Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-03-31
that no covert under heaven would pre-

road of ice; the trees were choked up
with snow and on each side of the ice
bound river the forests lowered like
massive cliffs of chalky rock. No path
could now be forced into the recesses of
the forest below our village. Scarcely
had winter settled down for his undis-
turbed reign when heard whisperings
that the villain half breed was again
lowering on the outskirts of the settle
ment. 1t was told me that he was liv-
ing in kind of wigwam above the vii
lage, and also that he had more than
once come to the very dwellings of the
settlers by night, to visit his friends and
obtain various articles for his camp.
| knew it would be vain to attempt to
track him to his wigwam or, at all
events, to surprise him; his wood craft
was much too deep to admit of such a
possibility. But strange, wild joy
trembled through my being when |
heard he came by night to the village.
A terrible scheme of vengeance swept
across my soul, and | felt, no matter
how fiendish the spirit that the doom of
the half breed was fixed, and that was
| to be his unrelenting executioner.
Night after night / lay concealed at
the bluff awaiting the murderer. l was
armed with pistols and wore skates
Skating was an amusement which l had
excelled in when a schoolboy, and facil-
ity in the art was of the least importance
to my scheme of retribution. At length
he came. 1t was an exquisite night; the
white expanse around sparkled in the
sheen of young Canadian moon which
sailed calmly through cloudless sky.
l could have shot the villain as he skated
by me within fifty yards, but l would
not risk the chance, and, besides, my
vengeance cried for sterner fate than
death by the pistol.
No sooner was he past my hiding place
than, with a shout of exultation,
started ON his track. Olier swerved a
moment to see who his pursuer was,
then quick as lightning tried to double
up the river again. But l had antici-
pated this, and with cooked pistol in
each hand l barred his passage. With
curse he turned and sped swiftly down
the ice.
And now the race for life began. Mile
after mile we swept along in silence.
An awful, portentous silence it was,
through which nothing broke save the
hollow boom of the swift steel cutting
its way over the imprisoned river. The
moon lit me nobly to my vengeance.
He could not escape Inc, for 1 found
with savage glee that l was match for
the swiftfooted Indian. Olier soon be-
came aware of this, too, for now and
again he would skate close to the woods,
looking in vain for an aperture. But no;
there was but one outlet from this
walled in river, and that was over the
falls!
Faster and faster yet we skated to-
ward the cataract. 1t could not be far
off. l pictured to myself what Oilers
thoughts might be. Did he know whittier
he was fastening, or had that awful
light yet to flash on his guilty mind:
The half breed made answer to my
thought. l saw him in the pale SHIN
mer start convulsively and throw his
arms in the air; but he dared not stop,
and on he darted again with a yell of
despair which echoed weirdlike up the
frozen channel.
Another sound came to my ear, and
knew what had caused that cry of agony
to burst from Olier; it was the dull
thunder of the falls! We were nearing
them fast. Still the walls of snow shut
in my victim, and every moment less
ened his frail hopes of escape. One
chance was left him-to distance me
and hide somewhere in the snow from
my scrutiny. Vain hope; the wings of
the bird could scarce have saved him!
Hoarser and louder grew the noise OF
the waters. If l thanked the Almighty
in frantic prayer that the murderer was
delivered into my hand, l humbly trust
that it is forgiven me now. From the
time l had first started on Oilers TRACK
we had maintained exactly the same
distance between us-perhaps about 9
hundred or a hundred and fifty yards.
still g1asped my loaded pistols, ready
for any stratagem on the part of the
murderer.
And now the crash of the falls came
loud and ominous on the ear. Another
five minutes would decide the hunt
Suddenly Olier turned and stood at bay
He was not armed; had felt certain ol
that all along, for otherwise he woult
: have measured strength with me before
Without batting my pace l skated dow
upon him, holding leveled pistol il
. each Still my purpose was as mixed a
ever only to shoot the villain as las
resource. When l was within twent,
yards of him the coward faltered an,
again turned swiftly down the river
With yelling laugh l pursued him
pressing still more hotly ON his track.
: Deafening was the roar of the cata
ract; high into the pale sky ascende,
n the mist of its spray, through which tn
y splintered lines of the moonlight darte
L in rainbow tinted beauty. | could Sc
! directly in front the jagged line of tn
L ice where it was broken by the rapid
: Immediately above the cataract, and be
: yond could trace the dark volume O
. the Scugog as it emerged from its priso
. of snow and ice. For an Instant tn
: half breed turned his face toward me a
u pressed with concentrated hate on hi
l footsteps Never shall forget the hol
rible despair that distorted the villain
. features. 1t was mercy that the sui