The Argosy, October 1906 — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— en — escke -where they were just getting Z ready for the summer business, and I secured a room at the Algonquin. 1 slept there that night and early the next morning drove over and got Josephine. _ We made very good cousins, and went back to the hotel to wait for the boat. There was a small steamer called the Lake Bird that ran daily from Brewer- ton, on the Oneida River, to North Bay, and returned. The boat reached North Bay about noon, and we were on hand to take it, =. The captain’s name, I had ascertained, was Clark. ‘There were few passengers, and, hav- ing introduced Josephine and myself to = the a we fell” into easy conversa- zs tien. = This is a very pretty little lake, cap- tain,” I remarked. “I come from Paris. We pe few such lakes in =, -Franee! = —= Ss — & New oe State is well supplied ‘with lakes,” he answered. From one subject to another we drift- = ed until I felt that I might venture on : the real object of my sail. = E One of my ‘purposes, captain,” I : said, ‘in visiting America this time, 1s to trace a fellow countryman who disap- peared last October, leaving his affairs : in very bad shape. His name was De Bergelot. New York, Albany, Utica, and there the trail seems to end. He was a great fel- low for lonely trips. : you saw him.” == “ Possibly,” answered the captain. zs We carry -a great many strangers. - There was one who seemed to like us _ pretty well. He sailed with us every day for a week. He asked a good many questions. But he couldn’t have been a _ Frenchman. He was too dark.” ‘My friend was dark. He had lived — some time in Cambog and was well burned. =e “Cambodid? That’s so. the French poe er in Asia.” acest Exactly.” ~ 3 ‘ ‘Yes, he spoke of it. ‘Well, “wall He -- was a queer fellow. He had a pair of -_marine-glasses and he was studying the lake shores | a the time. Z remember That is Po z Ted he: os drive me oe: Sena young fellow got away and was drowned, tain pointed to it. i I have traced him through ~ _ proprietor. It is just possible suddenly as he came, and left So - « - Probably my Sd = E said aie — my_ heart thumping. ~ OW hen did he leave you?” eS “Oh, I tee him one day= shat we — - had a tragedy here about that time—a = young fellow from New York killed an- ss other Frenchman, and that kept all our attention. It was a very strange case. I doubt if it will ever be settled. The = 3 ee i — ie = : oa 4 6 oft aS - § ir ny \ >| ™~ 43 yuh ¢ ; Hvis Rh EIN i ohh teks ees, Vi NU aes so they say, at sea. He was rich, though: and I always had my doubts. Even a deputy fe likes to feather a own nest? As we came near the island the: cape : “That fellow. tee Cambodia seemed to be interested in that island,” he said. ‘That is where the murder took place. There’s a crank on there making ‘bal- Se loons or something. His name is Pog- =1 Dealt t to think 3 There was no doubt in my mind that. =a the man with the marine-glasses was Bai _ Rak. He had been traveling up and _ dewn the lake in the steamer, eadye ee our doings with a glass. ‘Where did he get on?” I. asked. “Oh, he slept aboard sometimes. IT think he made his Seas at Brew-_ a _erton.” a “Ts there a folel there?” “ ——— “Oh, yes. A good one.’ : Ss ‘Having arrived at Brewerton, we went to the hotel. I introduced myself to the 35 IT made known my errand. He © laughed. . ae eT remember your céintryman very well, ” Ve said. ‘‘He remained here © about a week. He then disappeared as pill 3 unpaid. He neyer came after. His trunk. * os He did not seem to be that kind of man, but he never returned.” 4 “That is*strange,” I said, “and he | left his own affairs in a muddled state.” — “Tf you are a Parisian,” he said, as if = glad to get rid of M.- de Bergelot as a subject, “ perhaps you can tell me what | this is. There is a settlement of nonde- scripts—half-breeds, gipsies, thieves, and a mixture of everything bad—back here in the swamp, and a few days ago one of them came in and got a few drinks and = gave me this in payment. a = = = es pS = omic .OKS, COM