The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-08-08
IN A CLEFT STICK.
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sell IMAM 10 MS mate. Dul HoM ulu int
gamekeepers guess that we were going to-
night" He stopped, and continued,
in cautious voice, almost as if he feared
lest the dead man should hear his words /:
'.Skokan, what Prantishka said was true,
then"
Il thought that, mate, too, but-God
knows said Skokau, as if 10th to judge
the dead man.
''You are the stronger" said Skokan
Garry him home "Tis not far. | will
90 in front and tell his wife that there has
been an accident
He rose from the ground as he spoke
and imped away.
Novak drew together the four corners Of
the net with both his hands, knelt down by
the corpse, and then turning away from it
drew it up upon his back, rose, balanced
himself, and proceeded with his burden
along the lane On his right the head and
one hand of the dead man hung out of the
net On the other side logged a wet, naked
foot And at the same time in the dim
depths of the wood sounded the melodious
song of the thrush welcoming the approach
ing dawn.
He was soon in sight of the cottages.
Already fire had been lighted in one of
them. Toward that he directed his steps.
Some dogs, barking wildly, ran out to meet
him, then, recognizing him, were silent,
and shifted at his burden. From the cot
tage Skokan came out to meet him, and
they both of them took the dead man in
their arms.
''They think he is only wounded, whis-
pered Skokan hurriedly.
A woman half dressed, barefooted, and
with her hair in wild disorder, followed
almost at Skokan's heels. 1t was Zinka' S
wife. She had her son with her, and from
the lips of both of them broke the wild,
heart-piercing peasant cry, "Jesus Maria!
Joseph p
The wailing son helped the poachers to
carry his father.
81 always told him it would end like this
one day, said the woman, and calling him
Joseph Joseph p she put down her hand
to his face.
In an instant she drew it back
The poachers carried their mate in the
little room, where the Pickering, restless
fame Of the resinous pine danced on the
hearth. They laid him on a bed A sin
gle look at the CLASSY eyes, in which now
the red flame of the pine wood pictured
itself, sparkling and glistening, as the
moonlight had done in the road, and woman
and boy, as if flash of lightning had struck
them to the earth, fell on their knees be-
side the bed, in wild, harsh tones, shrieking
rather than crying, Jesus, Maria Jesus,
Maria y Then wailing without words,
broken and piercing, filled the little cham
Der.
The two poachers stood by the hearth
looking now at their dead companion, now
at the weeping wife, now at the sobbing
son. The same gloomy thought haunted
them both. Perhaps some dark night
their end would be the same. The minutes
passed. The gray light crepti into the room,
Skokan turned his face toward the hearth
and looked thoughtfully at the sinking
flames. Then he put on another pine log.
The fire took fresh life and burned up
again. Again the dogs barked. Slow
steps came across the yard, and Jarosh
walked into the room. Unable to find his
mates he had returned home, and seeing
the light had come to Zinkas cottage.
The woman and the youth did not notice
him. With few signs and half a dozen
words his mates enlightened him as to what
had happened. Then for awhile they took
counsel softly. After that Novak and ia
rosh went away
Skokan sat down on the bench by the
hearth. The pine log flames, Pickering
restlessly, hared up and fell, and in their
shifting light it seemed to Skokan that the
face of the dead man smiled coldly and
then again was contorted with pain.
In half an hour Jarosh returned, having
changed his clothes He sat down in Sko-
kan's place by the hearth. Skokan limped
home. The eastern sky was colored with
the red light of dawn Jarosh, sitting
down at the hearth, took a coal, with which
he lighted the tobacco in his short wooden
pipe and smoked, gazing pensively at the
blue clouds which he blew from his lips.
The wife and boy had wept all the tears
out of their weary eyes, but they were still
crouched by the bed sobbing plaintively
Little suspicion had the son that he was the
occasion of his father death. In an houl
or so it was known in all the cottages thai
Zinka was dead-shot. it was whispered
And the women said CHATS how my mar
will end one of these days. I'm always
telling him So
The Bailiff was in his office engaged il
looking over his accounts when the fores
ter came in with the news.
"Well, we've, got rid at last of that limp
ing, poaching beast, Skokan. One of tn,
gamekeepers finished him off with shot.
"Then Zinka did not deceive us" saic
the Bailiff coolly ave will save his sol
from being enlisted
The subject was soon dropped, and the,
talked of something else. Presently SOM
one came in at the door, and they turned t,
see who it was Pale as ghosts the Bailii
and the forester stood staring as if they had
been turned into stone. On The other sid,
of the table at which the rents were paid
putting down his silver forms, stood
Skokan.
The cunning old fox, in order to give al
impression that he had no knowledge at al
of what had taken place the previous night
had limped up coolly and humbly to pa,
his rent. His experienced eye saw tina
there was something amiss, but he had
no suspicion of the truth. For a momen
the Bailiff and the forester believed thev
saw ghost.
II humbly kiss your Honors hand, h,
said, bending his back in an awkward bow
Il came to pay the rent and the tax, and
turning his rough hat in his hands, h,
looked down at the floor.
The Bailiff wrote the receipt in hi
book, and Skokan, carefully placing it il
the pocket of his shabby, knitted jersey
once more bowed and repeating, 81 ks.
your Honors hand" left the office.
The Bailiff turned to the forester.
"The cursed thief !" said the latter. q
myself saw him fall when the man shot a