Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-06-25
WEE MYSTERIOUS HAND.


30 not think for @ moment that /
could ever have seen anything super
human in the occurrence. / do not be-
lieve in any but normal causes. If,
however. instead OF using the word
supernatural to express what We DO
not understand, we should use the
word "ineXplicablc. it would be much
more exact. In the affair / am about
to relate, it was. above all, the pre-
cedng and attending circumstances
that impressed me. viii give you the
facts.
was examining magistrate at the
time at Aiicco, o little white city lying
on the edge OF a beautiful bay which is
surrounded ON all sides 10y high noun
tains The eases with which ! had
chiefly to do were those OF vendetta.
had some fierce, heroic instances, the
most superbly dramatic possible.
Among those people were found the
most glorious causes for revenge That
mon could dream of-secular hatreds,
appcased for a moment but never eN-
tinguisGed, traitorOus ruses, assasSina-
tons. developed into massacres, and
almost glorious in their horror For
two years had heard Of nothing but
the price OF blood, that terrible Corsi-
can prejudice which binds a man TO
ayonge every injury on the person who
wrought il, his descendants and kins-
men. hayo seen old men murdered
and children, and my head was full OF
such stories.
| learned one day that an English
man had just leased for number Of
years a little villa at the foot of the
bay, lie had brought with him q
French body-seryaut, engaged at Mar
settles rs he passed Everybody was
soon busy with this strange parsonage,
who lived alone, and left his dwelling
only to hunt or fish He spoke to no.
body. never came to the city, and every
morning practicod shooting for an hour
or two with his pistol OF rifle.
There were many stories about him.
One man held chat he was OF priucely
rank, and had He'd his country for po-
liticul reasons; another affirmed that
he was lying in concealment alter hav-
inc committed % fearful CRIME, and
even related particulars Of an especial
~ horrible nature.
wished, ia my capacity of cNamin-
inc magistrate. to obtain sone definite
information in regard to this man; but
I could learn nothing He gave his
name as Sir John RoWei | took sat
isfaction in watching hm Ucar at hand,
but no one could point ont TO me any
thing really suspicious about him.
Since, however, the rumorS concern
ing him continued, increased. and be
came more general resolved to max,
an attempt TO sec the stranger myself
and | began to hunt regularly in tbs
neighborhood of his estate
/ waited long for my opportunity
1t came finally in the shape Of part
ridge which | shot and killed in tn,
Englishmau's face. My dog brought
it to me. bat taking the game in my
hand | went to excuse my lack of gooC
manners and beg Sir John Bowel tt
accept the bird
He was a large man, with red hail
and beard, very tall and very robust
a sort of placid and polished Hercules
He had nothing of the so-caled Brit
ish stiffness, and thanked me cordially
speaking with strong English accent
for my scrupulousncSs. At the end o
month we had talked five or six time
together.
One evening as / was passing hi
door | saw him in hi, garden smokiu.
his pipe, aStride III a chair salute,
him, and he invited me In 60 take
glass OF beer with him. did not wal
TO be asked twice
He received me with scrUpulous En-
gljsh courtesy eulo1ized France mn,
Corsica, and declared that he WA
warmly attached TO that country an,
to that particular portion o. the coast
| then, with great caution and undc
the guise of q very lively personal in
terest. yentured a few questions ne
garding his life lie replied withou
embarrassment, telling me that he ha
travelled extensively in Africa, India
and America and that he had had man
adventures
then returned to the subject of tn
chase, and he gave me many OF IL
most curious details in regard 10 hum
ing the hippopotamus, the tiger tn
elephant, and even the gorilla
remarked that an these animal
were formidable.
lie smiled
"Oh, no, man is the most terrible.
He laughed outright, with a hearty
eontented English laugh, as he furth,
informed me:
Il have also been a great hunter f,
men.
Then ne turned the conversation t
the topic of arms, and invited me
the house to look at guns Of di1erer
birds