Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-08-04
less uneasy. AS it was he lay quiet
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less uneasy. AS it was he lay quieS
waiting for the danger to pass.
The time wore tediously away while
his gaze was riveted on the shadowy
form until his eyes became blurred and
his limbs benuinbed.
To his wonder the figure continued
motionless, though once or twice he
fancied there was slight movement.
Several times he was upon the point
of leaving the cave, trusting to escape,
but he refrained from taking the risk.
"The furies take 'epr he muttered;
''they can shoot me 2Swn like dog
without my liftin finger"
He chafed at his helpless position and
blamed himself for coming again to the
place, while, higher and higher, the
great round moon stole up the dark blue
dome of night.
Still there was no visible change in
shadow on the rock. In his bewildered
state he never realized that with the
ascent of the moon its shape would alter
and its position vary, or if he did give it
passing thought it only served to in
tensify the mystery and increase his
fears.
Vainly he waited for it to disappear
waited, until to his feverish vision it
grew palmer in outline, until the
shadowy limbs seemed substantial, the
body the rounded form of living be-
ingl
II can't stand this any longer!" he
cried at last. 81 must take my chances
whatever they be-"
Freeing himself of the plunder he had
hoped to take away, so that he would
not be unduly numbered, he crept out
upon the shelf
Not sound broke the stiffness of the
night save the ceaseless murmur of the
sea.
Now that his back was turned upon
the phantom figure, and that his hur-
ried survey of the scene discovered no
one, he moved forward with rising hope
He had passed half of the circular dis
tance from the cave to the end of the
narrow pathway without anything to
alarm him, though at each furtive
glance he saw the changeless shadow,
when the sound of footsteps reached
his ears.
A moment later a mans form came
around the edge of the cliff, and then
second and third.
With low cry he turned to retrace
his course to the cavern, knowing that
once there he could defend himself
against dozen, but in his excitement
he missed his foothold and, clutching in
vain upon the ledge, he went headlong
down its Jagged side upon the rocks be-
low.
A piercing cry that rang far and clear
on the night air, sullen splash in the
water and a deathlike silence followed.
The newcomers proved to be some of
his own confederates, who, anxious at
his nonappearance, had come in search
of him.
The smugglers were about to descend
to the side of their unfortunate leader
when they saw for the first time the
shadow of the cliff.
Without stopping to solve the mys-
terry they beat hasty retreat to their
homes.
The next day it was found that the
supposed shadow was the painted figure
of a man, and, strange enough, Burk
Brandon's idiotic son had done the
work. He had come to the place in a
boat, and, having singular aptness in
this respect, had performed his self i'm
posed task with remarkable faithfulness
to nature. In the glimmer of the moon
light his fathers mistake was not un-
natural, though it had cost him his life.
With the death Of their chief the snug
glers no longer continued their nefari-
ous business, so that Witless Jack had
unconsciously rendered an inestimable
service. That was several years since,
and though the figure has faded from
the rock, the place is known as the
Smuggler's Shadow.-George Waldo
Browne In Yankee Blade.