The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-24

then fancied that | heard some Slight
sound outside under the t0rtOch6n. 1t was
SO slight that at first | was not sure
whether it might not be merely fancy, but
after little pause | heard it again, louder
and more distinctly. sat still as a mouse,
and kept a sharp lookout.
Slowly and gradually something raised
itself before the opening. 1t was head;
but in the uncertain light l could not say
whether it was human head or that Of
some brute creature. Whichever it might
be, | could see enough Of it to know that it
was such a wild, haggard, unearthly look
ing thing as | had never looked upon be-
fore. Any quantity of shaggy hair was
hanging about it, and its only features to
speak of seemed to be eyes Ewes it had
| past all mistake. Never did | see any
thing like the way in which it glared at
our good provisions within. l have seen
what a famished wolf looks like, and l
should hardly think a famished wolf worth
comparing with that creature. 1t was
ravenous after what it saw. Up beside
| the head came two punches of long claws,
which wrenChed at the wooden lattice as if
to tear it down. But they were too weak.
The strips held fast. And then the thing
| fell to with its teeth to gnaw way
| through.
While the creature was thus engaged,
| contrived to slip quietly from my dark
| corner by the door, and catching up a big
| SJlChs NeIib buU al inc Jttck Oh Uue mousse. L
| stole around as noiseleSsly as | could to-
| ward the window. There were, as | said
| young fir trees on that side Of the house,
| so that with little care it was not difficult
| to approach the place unobserved. When
got to within few yards, l saw that the
1 Fhan=f9T~ the --eerea tHrfE.e was nian-was
still hard at work trying to force way iu.
| | dropped my stick and made rush at
| him, and had him before ne knew anything
| about it. He struggled hard-desperately
| l may say. But, bless you! he'd not a
| ghost of a chance with me. | am a tOler-
ably strong man still, as men go, and | was
| younger then. l could have undertaken
three such as he, and thought nothing Of
| it. The poor wretch had no sort of condi-
ton about him-he was mere skin and
! hOnes-no muscle at all. He was nothing
| but walking anatomy, with few rags by
way of covering-and only a very few.
All that he gained by his struggles was
good shaking, for [ gave him one that
made every tooth in his head chatter; and
then | laid him fat on his back.
] had been long enough in the country to
| gain some knowledge of Russia. l could
| use it pretty freely to our mill people; and
| / must own that for terms in which to
| BLACKBOARD a set of lazy rascals as most
| of those fellows are, BiliiugsgaUe isn't a
patch on it, So could make my prisoner
! understand me. "Now, then my friend"
trouble to show any more fight. You see
il WON'T nav. So inst oct m and narc6
quietly of with me to the oTrjaStnc1.,;Mt
1IrbgStoL heinz as Won nerbons trotv
| equivalent to the poice-statiOn in English.
But instead of getting up, and doing as
he was told. like a reasonable being, the
creature contrived to wriggle itself upon
its knees, and to hold up its hands; while
it begged of me in the name of the Virgin
and all the Saints not to hand it over to
| the DOItzia. 1t would rather be killed out
| right, and was ready to be beaten as much
as | pleased.
MY ragged friend" | said, "you are a
queer chap Why do YOU object to the
| police so stronglygD
| The poor wretch made no direct answer.
| but only reiterated his entreatips that I
would not give him up. | began to have
some suspicion of the quality of nv guest.
! 81 am inclined to tbink.D said. s.that Won
are neither more or less than an escaped
| convict"
| Instead of attemntinr to denv if. he only
| begged me to pity him as before.
! Russian law is terribly hard on those
who in any way assist in or conceal the
escape of a convict. OF that [ was aware,
| But though [ am big fellow to look at,
and in some things can hold nv own as
| well as any man, [ have always been a
| poor, soft hearted fool in others. [ was
| beginning to feel DOWNRIGHT sorry for that
! poor dewitt was not so much his PRAYERS
| that touched me as his looks, "WelIn
| said, "suppose don't give you up, but let
| you 90. What then?"
| He wOuld always rememhar ma with
| gratitude. He wonId 90 on bis wav Of
! once. and do no harm to NV nronartv He
was no thief. He had onIv eptared tbis
| drOr-this yard-to hide himself Lnt tb Of
| the siobt nj food nd ovarcnn,a' biI,,. bo
| was famisbing. and he dared not Laa[ Ho
! had walked. how far he could NOT taii nor.
| hans a thousand versts and all tba va no
| had not dared 10 ASK for food scorceiy +o
| sDeak to a liyinu sonl He IYoe +ry,in5, N
| reach his own VILLAGE narhsne - +b0na99nJ
versts further. If [ would only SET him
free he would go on at once.
That was about the substance of the fell
| lows answer. His appearance seemed to
| bear out his statements. and | was in
clined to believe him. ITS sheer non
| sense" | said, "for YOU to talk of setting
off for walk of a thousand yersts, if I lef
| YOU 20, You might as well talk of fvino
You have not the strength to walk fer,
| You would only fall nv the roadside Won
miserable scare-crow. and die in a ditcb 7
| should be doing the kinder thing nv Won
| if | hand you over to the authorities, If I
| do let YOU 20, | must give Won somethin q
to eat first. Come with me,v
| The miserable wretch hardly helieved
that meant to feed him. and would have
run away had he dared. | took him into
| the empty house. of which had the kew.
| and fetched him as much food as 7 thoup6t
| it safe for him to eat.
So there was, with an escaped convict