The Portland daily press., 1889-07-26
IN A CLEFT STICK.

A lonely hamlet in the depths of Moravian
pine forest. 1t consists of but five low cot
tages, built of rough stones and matched
with straw. For light the peasants burn
pine logs upon the hearth. The Pickering
CLEAN Of their red flames shines through the
small windows and is lost in the gloom OF
the forest. The Summer night is dark with
clouds, and the moon has not yet risen. The
wind soughs softly over the tops OF the pines,
otherwise all around reigns the completest
stiffness.
In small room in one of the cottages five
men sit around rough table playing cards
by the light of the the pine logs and smoking
short wooden pipes. They are, all of them,
of middle age, between forty and fifty,
Drowned with the sun and the wind. Their
beardless faces are covered with wrinkles.
and their bristling hair is cut short. They
Wear roughly-knitted, homemade JERSEYS.
and are barefooted.
In corner OF the room woman sits on
wide bed, rocking with her foot a cradle in
which baby is asleep. Two bigger chill
dren sleep on the bed behind her. The
woman has rosary in her hands and is tell
ing her beads. The men do not speak. except
when the game requiresit. They are playing
Tor marks only, which they make with
piece of chalk upon the table The monoto-
nous amusement lasts an hour or two.
meanwhile, the woman has laid herself
dswn or the bed and gone to sleep.
At length the old. smoked-stained wooden
clock strikes eleven with dull sound, re-
sembliDg that Of cracked glass. As if at
word of command the men rise at once from
the bench, and shuttle softly from the room
The last of them, man of middle height,
who llmps on one foot, carefully puts out
the fire. This is the owner of the cottage,
SkoEan.
Outside his companions waited in the
yard. One of them had in his hands four
rods, each about three yards long, bent in
the form Of a bow, and pole. All wore
something fastened at their sides which
looked like bag. When Skokan had taken
from under the caves little, roundsh bum
die of rods and another long pole, he also
fastened bag at his side. That done, he
whistled to small dog to come out of his
kennel, and then they all left the yard to
gether. Skokan closing the gate carefully, so
that the dog should not get out.
Leaving the road at once, they entered
under the dark vault of the branches of the
great pine trees. Not word was spoken
among them. For half an hour they passed
on, following Skokan, sometimes through
the thick woods, sometimes through new
plantations, where the branches of the young
trees beat roughly against their faces. At
asst they came to little brook that wound
its way through the thickets. Thomas Sko-
kan stopped.
Mates" he said in low voice, 1--WE will
stop here and rest, so that we shall not 60
heated into the water"
They all sat down on the spongy moss, un-
able to see one another in the dark.
Listen, mates" went on Skokan, 81 have
heard report. You know, mates. that we
have worked together these twelve years.
and up to now they have never caught any
of us. But yesterday evening heard some
thing"
What then?" asked two voices. The
third man was silent.
"You know Frantishka, who was my wife's
friend, is in service with the bailiff.''
"Ay, what them" assented again the two
voices.
Yesterday my wife went with her to
vespers, and Frantishka told her that they
say we ought to keep an eye on you, Zinka.
They say that yesterday morning you were
talking for long time with the bailiff and
the forester at the Office"
The man who had hitherto kept silence,
answered quickly, Il went to the Office to
pay the rent"
"But Frantishka says that you were there
long time"
"Skokan, you are not fooled by woman's
chatter" answered the man who was ad-
dressed "All these years we have worked
together you have never doubted me. The
forester was there only by chance"
swell, mate, did think it was just wo-
mans chatter" agreed Skokan.
II don't believe it," "Nor l." said the
other two.
Il have only told you, mates, that there
was something said," replied Skokan easily.
Now we are cool, let us go down to the
mere. We can jump the stream easily just
below here"
The men were poachers, and tonight were
going to catch carp in one of the Counts
meres. They had been thther often enough
before, they and the villagers, too. For they
all poached-in winter game and in the sum-
mer carp stealing out at night, when the
moon rose late, from their quiet cottages
In the lonely woods; to return at dawn, soak
ing wet, and numbed with cold; bent some
times with the weight of the carpin the bags
thuir haokS with bn no N
of gunshot. and sometimes leaving behind
them on the forest paths drops of blood to
mark their steps. Now and again a man
never came home at all.
Many of them had no occasion to poach.
They could live well enough on the produce
OF their fields and meadows. But the poach-
ing was passion with them. OF them all.
the most daring and the most experienced
was the limping Skokan. What number OF
carp that man had taken home from the
Counts ishponds for his children to eat
His wife also secretly took the fish round fol-
sale. The neighboring country priests
bought them for Fridays, the school-masters
and sometmts the gentefolks in the neigh
boring towns. By means of this trade witt
the Count . carp, Skokan and his companion:
were plllng up nice little heap of forms
The highest ambition of the Counts game
keepers was to catch Skokan in the act. But
all the ingenuity had been hitherto in vain
He always got away.
The poachers rose and CROPPED through th,
dark to the edge OF the stream. They knew
the place well. Three of them had alread,
inmped the brook. Only Zinka remained
Then he jnmped, too, but alighting on hi
right foot, gave sudden shrek of pain
The same instant he checked himself ant
was silent.
whats happened, ZinkaP" asked Skokal
quickly.
hurt my foot"
In fact he had jumped barefooted on tn
stump of a young pine, which had pee
sawn half through and broken OFF. sharl
splinter stood up like finger, ana MAJ
pierced the sole of his foot.
ltpains me fearfuly," moaned Zinka;.
One of the poachers tore off a strip abou
four inches wide from the edge of his bal
and gave 1t to Zinka, who bound his wount
, Wltn H. and, having picked up his rods
hmped after his mates
My wound will get washed in the water
ana after few days it will be quite well. ,
ne eomlorte1 himself, bearing the keen pair
Win tne quiet philosophy of a rough nature
not little assisted by the fact that he haf
something heavier than the main yvaigbin,