Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-07-14
THE HUNTED MAN.

through which the path led, winding
about among powders and scrubby trees,
now skirting the edge of ravine, now
crossing brawling stream, and again go
ing straight over rugged hill.
Along this path a man was walking at
pretty rapid pace, looking neither to the
right nor left, but with his fierce gray
eyes fixed steadily before him. He was
of medium height, well built, with broad,
strong looking shoulders, in which there
was little stoop. His hair and beard
were of light, ashy brown, his complex
ion sallow, and his features commonplace
enough, with the exception of his eyes, In
which there was q cold, cruel light. He
seemed to be well acquainted with the
country, pursuing his way without hest
tation, though occasionally he came to a
place where another path intersected the
one he was travelling.
Walking thus, neither Stacking nor &C
celebrating his gait, he came to hill much
higher and sleeper than any he had yet
crossed. Climbing this he necessarily
went slower and with more difficulty, but
the view that greeted his eyes when he
got to the top would have well repaid him
for the toll Of the ascent had he been one
Far away was a range Of mountains,
blue and misty in the distance, the lines
of elevation gradually sinking to the foot
hills, which seemed to roll away in great
pillows, breaking at his very feet in a
chaotic mass of rocks, trees and CHANGING
waters. But this traveller had no eye for
the beautiful-the distant mountains,
which he stood still for moment to gaze
10 \. -
and that distance which softened their
rugged features and lent enchantment to
them, he would gladly have dispensed
with.
With heavy sigh, the frs: symptom
OF WEAKNESS he had shown, he was about
to resume his journey when he suddenly
came to stand again, turning his eyes,
in which there was a startled look, in the
direction whence he had come. He had
heard sound that he too well knew. 1t
was the bay of hound, just audible, far
away to the southeast. He listened in
tently. The dog did not give voice con-
tinuously, but only at intervals, and his
keen ear detected difference in the bays
as they came nearer; there were two dogs
running, and running over the very route
by which he had come.
He knew well what that meant. He
was not deceived. He did not allow any
hopeful fancy to persuade him that those
dogs were in pursuit of any four footed
beast. 1t was man they were after-he
knew it. When the hound hunts the deer
or the wild cat his yelp is quick and joy
Gus, but when he hunts man his voice is
deep and sonorous and breaks on the still
air like the toll Of the death bell.
fa1
the mountain again, and there was n great
longing in his fierce eyes. Alas! those blue
peaks--how far they were away. Then,
with the activity of the panther, which he
somewhat resembled in his nature, he
bounded down the slope of the hill, at the
foot of which he plunged into swiftly
running stream.
The water was not deep, coming up to
his knees, and wading through that he
ran hundred yards or more, and then
turning, retraced his steps. There was a
mountain ash growing about twenty feet
from the stream, its wide spreading
branches reaching out some thirty feet
from the trunk. Climbing the tree, he
clambered out on one of the branches
overhanging the water and dropped from
the end OF it, wading considerable dis
lance before landing, when he FASTENED to
the top Of another hill and stopped to lis
ten just an instant. He could hear the
dogs plainly now; they were rapidly ap-
preaching.
There was q place of refuge that he
knew of, where no man, he thought, could
fipd him. No man. But there were the
dogs, whose sense of smell was more un-
erring than the intelligence of man. They
would track him to his hiding place in
spite Of all that he might do. II he sue
ceeded in reaching this place--it was not
far away-they could not get at him
there, but they would know that he was
somewhere near at hand. They would
know-ah, yes, the dogs would know, but
the men might think them at fault and
draw them off. There was chance OF
that, and it was the only chance on which
he could build hope. But come what
would, he would die game; they should
not take him alive. He had no weapon
save long bladed knife, which he drew
from its scabbard in his bosom, glancing
at lis keen edge and thrusting it back
again.
He was running while these thoughts
were passing through his brain, and in q
little while he came to ravine, the bot
tom of which he reached by successive
leaps from bowlder to bowlder Then he
ran down the ravine until he came to q
place where the sides where high and
PERCEPTIONS. A tree growing on the top
of the cliff on one side hung over the
verge, and from its gnarled and twisted
branches depended stout grapevine that
reached about two-thirds of the distance
from the top to the bottom. The man
stopped here and with much difficulty
clambered up until he could reach this
vine, mp which he went, hand over hand,
as n sailor goes up rope, About twenty
feet from where he started he ceased
climbing, and giving the vine swinging
motion, after two or three vibrations,
suddenly disappeared, apparently into the
very face of the rock.
The hounds came on. They lost the
trail at the stream, up which the fugitive
had waded. 1t delayed them little
while-it was all he had expected-and
then they picked it up again, following it
eagerly and plunging into the ravine,
their deep voices echoing among the rocks
and making as great q clamor as though
there had been full pack engaged in the
chase. Suddenly they stopped and began
TO sniff about the foot Of the cliff where
the man mad climbed up, holding their
heads up and baying at regular intervals
Three men now made their appearance,
leading their horses, which they had been
obliged to dismount, In order that they
might pick their way down an almost Inn
practicable path. The dogs were trying
to crawl mp the face of the rock.
We'll, I'll be burned II tibet chap ain'i
CUM up to tibet thar grapevine an gone
up tibet like squrrul, +" said one OF the
men.
rs there no way to get to the top OF
this cliff,' asked one, who seemed to be
the chief Of the party.
This here cleft" said he who had
spoken first. .Oh, yesl thar's q way
roun'; but hen heye got a good start on
us, an reckin thet's bout wat he was
up to. They does try all manner err tricks
when the dogs is benin 'em terher shn'