New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-06
A MAN HUNT ON THE MOOR.

but tnen i, GlIDeft IfnDON, CIVIL tIb ilau
been exied by work for six wears in foreign lands
Only three days ago Plymouth saw me returned,
lately fever-stricken and still an invahd-but
grateful TO be alive. to feel stronger. Then re-
solving that few days walking tour in dear old
Devonshire would set me up again. here was on
the fringe of Dartmoor rejoicing.
The sun was sinking as / rested at the base oil
low tor among scattered boulders. All the
lower country was parchcd by that summers long.
great heat and even here there was no royal flush
Of heather, though the gorse was yellow, little
caring. Near at hand rough track, rather than
road, gave welcome indication OF clvilzation. sug1
costing supper and rest for the night. But all
around the moors stretched solitary and Drowned.
save where a green meandcring line traced the
course of hidaen brook at a little distance
Looking at this suddenly something rising out
of the sunk bed of the stream caught my idle
human head was scrntinizing the road with
. HaIlo! haiio!' / exctedly whispered to my
self, hastily drawing closer behind some gorse
bushes which already sheltered me, and peering
cautiously through prickly gap.
just so had marked often wolf in Russia, a
jackar in India But this skulking quarry was
me scented danger by the steathy way his head
rose TO view Now as he c'ambered out of the
bed of the brook. that was probably nearly dry,
there was no doubt Of the matter, for he wore the
Princeton prison clothes.
Yesterday morning, passing its grim walls
lie was coming toward me With a stern JOY
at the prospect Of fighting an enemy to our com
mon veal, braced my muscles croucmng, then
How the lad-for now being within six PAGES,
he showed as quite young in years-how violently
he started! He stood actually ransfXed mo-
ment with open mouth, and for three heart
beats we glared at each other across inc dry
heather.
Stand" said l. "You are my prisoner"
His ewes rolled in quick desperation to either
side, where no living soul but our two selves was
visible on ,he wastes Of the moor, ,,,,..oj .,,o,,
Never, You'll not take me- he uttered then
with great curse, measuring, my gaunt figure
and thin face with q savage light Of gadness
What you, that look as II you had only , come
grave, would you? -to worse than death! No,
never Look here, could kill you; / could
throttle you easily as lool! at YOU But instead
you shall change clothes with me. You go and
see how you like prison fare, my hne tourist
il you're so anxious 10 give them another vlctim
Then, after an eXpectant pause, while he
seemed to shrink from my eye as was calculating
how best TO take my man, he burst out Win d
suppressed shrek of rage.
shot down by the warders like d mad dog TO stand
lie cenched his hands and crept nearer with
Stop said /. Don't he fool Give
yourself up quietly, for you've no chance
Sooner or later they'll have you, and so long as
i can help myself you don't get into NY clothes. .
Before the last words had well left my throat
he had sprung upon me, and next instant we
were locked together and swaylGg III deadly
|. tusse.
n To my foe success was freedom-swectest, most
i blessed freedom | knew by the clenched grip
Of his hands hugging my ribs as if to crack them
the labored breathing of his chest that the man S
savage instincts were ablaze 1t meant murder TO
me unless l conquered or-caved in! Never!
One false clutch the lad made, at my throat
gave me advantage. Now his arms were
pinned under mine as wrestied in the toughest
bout 1 had ever known, even at home In the
dales lie Was younger' more active, desperate ate
one two summers in my boyhood, at GraSmere
Sports my name had been cheered till the hills
around echoed. Fired by that recollection, put
out all my muscular force and knowledge in one
long, strong effort, and raising my opponent at
last slowly from the ground, to which his feet
tried to cling with desperate tenacity, flung him
over my shoulder with such force that he fell
with heavy thud and lay motioness;
Next minute was kneeling beside the PROSTATE
figure on the heather in keen anxiety.
Was he dead-for a thin trickle of blood oozed
from wound his head caused by a stone !?
Poor wretch-unhappy lad Would that some
other man had been the means of arrcsting his
fight. While trying to force a few drops from
my travelling flask between his pale lips, the
chiseing of his features and the delicate sweep OF
his dark eyebrows under a wide forehead were q
sudden surprise to me. Why, though cropped,
begrimed with dust, caked By sweat and blood, ne
was like young Apollo.
All what mercy! his eyes were opening feebly.
One or tYo vain attempts then the blanched lips
family uttered, Water! I'm dying Water"
Remembering the brook that had hidden him
set of running and soon jumped down between n cen
hat and drinking-cup viii water. Only, the
slenderest thread, howeW. trlckled through the
among rocks The end justified the extra delay, so
scrambled on, and filing both receptaces with
the peaty-brown, precious element. returned care
fully across the heather, splitting some drops by the
Why? where?'
Surely this was the place, and yet there was no
trace Of my fainting prisoner My astonished gaze
travelled over the tor and boulders 10 make sure.
then once more searched the ground, where 1t saw
red sploteh on stone. dashed the nat on the
turf in furious ibation "Iricked Done Con
found the shamming villain.
No use springing up to the top of the tor and
staring east, north, west south, over inc sweiis
and hollows, ridges and dips Of the moons MY
diving prisoner had shown clean pair OF heels dur
ing those few inmates of my absence. whether he
was hidden among the rocks and gorsc, or was
sguatting in the heather, could not find him.
though / quarteTed the ground, searching the
likeesS parts for nearly an hour.
The convict had disappeared and worse luck,
with him my silver flask, an old travelling com
Twilight setting in helped some weakly prompt
ings OF pity In persuading me to set of at last
along the moor track and let the fellow be.
What q peaceful, cool evening scene IL was, as
after half an hour breasted with tired steps a
steeply rounded hill No man likes TO be fooled.
10 feel taken in through his own compassion and
kindness, which then seem weak feelings. Still.
my first spent, was not sorry TO be enjoying
the landscape alone, instead Of haling sufcn.
miserable feow-creature back to justice Brownish-
Stretched Reatey turf faf ycn s4
indigo hills, while the great dome Of palcst blue
vsstnesss overhead was dappled with gloriously
purpled clouds, On ~ wa S. 1sautl 1 49,.
valley almost hidden In shadow Grateful at the
prospect of rest In some farmhouse, set of at
once with inward eagerness but tagging feet that at
last reached gate in meadow sweet with white
slower Across a second field rose q cluster of red
brick chimDeys and matched roofs amid trees.
but the meor-track kept 70 its former loneliness.
NAVY through the hsneyed clover blooms, white
ylsjnns d farm kitchen and supper, with ferhaps