ba dl f 1 I should think that some oue had bad for a chopping block wll oily did my dad atis mad hes drunk lie he aint lf always iky mean I 1 guess iro im mean 1 I dont take no interest in fl tle work the use it llo ncr good lie got home hoine an botched me bishin when I 1 should a been linein pot aters 11 shad swam onam around a moment cu ca cuie ie out of the water dressed himself hurriedly and sat down with his new ne w friends they were wera afraid ho he would eat too much and compelled him to top atop before hla fits appetite was as appeased 1 I want to pay ye for what I 1 et ct belil the alio boy 1 I tow caa can you pay us ua tor for all that X cues U is I 1 cn pay yo ye ive sot got jf j f y yi A dollars I 1 earned it out it was hid in the tha clock I 1 stole it when I 1 run away wo olive dont want your money but we rather like your company 1 I aint g got at cl el a top an some bome brass wheels alint come out of nn nil old clock fin an four lead bullets fin an three flah elsh hooks stuck in a cork nn an a n glass eyo eye that my uncle give nio mo the day lie he died shad took the trinkets out of his trousers rocket pocket as lie spoke with a fond look at then them the men laughed saying no wo we only want to get better acquainted with you you must come to our camp with us ug perhaps we can help you that night he went with the fisher men to their camp at high falls falla three days inter the party moved to lost take lake where they put up in ilia log cabin camp of tho the famous guide pello scott familiarly known as bhide now one of these sportsmen tAmen was waa slim and a bit undersized lie ile gave the boy it a respectable suit of clothes and shoes and stockings a cap a flannel shirt with collar attached and a necktie all these fitted fairly well shad came out of the camp campin in which his benefactor was lodging a new human being his face clean his hl hair trimmed and combed find and brushed those who saw him were astonished shad was well put up as they used to say in the north country in spite of his leanness and lankness he was now good to took look on the shapely outlines of his head and face were plena pleas 1 I 1 guess I 1 must bo be dead 10 he ha whit whis pored pared ing the expression of his bis face was cheerful lie ile was like a scrawny ill fed colt of a promising size and pat tern the boy took the glass eye from his pocket and held it in the light of the lamp and looked at it my uncle was an awful good man said shad ne he told me that this eyo eye would help me to remember that god Is a wat batchin watch chin ln of me its a smart ol all eye it can see a long ways ahead an it can tell when good luck to la colln bhide scott blow blew his whistle supper was ready the old guide came in with a platte tried fried bacon and a plate of griddle cakes steaming hot mr scott this to Is a boy wo we found asleep on the shore share of we river said one of the fishermen ile he was waa about starved the old guide shook the boys hand and asked be you bat Morry sons boy run away shad was frightened by this unexpected query ills ilia face changed color lie he shook his head bend and stammered it if if I 1 was I 1 iid id be shamed to tell ye illa hla boy has stole some money an run away the guide went on 1 I was over to Wana keny today an bat was waa billere here hes run on the tracks a 0 the boy an to la se search archin ln the woods be comin through here in the mornin 10 then one of the fishermen let go to KB follows we winve dont know whom thin boy belongs to if its bat morrison Mor ryson I 1 want to tell you that bat cant have him a any ny more id as soon abon trust a boy in jl a cage with a tiger bat morrison Mor ryson Is a tough ol all wildcat of a roan man sald ald the guide lad had a good an broke her heart died years ago iles hes drunk half the time dont git into no fight with him no he bites like a dog ned hed lust just as soon take an ear off ye ins as 13 not 11 1 1 I 1 know how to handle that kind of a cur said eald the sport a big powerful man dont worry after supper these gentlemen took the boy to their sleeping camp one of them cut off a piece of an old moth eaten buffalo robe that lay on the floor lie trimmed and shaped it neatly with a pair of scip ors soon he be took the measure of shads chads upper lip im making a mustache for you the man said some liquid glue was applied to the skin side elde of the mustache mastache oon it was waa fast to shads chads lip it made a surprising tn in that iok ok of the lad nobody would jeow you sald bald one of the men its ita put ton ten years on your head we havo have a plan for you Ile member youre a man now you will ret get a good rest tonight ani and a rood gool breakfast in tile morning then take tho the trail to ilog hog lake my aly camp la Is there ill give you a noto late to tile the guide in charge ile iio will show you across country to tho ilia railroad ir if you should meet yo your ur father lie ho know you were going to stake boll yo with twenty dollars tako take a going west for some point beyond the woods get a job somewhere I 1 hope anko your fortuno fortune hero Is my card write me ins now and then and let ins know how getting along tho the card tore bore tile the name and address of the bice magnate 0 converse 17 wall street N Y shod put tho me money and card in hla his trousers packet with groat great care cara im much oble eged 11 he sald said ini im kind ol 01 0 to have so BO much money hope I 1 dont git robbed dont dhow it to anybody or let anybody know that youve got it keep your small money in one pocket an your big money in the other and dont havo have much to say to strangers the boys boya heart was full fall and these friendly interested men encouraged him to open it they were interrupted by bhide scott who entered closing the door behind him ue ho spoke in a whisper bat morrison Mor ryson to la over to the cook house just come in with a lantern from dead creek floo floe mr converse turned to the boy and said you alt right over there out of the light and dont say may a word whatever happens you be seared geared im going to take care of you turning to the guide he added 11 1 want to hire your camp for twenty four hours ill give you a dollar an hour for that period I 1 want to be the boss here for just twenty four hours houra what has haa morrison Mor Ator ryson got to cayll iia he wants to spend the night here tell him youve rented the camp on an lidil hell have to see me shall I 1 bring him here bring him here but say nothing about the boy the guide vanished returning pros pres antly with bat morrison Mor ryson a hairy powerful cyclops of the foothills hla his one eye was red his face flushed lie ite had been drinking but wits was not drunk what do you want converse asked bluntly ln im looking for roy my boy shad who run away an aft Is in somewhere in this part a 0 the woods converse stopped him why did he run away you make him happy at home 1 I tried to no you I 1 know all about you you abused abased hla his mother when she died you married a strumpet who abuses your children you go off and get drunk and spend about nil all you can earn while shad plants and hoes the potatoes and corn you come home and get mad and bent beat him until hla his back bleeds I 1 saw tile the lad ile he was waa a mile orso below high falls on tile tho river bank I 1 saw his wounds too D n you bat atkyson Mor Ato ryson you care for nothing hut but that greedy dirty hogs hoga belly of youral yours 1 bat morrison Mor ryson pat oat leaning forward on his elbows looking at the man who thus addressed him his brow deeply furrowed ills his attitude was that of a great eat cat ready to spring no he knew that he was in the presence of his master no one had ever talked to him like that flint no one had ever dared to lie he rose from his chair with altha a serious look on his face ue turned tur ned to the old guide saying baying give me a bite to eat an ill go to bed not here said converse not on your life this is my camp I 1 dont want you anywhere near me you pike off and take your chances chance just as the boy has done theres a camp at high falls fifteen mile from here an it looks like rain the ruffian muttered good I 1 I 1 wish it was twenty and that it would rain hard enough to wash your dirty soul for once in your life youre going to do some work TO CONTINUED |