a bill of some kind?"

Closer inspection revealed, even to Anderson's thicker brain, that the
paper shred had undoubtedly been part of a bank note of some kind. Being
wet, it was easily torn from the parent bank note in the rough handling
the money had undergone. At least such was the conclusion drawn by all
three after a short inspection. Paul was greatly excited.

"What did I say when Phil found that old suit-case? Murky must 'a' put
the money in something else. It must 'a' been all wet. He must 'a' had
that money here. What did he do with it?"

"I'm goin' to hunt for it right now!" said Chip now all eagerness.

"First we find Murky," interposed Nels. "Vere he be, dere ve find money."

"But Murky didn't have no load on him when he tackled us!" was Chip's
objection.

"I goin' make light," said Nels. "You look roun'. Mebbe fin' money. Mebbe
fin' nothin'. I bane go fin' Murky. Make heem tell. Yah!"

And Anderson, who still had some use of his big hands, picked up a hatchet
left by the fugitive in his haste and clumsily began to split some dry
pine which had long lain under shelter, doubtless left there by former
campers or hunters. For several minutes the boys ferreted their way into
or through the neighboring crevices among the jumble of rocks, even
using part of Anderson's splinters to aid them; but nothing did they find.

"Now we go," said Nels at last. "You boys bane tired mooch?"

The truth was all were pretty tired, but not one would acknowledge the
fact. Nels, used to long fatigues, and crippled besides, made both Paul
and Chip reluctant to own up that they needed sleep more than further
travel.

The upshot of all this was that, in a short time, all were following the
mud trail left by Murky in his flight but a brief spell back. The fire had
been replenished, so as to give them some clue as to where they were,
should they wish to return. Chip bore the torch; Paul carried an armload
of fat splinters; while Nels, plodding between, bent his woods-sharpened
eyes on the tracks that were plain enough yet, for the rain had at last
ceased.

After leading them a sinuous path through the blackened wilderness for
perhaps a mile, the tracks turned sharply to the right and upward along
a more gravelly slant until what seemed the backbone of a wooded ridge was
attained. Here the fire in consuming leaves, fallen branches and most of
the thinner undergrowth, had thus swept from the gravel beneath all the
surface refu