Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-02-16


two days without SEEING a human face,
and after going into camp the third
| night. was seized with such renewal
| OF horrors the mental agony of u
| man whose mi>speut life had held beun-
tint possibilities Of good. reactingon the
| broken nervous system that he left his
campfire burning and started ont on
the tramp again. 90 gel rid of his haunt
ing thoughts. Climbing abrupt rocky
ridges, dipping down intorayines \, here
giant trees clung 10 every available foot
hold and tangled their branches over
head. making black depth OF darkness
tra'c. skiring PERCEPTIONS cuts where u
misstep would have sent him straight 10
eternity, bit guided safely by that fate
or that mercy. rs YOU WILL which so of-
ten accompanies the desperate and des-
pairing through the most imminent
perils, and almost against their will,
preserves them, A light shonc ont be-
fore. 1t came from log cabin perched
against the hillside. and almost concealed
by the overhanging foliage. The door
stood wipe-opcn and a great fire blazed
on the hearth. In the full light and
heat sal Il man. unkempt and hard
featured. with a mug of yellow carthen-
ware IN his hand. from which he slipped
occasionally, Willie he gazed into the
Goals. Finishing his draught. he emp
tied the few drops which remained in
the bottom on the Goals; they caught in
blue flare, and the lennon which ruled
Jack Renshaw' life awoke at the sight.
''Are YOU Il moonshiner?
The man started TO his feet and faced
around, surveying the figure on the
threshold with a doubtful scowl. ''ic
bean deputy, he leeh
Il am no police officer, but a person
who is willing to buy YOU out at good
price, if You are what ! takeyou 60 be"
He drew some money from his pocket
and laid it ON the rough Slab which did
service rs a table, righrly Judging that
this would be the most powerful argu-
nler he could offer. The hard lines in
the other face relaxed, but he was srs-
picious still.
"What do You want the place forp'
That Is my ownailair You wouldn't
believe il if / were to say that | wanted
my own high wines without adultera-
tion, You have Il quantity of the stuff
on hand. | SUPPOSE Name your price,
if you want 10 take up my offer
"WiIl We give IN Yer gun9' asked the
man, hi, eyc> dropping to the handsome
fowlin4-piecc which Eenshaw carried,
and in ten minutes after that they had
struck Il bargain.
"lc've treated me liberal, and I aint
AKIN for Yer reasons" declared the
moonShincr, Its my opinion that
man hez q RIGHT 10 make y little liJer ii
ne vents i jest as good right to bile
his corn up inter sweet mash as homiuy
Tain much of q still and there amt
much stock OF hand. but ven find all
the tools down Their in the cellar IFS
good hole for hidim' if the reyenuers
find We out
He pointed ont the trap in the floor,
so artfully concealed that it might be
readily overlooked, gathered together
some small paraphelnalia of his own,
and Went out at the door, which Rem
shaw had entered such II short Sine
since, and the latter was left in posses
sion.
There are many ways of committing
suicide, and it was with the deliberate
intention of drinking himself to death
that Jack Renshaw mad driven his bar
gain. He waited awhile Ia make sure
that the other would not return, then
closed the door and descended through
the trap. This led TO a marrow passage
which extended for Il few yards into the
hill, and was terminated by a low door
of roughly -hewn slabs. II was n cave
like aperture in which Jack found hin-
self. a furnace and boiler at one end,
some barrels, mostly empty. standing
around. and llcg which was not emp
ty. balanced across one of these, with a
spigot in the end.
Enough for my purpose he NUT
tered, measuring its contents by the
weight But The fierce craving appe-
lite which had assailed him at sight of
the moonshiner's mug had departed.
Some sense OF his own degradation in
stepping body and soul in such n spell
of oblivion as this he contemplated, with
held him from beginning what he in
tended to be his last orgie And while
he hesitatcd, a swiftcr agent of death
was racing close on his track.
The bright blaze of his campfire had
crept among The dry grass aud fallen
sticks. had caught the underground,
and from that gathered force until it
rose in Great columns over the tree-tops.
The woods were like finder, and the
showers Of sparks that were driven be
fore the wind fell TO spring up i'll hun
dred new tongues of flames.
Had he been in the cabin. ignorant of
the underground refuge, there would
have been no time for escape. As he
was. Jack found his breathing oppress-
ed he gasped in the close sultriness,
and flung open the door, to be met BY a
rush of empowering heat, great pufis
of dense smoke, and to hear the fierce
cracking of the flames overhead. He
closed the door again, apd staggered
back TO the furtbest-corner, 10 fall half.
senselcsS on his face, and clenehcd his
hand, in AGONY as the heat grew more
intense ON. for water now. What
was the fierce liquor within his reach
worth compared 70 the smallest swallow
of watcr2 The agony seemed to have
lasted for hours when sullen crash
penetrated 10 the spot whore he lay: TIE
~. a..