Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-16

the mud there anu aHou ,OCedhlnS lntC
the almost smetherlng depths of grass
and cane or creeping under the low,
dense foliage of trees that were over.
burdened with vines and long gray moss.
Everywhere there was strange fra
GRANGE as of some wild delicious fruit, but
it was ONLY the smell of decaying wood
called tssyeet punk A flock of wild
turkeys few I'D before them and once or
twice a herd of deer dashed by. On
every hand were gaudy flowers, and
| never before had Thomas seen such luxu-
| RANT LEAKAGE But all this savage wild
ness and strangeneSs did not impress him;
his whole soul was conferred in the
| thought of meeting Hiram.
Il was not long. Less than a half
| hours walk brought them to a little
| opepipg. where, beside a ditch-Iike
sluggish stream, stood low, rude cabin 4.
A rough, weather beaten young man sat
in the doorway.
THERE'S Abe,'' said Bige Turner,
stepping aside.
There could be no mistake, it was
| Hiram Cushaw.
The brothers gazed at each other for a
moment. Hiram turned as pale as his
tanned face would permit, aud Thomas
| spread his arms and rushed forward with
a CRY of Joy, waiting not moment, be-
| gan telling, as fast as his lips could
| move, the glad tidings he bore.
"And now you must go back with me
| to father and mother. Their hearts are
| breaking to see you. Hiram heard :,
| but he did not speak. A culver ran
| through his frame and he relaxed his
arms, letting them fall as he withdrew
from his brothers. embrace.
s'NO, sir, - said Bige Turner, "Abe
don't 60 out n yer, nor you mother, me
boy. Wen Teller comes yer he stays
yer, dead or alive.
Thomas looked from Turner's swart
and wrinkled face into the strange, calm
eyes of Hiram. He saw something that
appalled, him. 1t was look of dark,
terrible despair that burned like smoth-
cred fire.
"But you will go, Hiram?" he ap-
pealed, in choking voice.
"No, he won't,' said Turner.
rNo, l won - echoed Hiram, al
can TO There was something final and
immovably determined in his manner as
he spoke. "And you will have to stay
here with us, Thomas, he presently add
ed in the same grim tone.
The record from which 1 get this part
of my story give the particulars of the
oath bound organization by which the
outlaws of the island were bound and
governed. Death was the penalty in
Cured by any one of the community who
attempted to leave the place save on a
predatory excursion agreed to by all.
Hiram had become genuine outlaw,
though he was not the worst, and he was
bound by oath to his brutal companions.
Thomas was compelled to take the oath
of fraternity and was formally admitted
to membership, Hiram and Bige Turner
vouching for him, and so the poor boy
found himself, at least in name,
a robber, a cut-throat and q des-
perado with price upon his
head, but never for a moment Gid he lose
the hope of getting his brother away
from that horrible place and back to the
old home in Pennsylvania. At every OPP
portunity he urged, with all the art and
eloquence he could command, all the ar
gument and persuasion of his loving and
faithful heart in trying TO induce Hiram
to join him in an effort to escape. Bige
Turner suspected this and kept a close
watch over their movements, but after
week or two he became satisfied and
appeared to relax his vigilance,
though Thomas noticed the fact
that huge bloodhound was kept
chained near the cabin door, and
he guessed what the meaning was.
How, or by what means Thomas at
last prevailed upon his brother is not GER
tainly known, bnt one bright moOulit
night the attempt to escape was made,
and the two Cushnws stole forth from the
cabin, leaving Turner sound asleep on his
pallet. Hiram took his rifle with the
single charge that was in It, but Thomas
had no arms whatever.
Rapidly they made their way toward
the river. If they could cross that they
should be safe, and they had gone the
greater part of the distance thither when
q horn sounded high and clear from the
ca bin. 1t was the signal blown by Tur-
ner to call up the outlaws, and a few
minutes later lusty Daying told that
the bloodhound was coming.
"Hurry! hurry, nOw!' exclaimed |
Hiram, "follow right at my heels. -
They ran in terrible earnest, dashing |
through or over everything, tearing |
their clothes and their flesh, straining to |
reach the water, breathing loudly their |
limbs aching with the intensity of the |
effort.
The dog came like the wind and was |
upon them as they emerged from the |
jungle in sight of the broad stream that |
shone like silver in the brilliant moon
light.
Hiram turned about and levelIed his |
long rife. A sharp report was followed |
high, fell backward and lay quite still.