Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-07

at length on the high bank, and, limping.
made his way with long springs toward the
woods.
Suddenly again the clouds broke. The
moon shope out in oil her brightness,
| Echting the mysterious dim woods and
| cleaning in silver threads upon the mere
| ripplinc beneath the wind. The sudden
/ brightness filed the flying poacher with
/ alarm. With q great effort he hastened
4 with oil his strength his halting
steps. At that moment red light
| cleaned in his eyes. In the quiet
Of the night the report OF gun
rang out startlingly and rolled on, re-
peated by she echoes OF the woods, III II
| finally died away The moment after tho
| shot Zinka stumbled rs If nc had been
/ struck by lightning. In the light Of the
/ moon his form stood out black against the
| c,rav meadow. close by thicket. Several
/ fines ne mastered himself by an effort, but
| at last rolled over, as stiiied groan broke
! from his lips pressed against the damp
moss. Then everything was quiet ana the
| dark body lay still.
Near the place from whence the shot was
fired short whistle sounded and was an
swered from the other side Of the mere. 10
was the sign Of the gamekeepcrs that their
| hunt was ended.
At the head of the mere the gamekeepers
! and woodmen gathered in a knot round
ono who whispered:
THAT hmping beast will give us no
more trouble
"Skokan ?" asked one.
He rolled over; didn't you see?"
AT last" said another.
! Mono of them went near the wounded
man. lest he should recognize them and
| give evidence against them, or, more likely,
| try TO revenge himself. Leaving the mere
| they took their way home through the dark
woods.
The report Of the gun made the three
poachers hidden in the thickets start. All
| of them knew that one of their companions
had been shot at. Skokan and Jarosh,
| hidden under the dam, knew that the shot
must have been fired at /inka OF Novsk.
| Novak, being nearer, was sure that II was
fired At Zinka.
Nearly an hour passed. Novak listened
| anxiously 10 assure himself that the game
keepers were really gone, and hearing no.
| thing more of them vcntured at last out u
| the thicket. lie was soaked to the skin
and shivering with fear and cold. eau
! tiouslv be looked around the meadow. and
| suddenly stopped, rooted 20 the ground
with horror. About forty steps of man
with uncovered head sat in the moonlight
near thicket. lie WAS pressing both
hands to his face and mourning, as me
| rocked himself from right To left, 80 ., my
| God, my Godl" Then he fell flat on IS
back, and his hands dropped powerless at
| his sides.
Tie moonlight shone ont more clearly,
and N0yak recognized Imka. Atcw steps,
/ without considering whether ne was IN
danger or not, and he knclt on the grass
| by his side. In a stltcd voice Iinka was
/ Whispering 10 himself. Jesus, Mara, Jo-
seph. that cry Of the peasant IN his mo-
ments of agony.
suddenly N0vab remembered his wontcd
caution Of poachcr. Quickly passing his
! left arm beneath Zinka's knees and ms
right around his shoulders, he lifted him
aud ran with him to the woods. There he
laid him down again upon the moss and
asked him:
Where are Won woundcd:"
ION the right side, in the RIBS" whis-
pered Zinka, and added: Nothing has
happened to the rest of You, please God "
After a time he whispered. pressing las
| hand to his breast: " shant 1--we; they
have settled me-
Noyak put his thick, swollen hands to MS
| lips and initiated the cry of an owl, III
WHO'D. tl-whoo."
Bending down again over the wounded
man he took ont Of his pocket "a wel-corkcd
bottle, opened u, and said:
Taste q little powder, mate. 1T VIII
drive out the sting"
Zinka took the bottle in his weak left
hand. lifted ii TO his mouth, and poured ON
| histongue few grains of gunpOWder. rolled
them in his mouth for q few moments, and
swallowed them That Is with the Bo-
hcmian pOachers favOritc preventive
against the evil consequences of wound.
1T Is no good" whispered Zinka. Win
| a sad smile he went on: The shot has
gone into my lungs" And as he spoke he
coughed, and the blood ran out of his
mouth.
Again Noyak initiated the boot of an
owl, and this time the cry was answered
from a short distance. The boughs of the
pines mstled, and presently Skokan APP
peared pushing his way through the IN
derwood
"Zinka has received the whole charge in
his lungs" Novak whispered into SkOkans
ear 1T seems to me they have finished
him.
Skokan bent over Zinka, saying: ITS L
mate, SkOkan."
Zinka. feeling with his left hand in the
dark, touched SkOkan's face. 1t was the
touch of hand of ice, and he spoke dis
| jointedly.
Mate-you're alive-please God-for-
give-for Tommy's sake only child-tour-
teen years-the gauntlet"
He could say no more. There was dull,
rafting sound in his throat. Skokan could
find no meaning in his words. Leaning to-
wards Novak, he whispered: He does not
| know what he is saying-he IS delirlous.
Spread out the nets, and we will take HIM
| home"
They spread ont the nets, taking them
from their necks and laying them out one
above the other on the grass. Opening
them to lalf their breadth they laid the
helpless Zinka in them, lifted up the ends
of the nets, and proceeded into the depth
Of the wood. There they found narrow
path which wound like snake. Many a
time had they taken their way along. It,
bending under the weight of the fish they
had stolen. Five times they had led or car
RED home wounded cOmrade.
Zinka half Law and half sat in the net.
| Now and then he sighed, and the rafting
sound was audible in his throat: They pro
ceeded thus for half an hour through the
thickest part of the wood. where the rays
of the moon were unable 10 pierce the
branches, though she shone now brightly.
! Presently, again, Zinka began to murmuI
some unintelligible words.
Keep quiet, mate" SAID Skokan.
you'll be all right presently"
1t seemed that Zinka heard, for he re-
NAMED still. The poachers fastened as
| much as they could. At last a light .ap-
pearod before them, and after a little while
they were on the edge OF the MOOD. m y.
moon shone down clearly with her soft
light, the wind had dropped, as the SKY
was cloudless.
Where the path joined the road they
laid down Their burden on the soft, fresh
grass, moistened with dew. The moon
light fell straight on Zinka's face. 1t was
as white as linen. A face carved IN ivory
might have looked so. With sudden
start Skokan put his hand TO the pale
cheek. II was cold as ice, stiff, and stark.
In the CLASSY eve that seemed TO start from
its socket, the dim moonlight reelected
itself glitteringly.
Jesus Maria it's all up with him" ex.
claimed Skokan.
Starting up, Novak caught his hair with
both his hands, as If he would with single
wrench tear it from his skull.
THE woman and the lad will 90 mad
said Novak He was silent for moment
and then asked more as If speaking TO him
self than TO his mate. But how did the
! eamekeepers guess that we were going TO.
night" lie stopped, and continued, IL
a cautious voice, almost rs If he feared lest
the dead man should hear his words
"Skokan, what Frantishka said was true
| then"
II thought Of that, mate, too, but-God