The Portland daily press., 1867-03-16
selected story.
HUNTING A MURDERER.
A Thrilling Story.

In the year ISL / was livingin a retired
little shooting lodge on the southwest coast
OF Ireland. About month previous to the
time OF which write, gentleman had been
shot down at his own gate in Iipperary. EV-
erybody knew that the murderer was lurking
somewhere in my neighborhood in the hoIe
of obtaining passage to America. An untis-
ually large reward had been offered tor his APP
prehension, and the police were securing the
country night and day, in every dlrection.
= One fine summer evening l had returned
from 4 lone DAYS fishing on the bay, land was
smoking farewell pipe for the night, when 1
heard the tramp of horses feet on the gravel
outside followed by sharp ring at the bell |
II was with no small delight that recogniz-
ed the well-known voice OF Frank Butler, a
constabulary officer, and one of my Oldest
friends. case 1os4.it s8ttttisNs
When We had seen the horse put up Ca
splendid hunter, which had carried his master
nearly sixty miles that day. and sat down to
supper, / noticed Frank looked more tired
and carewo-n than had seen him before. 1t
was not long until the cause came out.
"You have heard OF this murder, OF course,
Harry" he said; that is what brought me oy-
er tonight; it occurred in my district and the
gentleman was an intimate friend. | would
nave dined with him that day, but was called
suddenly on duty, and sent an apology at the
last moment. / was told since that he walk
ed down to his avenue gate to meet me. His
hand was on the latch when the villain fired
from behind a tree, and he did not bring his
lite to the ground. You know this country
wel?' he added abruptly.
$50 we'll that if the fellow is lying out any
where within five miles, think could under
take to put You on his track" W
Frank sprang from his chair and walked
hurredly through the room.
lfrixsa e,.a
face with him, Harry. If you had seen poor
IS wife; her weary, hopeless face has been
haunting me ever since; can never rest UNI
till the murderer is taken, and have certain
Information that he is lying out somewhere.
Every house has been searched over and over
again, but cannot think of bringing you in
TO the business One victim is enough. Ii it
were known you would be marked man.
snake your mind easy on that score Frank :;
not one OF the fellows here wall touch hair of
my head, especially in strangers Quarrel
My life is the most of their leases, and the
heir-at-law is not such a favorite that they
would shoot me to bring him in. So now to
business. will get the ordinance map and
we can trace out the plan OF our campaign
g. Our Lash was not such difficult one, after
all the ground 10 be searched was limited
and toleraby open, consisting chiefly of bog,
mountain and shore, with every foot of which
was acquainted. l pointed out to Frank
each days work on the map; and without as
sistance, and hunting In couples, three days
would be amply sufficient to beat it all.
had brace Ut young settlers in training
at the time, and, to prevent suspicion, it was
agreed we should 60 out as if dog breaking
was our only object; accordingly, early the
following morning, well provided with all the
"etceteraS" ior such work, we started on our
first days hunt 1t proved blank; but the
second day showed us that our game was on
foot and not lar Off In a little wooded glen
we came upon several artluIly concealed
caves, which were evidently lately occupied,
aud in one OF them picked up an Old pistol
hint that had been thrown away and replaced,
as there was some paper lying beside, from
which small piece had been torn, as ii to
cover new one. We tracked footsteps for
considerable distance from it, and darkness
coming on we were forced to give up the
search. ts4ri .gSv,rr
L don't think either of us slept much that
night. When l went to Franks room in the
morning, he was already dressed. "One
word, Harry" he said, Sbeiore we go. This
man is armed TO the teeth, and sweaIs that he
win not be taken alive. These fellows seldom
die game when run to the earth, but he can
not be worse off and may keep, his word
Promise me that, if there is any fighting, you
will act as reserve, and leave me to deal
with him alone"
l did promise, with some mental reserva-
ton, and we started. There was long days
work-beiore us; all the likely places we had
come across in our previous search had to be
visited, some of them miles apart. Franks |
senses seemed preternaturally sharpened. No |
trace, however slight, escaped his notice "A |
red Indian could have hardly displayed |
more sagacity in following up his enemys |
trail, 1t was then, for the first time, that / |
learned how exciting man-hunt becomes |
under certain circumstances.
Toward evening we reached a mountain |
our last hope. There was only one face OF it |
over the sea, where man would he likely to |
conceal himself That side was composed of |
number OF perpendicular cliffs, separated |
from each other by green Platforms varying |
in breadth from one foot to ten; but all Stop
ing downward at a considerable angle
SO as to make tue footing rather precarious
The ellis gradually increased in height until
the lowest, which went right down for one
hundred feet into the Atlantic Ocean,
While taking hurried cast through some
broken ground, we met little boy herding
cattle. He could not speak English, but we
managed TO ascertain that stranger had Civ
en- him penny the day before, to run down
the hill for lighted turf; when he returned
the man was gone, and he had not seen him
since
The scent was getting hot, and our spirits
mountain. There were caves in several of the
Platforms, and these we agreed to search to-
getner, Ihey were very narrow, scarcely al-
hitting one person abreast and it was nery-
Gus work teeling our way onward, mot know
ing the moment when the darkness would be
Illuminated by the Hash of a pistol which
must have proved the death signal for the one
or the other. Frank always insisted ON going
first, and omitted no precaution, examining
the outside carefully for tracks, and sending
the dogs forward. The latter, however, were
SO tired after three days continuous work as
to be Of little use.
We had reached the last shelf but one. and
as it contained no caves, and was nearly all
visible rom the platform Immediately above,
which had just been searched, was about 10
pass to the lower one just over the sea, when
a mark in the flesh earth scraped from rab-
bit hole across the path attracted my atten-
ton, and, on closer view, / could distinctly
see traces OF mans loot. Frank was by my
slde IN rev seconds, and down on his knees
examining the track. There was no mistake
about IL ; there it was plainly visible, leading
inward, and no SIGN of it returning. Some
one was There; whether The man we we're in
search OF or not remained to be seen. Frank
rose from his knees and drew a long hraatb -
ANY outlet from this ?" he asked. II 4l
"None whatever 1t stops suddenlv ahou,
one hundred yards further on. The rocL
above and below is thirty feet high and
smooth as marble. Now that | remosoher
there is a large stone just where the pathway
ends, behind which man might lie. If he
were anywhere else L must have seen him
from the upper one" sla-tV
We walked on silent and cautious for some
distance until we reached a projecting rock.
l touched Frank.
When We turn that cornerwe Willie with
IN ten rods of the end."
!, ne made no reply, but put his gun under
iis ar arm and saunterod carelessiy around As
~ Wv 80 saw him stop suddenly and draw
himself up to his iuIl height hin sI.tL
fotahoniS alongside, could see the fioure
y. uah crouchln2 like wild beast behind |
the stone his head was Just visible above II |
ana tile long barrel OF a cavalry nictoI ,,oc
polhted dhectly at us. The DOGS now snrana
forward ana commenced bayipg fur;o,,ei1
ne man was the first to speak.
"Cail OIL your dogs" he sbo,ta, q
care for themw "'e"' ~ yer
Let the dogs alone, RYAN, said Ero,,,-
coolly. Il have warrant for Won for the }
murder OF Captain Put your nis sa
down and come forward" - p'S'"i
The fellow gave savage laugh.
eCOme, step nearer, Butler, and see If POM,
cannot stop a ball . ''n
1--WE must give the fellow time to tb;ol,
larry. If we rush at him now he is sure TO
knock one or the Other of us over, and don't
IKE shooting him, if it can be helped
: :, had you not better GO for some of your
ION will keep guard until your return"
lucy would shoot hin, af opoa do,n :, =. |