The Nine-Mile Hold-Up 



P I ^HE fall following the close of the Great War, two 

 | well-dressed strangers arrived at the camp on 



JL Lake Rossignol, quite unannounced. They both 

 wore service buttons in their lapels. One was a little 

 below the medium height, middle-aged, and stockily 

 built, with black hair streaked with grey and clipped 

 grey moustache. His eyes were his most noticeable 

 feature, being of a piercing black. His face was tanned 

 even beyond the colour that would naturally be acquired 

 by service in the Army. It was quite evident that he 

 was an outdoor man of long years' standing. He turned 

 out to be a wonderful shot with the rifle, and also carried 

 an old-fashioned 45 frontier model Colt's six-shooter, 

 with which he could perform miracles in the way of 

 juggling and fancy shooting. He registered under the 

 name of Richard Carver. Mr. Carver was slightly bow- 

 legged, and had the stilted and somewhat stiff walk of 

 the habitual horseman. 



The other was broad-shouldered, tall, and well pro- 

 portioned. He had square jaws and a sandy complexion. 

 He was quite evidently a man of education, and had at 

 one time been an athlete, judging from his casual feats 

 of strength, stride, and general deportment. He, like 

 his partner, was no " slouch " with rifle or six-shooter, 

 and in the many friendly matches with either arm, he 

 shot a close second to his friend Carver. He registered 

 under the name of J. W. Matthews. Both men had 

 been wounded in the War and were slightly crippled from 

 the effects. 



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