Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-12-14

of 1t. and wheeled her off toward
Woeful Ness. There was just the rim
Of a waning moon to light me, but
knew every inch of the way.
For the greater part Of il / mad
turf under foot, but where this ended
and the rock began had to leave the
barrow behind. Ut was ticklish work
climbing down, for footing and to be
found and Lydia was monstrous
weight. Pahl how fat she was and
clumsy-lolling this way and thati
Besides the bag hampered me. But |
reached the foot at last and after q
short rest clambered out along the
edge as fast as / could. / was sick
and tired of the business.
.'Well, the rest was easy. Arrived
at the farthest spit of rocks / tossed
the bag from me farinto thenorthern
sand. Then turned to Lydia, whom
! had set down for the moment. In
the moonlight her lips were parted as
though she were still chattering; SO /
kissed her once because / had loved
her and dropped her body over into
the Quick Boy sand. In three min
utes or so | had seen the last OF her.
II trundled home the barrow,
mixed myself a glass OF whisky, sat
beside it for half an hour, and then
aroused the servants. was cunning,
sir; and no one could trace my foot
prints on the turf and rock of Woeful
Ness. The missing handbag, and
the disarray ] had been careful to
make in the bedroom, provided them
at once with clew; but it did not
lead them to the Quick Boy. For two
days they searched; at the end of
that time it grew clear to them that
grief was turning my brain. Your
father, sir, was instant with his SYM
pathy; at least ten times day Ihad
much ado TO keep from laughing in
his face. Finally two doctors visited
me, and ! was taken to mad-house.
Il have remained within its walls
twenty-nine years; but mol have
never been thoroughly at home
there. Two days ago / discovered
that the place was boring me. So /
determined to escape; and this to n
man of my resources presented few
difficulties. | borrowed this pony
from a stable not many yards from
the mad-house wall; he belongs, /
think, to chimney-sweep, and |
trust that after serving my purposes.
he may find way back to his mas
ter"
suppose at this point he must
have detected the question in my
eyes, for he cried sharply:
You wish to know my purpose?
1t is simple" He passed a thin hand
over his forehead. Il have been shut
up, as | say, for twenty-nine years,
and now discover that the mad
house bores me. If they retake me
and the hue and cry must be OUT
long before this-I shall be dragged
back. What, then, is my proposal?
/ ride to Bleakirk and out along the
summit of Woiul Ness. There / dis
mount, turn my pony loose, and, de-
scending along the ridge, step into
the sand that swallowed Lydia.
| Simple, is it not? Excessi, evasi,
evanui. / shall he there before sun
set-which reminds me-" he added.
pulling out his watch, "that my time
is nearly up. ! regret to leave you
in this plight. but you see how am
placed. / felt when saw you sud
den desire to unbosom myself of Sc
cret which until the past halfhour
have shared with no man.
see by your eyes again
that If set ut liberty you
would interfere with my purpose.
1t is unfortunate that scarcely a
soul ever rides this way--I know the
road of old. But tomorrow is Sun
day. will scribble line and fix it
on the church-door at Bleakirk so
that the parish may at least know
your predicament before twenty-four
hours are out. Imustnow be going
The bandana about your mouth |
entreat yoI to accept as a memento.
With renewed apologies, sir, | wish
you good.day and countit extremely
fortunate that you did not bleed"
He nodded in the friendliest man.
ner. turned on his heel, and walked
quietly toward the bridge. As he
untethered his pony, mounted and
ambled quietly off in the direction of
the coast lay stupidity watching
him.
must have lain above an hour
and in this absurd and painful posi-
ton wrestling with my bonds and
specializing on my chances of
passing the night by the bedside. My
ankles were tied with my own hand
kerchief, my wrists with the thong of
my own whip, and this especially cut
me. 1t wns knotted immovably, but
by rolling over and rubbing my face
into the turf l contrived at length to
the gag down below my chin. This
done / sat up and shouted Justify.
think called a score of times be-
fore / heard an answering "Whoo-
oopl" far back on the road, and a
scarlet coat, then another, and final
ly dozen or more, appeared on the
crest of the hill. 1t was the hunt re-
turning.
Theysaw me at once and galloped |
~