The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-02-16
MARKED FOR THE KNIFE.


icate boy of about ia, singular adventure
involving such shock to his nerves as, the
doctors believed, very much hastened his DEATH
which occurred in less than year after it. :
We then resided in large white house,
with row of poplars in front, close to one OF
our canals. Within stone s.throw of our
hall-door was lock and ock-house, and then
followed, in the London direction. one of the
longest and most solitary levels to be met
with in the United Kingdom.
The canal, ut point about 20 yards from
the lock, makes a slight detection. The con-
sequence is that neither the lock nor our house
is visible from the long, straight level that fol.
lows, and which is closely fenced between tall
hedges and old trees.
My brother had been ordered walking exer
else, and my father generally appointed the
path beside the level have described for his
walk The traffic, never very active, was,
at that time, in state little better than ex-
tinct. Not more than three or four boats pass
ed in day, and chiefly, owing to its perfect
quietude, it had been chosen for the walk of
our solitary invalid.
1t was now summer, and the hour OF his
daily walk was from five to seven; the earlier
hours of the afternoon beng pronounced too
| hot for exercise.
On the evening in question he set out alone.
| His usual walk was To II point two miles up the
| level, where there was stone block, on which
he used t0 sit aud rest little before setting
out for home.
While be was takiug bis ease on this stone
bench. and listlessy looking up and down the
long aud deserted reach oil water. there
emerged, few hundred yards to his left, from
seqnestered path singular figure, which ap
preached slowly. aud passed him by. with only
the narro"tow path between them. Ii was mor-
ing in the direction of our home aud was that
ot an emaciated man, with n complexion dark
as very old lockwood. limpng as it seemed
painfully. very much stopped, aud vita big
angular hump upon his back His hair was
long aud sooty black; he had prominent dark
eyes, under thick black brows, and his face
aud chin were siubbled with weeks growth
oi beard. He Was leaning heavily on u long
stick, aud walked with kind of hitch, which |
rescmbled spasm. aud gave one the idea that
each step was accompanied by separate sting
of pain.
The face Of this man expressed extreme
weakness aud suffering. and might almost bel
that of a man dragging himself away. with a
mortal wound, to some spot where he might lie
down aud die in quiet.
He had long and heavy bottle-grecn coat. |
which had grown to be, indeed. a coat o;
many colors; for over the thrcadbare and greasy
ground IL was overlald. with fantastic and ex.
tranrdiuary industry, with n tessallation of
patches, of every imaginable color. in which
yellow, aud red, and blue. and black were dis.
cerulblc, under a yaruish of grease, and toned
with variety of dirt; and even these patches
were patched again. and had broken here and
there into rents and fissures. and lunches of
shreds and iatters Around his budr was
bucklcd n broad discolored leathern strap. and
he wore wide-leafed felt bat, with rather
conical crown, brown and grimed by time and
Ill treatment.
This figure. with long CATERS of rabbit shin,
and shapeless "brogues." limped past my broth.
cr without taking the slightest notice of him
and uttering now and then short groau, as
if of suppressed pain, he excited the wonder
and, in some degree, the compassion of the boy
He watched the progress of this man, who
was moving with great difficulty. and with
many halts, in the direction of our home 1t
was not until he had cotton nearly quarter of
a mile that my brother got up now quite rest
ed, to follow in the same direction.
As this strange. crooked man with the stick
got on, he appeared to grow more and more
exhausted. and Mt length he tottered into little
recess at the edge OF the path, and fell helpless
ly on his side among the bushes.
The boy quickened his pace, and as he ap.
preached the spot he passed the head Of mar.
row lane, in which he saw n donkey and cart
standing. The cart had in it, upon some straw,
a piece of old carpet, from under which emerged
some folds of coarse canvas, like part of an
old sack; but he could not see any one in
charge of this conveyance, though being anx-
ious to obtain help, he called repeatedly.
Despairng of succor, he went on, and
reached the point where he had seen the man
fall. Here he found him. He had erept a
little further in among the bushes He was sup.
porting himself feebly on the ground upon his /
elbow, his eyes turned up as if he were on the {
point of swooning, and he moaned faintly. I
The boys courage almost failed him; but
the sick man seemed to perceive him. turned {
his eyes upon him implorngy, and extending /
his hand toward him, SO evidently signaled for f
aid that my brother could not help drawing near
The fainting man then told him. in whis-
per, that if he would take his hand, and draw him il
gently toward him he would perhaps, be able [
10 turn himself little, to his great relief. a
My brother did give him his hand, accord n
ngly. and the fainting man, instead of taking d
t, seized his arm above the elbow, with gi- a
yantic hasd, in grip like vice. and Jerking 8
llm under, sprang over him, so as to pinion 9
lim fast. He had carried in his hand the end
If the belt which he had removed from around v
lis own body while waiting for his prey, and s
With dexterity acquired, no doubt, by long II,
,ractice, in moment, with the now disengaged (;
land, he drew it around the boys arms and a
'ody at single jerk, with pressure so pow n
rtul that he could scarcely breathe much