Litchfield enquirer., 1881-08-18


 know. Alone I buried Bransome and his wife, and alone returned from the hurried task to watch by Jackson's bedside. None of the natives. would stay near him. For two days he lay unconscious At the end of that time he seemed to have some idea of the out side world, for hs eyes met mine with intelli- gence in their look, and on bending over him I heard him whisper, Forgive mel" Then he reIapsed into unconsciousness again. Through the long hours his eyes remained ever open and restless; he could not eat, nor did he sleep, and 1 was afraid he would pass away through weakness without sign, being an old man. On the third day he became de- lrious, and commenced chattering and talk ing to himself, and imagining that all kinds of horrid shapes and creatures were around and near him. had to watch him narrowly in order to prevent him stealing out of his bed, which he was ready to do at any moment to avoid the torture which he fearfully imag- ined awaited him. By these signs 1 knew that he was in the middle of an attack of de- lirium tremens, and tried to quiet him by means of laudanum, but it had no effect upon him. got him, however, to swallow lit- tie soup, which sustained him. My own boy was the only negro had been able to induce to stay In the room, and he would only re- main in it while was there.
 
 tion, where remembered there was Portu- guese doctor; but he had not returned by the evening of the fourth day. That night. worn out with watching, had dozed off to sleep on chair, placed by the sick mans bed, when all at once I was awaken by a loud report, and jumped up to find the room filled with smoke. As it cleared away 1 saw that Jackson was standing in the mid dle of the room with a revolver in his hand AS. confronted him he laughed devilish laugh and cooked the weapon. crying as he did so, II was you who tempted me with your smooth face and unsuspicious way, and for it. Hist !" and he stopped suddenly and listened. Don't you hear the breakers . Hark how they roar, They say they are ready, always ready" and staring in front of him; he advanced, as if following the sign of an invisible hand. to the door. unconsciously placing, to my infinite relief, the revolver on the top of a chest of drawers as he passed by it. did not dare to move, and he opened the door and rushed into the front room. Then followed him. For a little he remain ed in the room, glaring vacantly about him, and muttering to himself; but seeing the out CT door open he made a rush towrrd it, and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Calling to the boy, ran after him, and easily
 
 up heavier stone than thought he could have lifted. threw it at me. lodged it and closed with him. Once in my arms found could hold him, and my servant and l car ried him back to the factory. We placed him on the floor of the dining room, and he was too exhausted to move for while. By degrees however, he recovered sufficiently to stand and as soon as he could do so by himself, with devilsh cunning, he made for the lamp, which.he struck, quick as lightning, with stick that had been lying on the table. In au instant the great round globe fell to pieces, but luckily the chimney was not bro- ken, and the lamp remained alight. and before he could strike another blow at it had grap- pied with him again. This time he struggled violently for few moments, and seemed to think that he was dealing with BransOme, for he shrieked, "What! have you come back from the sea You are wet you are wet ]" and shuddering, he tried to free himself from my hold, and 1, not liking to hurt him, let him go. taking care to keep him between myself and the lamp.
 Back from me, you villain of hell," he cried, as soon as he was free. 'What have you done with her what have you done with herr" And then, in tone of wiered and pathetic sorrow, "Wbere is my little one that lovedP have sought her many year; oh, why did she forsake me? Aha, Sooka! we were right to send him to the hell whence he came-the lying, false-hearted scoundrel; to steal away my white dove 1"
 After which he drew from his finger solid gold ring which he always wore and threw it from him, saying, with wild laugh, ''There that's for any one that likes it Pm a dead man" He then staggered toward his own room, and, remembered the loaded revolver which still lay on the chest of drawers, and tried to intercept him. In his rage, for ver- that the weapon was thcre he spit in my face and struck me with all his force between the eyes; but 1 struck him, and, with the help of the boy, who had been all the time in hiding, but who came forward at my call laid him for the last time upon his bed There he lay exhausted for the remainder of the night but there was no rest for mel felt that had to watch him now for my own safety.
 Toward morning, however, his breathing became. all at once. very heavy and slow. and bent over him in alarm. As did so heard him sigh faintly, "Lucy!" and at that moment the native boy softly placed some thing on the bed. took it up. It was the ring the sick man had thrown away in the night and as looked at 1t I saw "James, from Lucy'' engraved on it's inside surface, and knew that the dead woman was his wife.
 As the first faint streaks of dawn stole into the room, the slow drawn breathing of the dy- ing man ceased. 1 lstened-it came again twice-and then all was silence. He was dead and realized in the sudden still ness that had come upon the room that was alone. Yet he had passed away so quietly after his titfu fever that 1 could not bring myself to believe that he was really gone, and l stood looking at the body, fearing to con- vince myself of the truth by..touchiug it.
 So entranced was l by that feeling of awe which come to almost every one in the pres ence of death, that did not hear the shout ing of the hammock boy outside, or the foot steps of white man coming into the room; and not until he touched me on the shoulder did Iturn and recognize the sallow face of the Portuguese doctor whom had sent for, and who had thus arrived too late. However, he served to help ale bury the mortal part of Jackson in the little graveyard beside the body of his wife, and that of the man who had come between them when alive. And such was without doubt the fact for when the doctor had gone, and was alone again, I was alone again, Icolected and made an in. ventory of the dead mans effects, aud in Jackson's desk found his diary, or, as he himself would have called it, his log !; and in that log was noted, on the very day that Bran- some had arrived on the Point, his suspicion of the man, and later on his conviction that Bransome was indeed he who had injured him
 Sooka was never found but when the mail steamer returned from the south coast, discovered that the younger patrao had made his crew row away suddenly from the steam CTS side, while Mir. Bransome had been en- gagged below and out of sight. So it was ev. ident that the pair had been in league togeth- CT to insure Sooka his revenge. What share Jackson had had in the murder of his enemy did not care to think of, but feared the worst
 For myself, had to remain on the Point for many months, until the factory was final. ly closed-for no purchaser was ever found for 1t; and doubtless by this time the build- ings are in ruins, and long grass hides the graves of those who sleep upon King Bemba $ Point.-BlGckaoooGs MdgGsine.