Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-04-23
PHANTOM PURSUED.

| - 1A<AAO u VN1 Il u x1t0 u UL3Ue
Another five years of restless wanderin,
up and down the earth, gathering no moss
Trying every soil and taking root in none
q scandalonsly unproductivc man, of IL
use to myself OF my fellows. bound t.
them by no ties of common sympathy O
service, / found myselfhome again, where
there was no home. My fathers hous'
had no place for me; my father rcpudjate(
and ignored me; my mothers chiIdrer
turned their faces from me.
1-1usesnpcrats. lsossossod of devil of /,
drink-thirst, eternal thirst, from my ris
ing up TO my lying Gown-mad, irrespOn
siblc 10 God or man nercr prcmeditating
never forsecing the result of any word
/. might utter, any deed l might commit
liable ut any time to say or do that whicl
woull Involve me and others in commor
rCin-I rushed madly along through life
like mad OK in crowded street, only by
some strange providence seeming mcrcl
fully to avoid the crash which all expect
ed. My resources of an almost desperate
character precarious, wholly accidental
derived at the moment from the plac.
where might happen to bc-my poweis
by sort Of convulsive Struggle, exercised
to procure the absolute requirements OF
The moment, the necessities of food anC
drink and slcep-no mo;c- making no pro
vision for the future, hoping nothing from,
the next day, and caring as little what evil
thing the next day might bring FORTH
found myself alone in New York-truly,
it its most actual and painful sense, alone.
Such man was I, wien one evening
set out about dusk to loaf-that is the
word-to kill timc-tO run muck down
the narrow lane of a day having all day
drunk fire in one scaIding stream.
l reached Madison square. As I walk
ed, tho scene around me whirling, upside
down, in the same BUNDLED condition as
my own mind, scarcely knowing whithe,
my steps were tending, nor caring much.
strange and alarming sensations took pos
session of me; yet not altogether strange
for had premonitions of the kind before.
but never so forcibly.
As l walked, men walked by my side;
|or I encountered them rs they stood in
knots on the corners; or they crossed over
from the opposite side of the street, a.
ways eying Inc suspiciously, threatening
ly-men whose aspect was dangerous, who
had more or less of the cut-,hroat in their
|air-''roughs" and fighting men. who
seemed to have some insult or outrage
which had committed, and they would
resent.
AS they stood. by twos and thrces. on
the pavement, could distinctly hear them
say ''Tha,'s our man''-''keep your eyes
upon him." Occasionally they would
icross the street. and meeting others there.
would interchange communications with
them, Ill tho while keeping their attention
upon me, and frequently repeating my
name; still they followed mc-some on
either side. others before, others behind
me, and even in the middle of the street
A gain and again, could hear them say !:
Don't let him be out of your sight mo
mcnt." No. seldom they dispersed them
selves, minglins with the thrOng of pass
cngcrs in q manner to avoid observation
by any but mysclf-mysclf painfully, in
tensely aware of their presence, having
marked every man afar of.
employed many Of the tricks to which
men resort in dangerous straits. Some
times l stopped for moment, but they
also stopped. When would seem to he
examining the windows of shops, they
would stand at little distance, watching
me from the corners of their eyes, and
whispering mysteriously to each other
When turned back. they also turned
back. II l passed into shop under pre-
tcncc Of purchasing something, when re-
turned to the door still found them wait
ing for Ec, as before. I did not, for s
moment, miss one of them, nor did
doubt that was the object of their con
spiracy.
Frequently they drew uearcr to me, go
near, indeed, that could plainly hear
them consulting together and laying then
plan of action. Then pressed steadily
on, thinking it best to fcign ignorance OF
their pursuit. My pace was not hurried;
I aimed to keep as much as possible in the
crowd and in the glare of light from tho
shop windows. l carefully avoided al!
dark places, and always crossing the
street whenever l had to pass spot where
unoccupied houses or buildings in the
course of erection made deep shadow in
the midst of the general brightness. !
was careful ~ mingle with knots and
thronys of pedestrians, and especially did
l aim TO keep within the ncighborhood OF
women, pitifu'ly mindful Of the protec-
tion of their company.
At last I hailed an omnibus and entered
il. At once two of my pursuers entered
with me, while the rest took another which
Immediately followed Us. Seated opposite
me in the stage was an old gentleman, a
lady, seemingly his wife, little boy and
my two enemies. But they made no open
demonstration toward me, of threat cI
otherwise, though frequently they whisp
cred to each other, cycling me the me close
ly the while with that same deadly glance.
which at last wrought me up TO 60 high Q
pitch OF fear that could have screamed.
Yet this fear was strangely soothed by .
desire to penetrate the mystery, and to
learn what it was had done, that they
should seek my life; for that II was my
life they sought had been to me from the
first apparent Indeed that could not have
been palmer II ] had been conscious of
the damniDg crime for which ] was thus
charged.
What nl&y here seem incohesant or
vague IN my story, was to me tho mos
of cyentA Presently the
Two men stopped the omnibus aud alight-