Part 23 (2/2)

Turner brought out paper and pencil, and, having cleared the top of his table, he began to work.

First he drew a large circle on the paper, and at one edge of it he made a cross.

”That there cross is Calamont,” he said. ”Where we be now; and all that's inside of the ring I've made lies to the east of here, from nor'-nor'east to sou'-sou'east--and east. You understand?”

”Perfectly.”

”Well, jest about in the middle o' that ring is the place where I think them fellers would hide. It's the best place for them.”

”Tell me about it before you draw anything; or, rather, talk while you are drawing.”

”That's jest what I'm going to do. Now, you follow my pencil and pay attention.”

”Go ahead,” said Nick.

”When you leave here--if you start from Calamont, which I suppose you will--you start right about here. You take a general direction nor'east from here at first. You'll find a path through the woods after you git about two miles from here, and that path will lead you several miles.

But about here it'll disappear, and you won't have nothin' to guide you 'cept what I show you and tell you now.”

”Exactly,” replied the detective.

”Up here, at about the time you lose all trace o' the path, you'll come to a deep ravine. You want to follow up the middle of that, to the top.

And when you git to the top of it you will think that you have run up ag'inst a cliff, and there ain't no gettin' out of it without goin'

back.

”But that ain't so. There's a waterfall at the end of the ravine. It comes around a sort of a twist in the rocks, and if you ain't afraid of gettin' damp, you follow around there, and you will find as nice a piece of steps cut in them stones as you ever saw in your life. Indians cut 'em more'n a hundred years ago, so I'm told.

”Well, they take you to the top of that cliff. When you're up there, you find you're in another ravine, not so deep as t'other. Right here that would be,” he added, making a mark with the pencil.

”All right,” said Nick.

”About a mile farther up that second ravine you want to leave it. You'll find a big dead oak that hangs out over it, and beside the dead oak there is a path up the side of the ravine. It is one of my own paths.

You get up it by hangin' onto two things you find there for the purpose.

I put 'em there more'n twenty years ago, mister.”

”Go ahead.”

”When you git to the top, you want to branch off this way--so. You'll find a clearin' about there, and off to the east you'll see some high hills. You want to make for them.”

”And those hills, I suppose, is my destination.”

”That's where the caves are. That's where you will find the gang if they are hiding anywhere in that 'ere region.”

”Now, tell me about the caverns. Tell me how to find them.”

”They're easy enough to find--some of 'em is; others ain't. Wait a minute.”

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