Richland beacon., 1888-01-28

at MS heels. lie was seen to dodge down
a back alley. known as Shut ane, and
followed by he crowd OF several hun
drcds. Atth end of Shut Lane he dis
appeared round corner, AID, strange to
say, has not been seen again. There can be
no doubt that he will be recaptured .
/ but his present escape and disappearance,
are most mysterious. We understand
that the fellow posse ses singular strength
a"d agility but none the less, it will be
standing disgrace to our police authori-
ties that prisoner should thus, in broad
dayliS It, and in the midst of crowded
thoroughfare effect his escape from
the very hands of justice A reward of
one hundred pounds has been offered for
his apprehension. Watson is about
five feet nine inches in height, strongly
built, and when he escaped was dressed
III gray fustian suit, with red scarf
and soft hat. He LAY further be dis
tingulshed by scar across his chin, and
by having an arrow tatooed on the back
of his left hand"
/ This was about the extent of the infor-
nation contained n the paragraph, and
my rcade;s will agree with me that the
news was sufficiently exciting 70 occupy
my thoughts to the complete exclusion
of the unpleasant experience had just
passed through. AS | lay back in my
seat to muse upon what had read, my
thoughts began after awhile TO wander
and my head to nod, according to their
wont at midnight, and before long fell
asleep. How lCua slept cannot tell
probably for a few minutes only-but in
tho q few moments | underwent most
discomtOrling dream. | dreamt that
Ch'ppy Watson stood over me- mallet in
hand, ami that my a,eling compan n
was holding his arm, to avert the threat
cael blow. She struggled in vain, and
the mallet fell-yet with strangely
light touch-upon my srm. With a
start, | awokc, and then saw the girl of
my dream bending toward me with
a scrap of paper in her hand.
Bat her face, how terribly was Il
changed! Instead of the dainty pink
flush had last seen, there Wa, CHASTITY
wh!trncss in'hcr checks, and her eyes
seemed starring from her head with
terror. Holding up one finger, as if -
command silence, :he passed me the
paper, on which were written the fol-
lowing words:
''Some one is underneath the seat, and
has just to icheo me-"
Was it the dream which fil'el me with
the thought that this was al idle alarml
/ cannot tell but this III .ch know, that
n an instant thre flashed across my mind
with overwhelming force the thought of
the escaped wife murderer.
Returning my com anion's s.lcncesig.
nal by gesture Of acquiescence, wrote
upon the paper:
1t is pro ably on'y dog. Shall
look under the scat."
Her answer vas short an6 to the
point:
"NO; do not look. 1t was a hand"
Here, then, WAS Il su.licicnt dilemma; :;
but by comparison with what had passed
before between my fellow passenger and
myself, it was a dilemma that | felt al
most disposed to welcome The male
sex in my person was about to assume its
rightful position of protector to its
weaker, if would be independent COM
pan;on. Sweet was my revenge; and yet,
the revenge scarccy promised to he
wholly plcasurable.
My first action was to remove any Sis
picion that there might be in the mind
of the mysterious third occupant of our
carriage, through the presumably acci-
dental action of having touched the
lady's dress. Giving vent to an audible
yawn. as though l had just awakened
from sleep, remarked. in tone of cool
impcrtneLce:
i
dressing you again, madam, but will you
permit me to smoke, to eniven this te-
dious iourney3'
AS spoke, | accompanied my wore,
by meaning glance, and was favored
with the reply:
Certainty, if you wisi it; I cannot
prevent you"
Thcreupon I produced my pipe and
tobacco pouch anG proceeded slowly to
ill the former, as thought out the plan
of action. Cn reference to my watch, |
saw that the tru. n would sto,, in another
ten minutes. Clearly, the only thing to
do was 70 wait till We reached Black
ley, and there get assistance to find out
who our unknown travelling companion
might be.
The longer pondered over the prob.
lem, the more curious for its solution did
l become. and then, needless of the warn
ing l had received, / struck match and
intentionally dropped it.
Stoopng down, with muttcred NAL
ed!ction, to pick it up, l cast a search
ing glance underneath the opposite seat,
and then my blood ran cold, as the faint
elea of the taper revealed the back of
q q ans hand with the max of tattoed
arrow uron it.
Chippy Watson then was our COM
panion- "a doomed and desperate man!
BY a mighty effort l controlled my
voice sufficiently to say:
Excuse my reaching across you,
madam, but that was my last match,
and could not afford to let it go out"
The girl, into whose white checks the
color showed no trace of returning. muir
INJURED some unintel!igible reply, and for
few moments we sat insilencc.
Again looked at my watch. Thank
Heaven, in five minutes we should be at
Blackley, and the awful ride would be at
an end. Scarcely had the thought
formulated itself when the girl Op-
poslte me sprang up, tremoiinS IKE
leaf, and skrieked. ere could stop her:
'.Oh, the hand has touched my foot
again"
The moment the words left her lips l
heard sudden movement under the seat,
and quicker than thought q figure APP
peared upon the floor. In that moment
l flung myself upon the ru.fian and
clutched his throat with the energy of
despair, knowing that should he once
rain his feet IL was all over with me the