Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-11-22

4 v
the mad-house wall; he belongs,
think, to n chimney-sweep, and /
trust that after serving my purposes,
he may find way back to his meg
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. II 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 Woful 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 be 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 a Sc
cret which until the past halfhour
have shared with no man.
see by your eyes again
that if set at liberty you
would interfere with my purpose.
1t is unfortunate that scarcely Il
soul ever rides this way-I know the
road of old. But tomorrow is Sun
day. | will scribble a 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 you to accept as a memento.
With renewed apologies, sir, | wish
you good-day and lit 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. NY
ankles were tied with my own hand
kerchief, my wrists with the thong of
my own whip, and this especially cut
me. 1t was knotted immovably, but
by rolling over and rubbing my face
into the turf | contrived at length to
the gag down below my chin. This
done | sat up and shouted Justify.
l think | called a score of times be-
fore | heard an answering "Whoo-
oop!' far back on the road, and
scarlet coat, then another, and final
ly dozen or more, appeared on the
crest of the hill. 1t was the hunt re-
turning.
They saw me at once and galloped
up, speechless from sheer amazement.
l believe my hands were loosened be-
fore word was spoken. The situa-
ton was painfully ridiculous, but my
story was partly out before they had
time to laugh, and the rest of it was
gasped to the accompaniment of
pounding hooss and cracking whips.
Never did the Netherkrk hunt ride
after fox as it rode after the Rev.
William league that afternoon. We
streamed over the moor, II thin. red
wave, like rank ofcharging cavalry,
the whip even forgetting his tired
hounds that struggled amlessly in
our wake. On the hill above Blea-
kirk we saw that the tide was out and
our company divided without draw
ing rein-some four horsemen de-
scending the beach to ride along the
sands out under Woeful Ness and
across the Dead Boy, hoping to gain
the ridge before the mailman and cut
him of. The rest, whom led by a
few yards, breasted he height above
and thundered past the gray church
yard wall. Inside it | caught fly
ingglimpse of the yellow pony quietly
cropping among the tombs We
had our prey, then, inclosed in that
peninsula as in trap; but there was
one outlet
Presently the turf ceased. Dis
| ran to the edge and
plunged down the rocky face. | had
descended about twenty feet when |
came to the spot where by craning
forward | could catch sight of the
spit OF rock and the Quick Boy sand
to the right oft.
The sun-a blazing ball of red-was
Just now resting itsnether rim ON the
horizon and it's level rays fell upon
the man we were chasing. He stood
on the very edge of the rocks, a black
spot against the luminous yellow of
sea and sand. He seemed to be medi-
Eating. His back was toward us and
he perceived neither his pursuers
above nor the heads that at this
moment appeared oyer the ridge be-
mind him and not fifteen yards away.
The party on the beach had dis
and were clambering up
'tealthily. Five seconds more and
they could spring upon him.
But they underestimated q mad
mans instinct. As if for no rea-
son, he gave quick start, turned,
md at the same instant was
aware of both attacking parties. A
asst CLEAN of sunlight fell on the
in his left hand; his right
numb and forefinger hung arrested,