The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-07-11
CHAPTER v.
A NARROM ESCAPE.
She was sound asleep.

When Zeke Caper regained conscious
ness, he put a hand up and felt lump
on his head, and swore softly to himself.
Then he sat up ana looked about him
in daZed way. He looked at the blood
on the ground and the stains of blood on
his shirt BOSOM and his expression once
more was that of a murderer
81 Il Kill him if | ever get him in my
power" The Superintendent of Barnes
vile Poorhouse fairly grittei his teeth
.'Ill kill him-but | Il do il in my own
time and way. Tn not the man to risk
the penitentiary or the gaI'ows."
lie rose TO his feet, and then discov-
cred that his head whred-or was it
the ground? He felt sick at the stom-
| ach, too In short, Mr.. Zeke Caper was
like many big. hulking brute, as soft
a. muSh. When he got knock half as
hard as he was aCcuSt pmed to giving his
victims, he weakened. \ great. over
grown coward was Zeke Caper, like all
DULLES. And what made him rage in
vain was the reflection that he, sin
footer, big OF limb and broad-shouldered.
had succumbed to a mere boy-a second
Goliah brought to grief by a stripping
less than David
"Curse hlm-cnrse him through all
| eternity" a favorite oath; but III make
him pay up for this"
lie looked down the road. Was
that somebody coming up? Yes. lie
could see them plainly-a group of men.
He advanced to meet them They proved
10 BE- some farm hands and laborerS on
the public highway returning home
When they reached Icke Caper, they
! stopped TO speak to him.
"ieS-nO wonder you look al me. The
! wonder is I'm here 10 look at. See
there"
He barred his head. They looked at the
I lump on his head. at the bloody face He
presented sickening spectacle. He
was really only trifie the worse of the
hurt, but he looked like man whose
head had been pounded 10 a jelly.
Then the way Zeke Caper groaHed and
moaned. II was enough TO move any one
"Who did it? Did they rob your"
II dom know. | haven't looked. It
was boy-a boy who ran away from
the poorhOuse. ! was trying To take him
book, and he took me unawareS and
thought he had murdered me. 1t was
long ago. laid on the road a long time. .
What q devilish creature he must be- I"
AN awful bad boy did that
"Ought 10 be hung
"He will be some day"
ayes, he's bound to hang
These were the comments Zeke'S tale
elected.
80 you belong TO the poorhouSe2"
I'm Zeke Caper, the Superintendent y
What. the Superintendent, This is
a mighty serious business" said one la
boring man.
His fellows nodded.
aNNbjgb nov 4 ia Tho how 600"
81 don't know. To Barncsvilie, I
suppose"
Hell be- caught-he'u come to grief. ="
said one
If we get our hands on him. you'll
get him back soon"
I'm let The law deal with him. said
Caper. I'm Iaw-abiding man"
That's more than most Of us would
! say with that head"
| There was chorus OF sympathy now
| for the poor Superintendent
Al that moment farm hand eSpied a
| boys head peering at them above a
fence rail The boy was lying on the
ground. The farm hand pretended to
walk along without observing the boy.
but AL at once he shouted:
Here he is"
! Instantly the remainder of the group
ran in the direction he pointed.
The boy ran as fast as he could. The
purSuers sprang, clambered over. and
crawled through the fence They sepa-
rated, and We're not long in heading the
boy off.
The man who e>pied him first caught
the boy roughly and flung him down.
/ He would have done him bodily injury
in his wrath but a fellow checked his