The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-04-15
| group of prisoners listening to his

no letter came, but correspondence is
not a practiced art among the more re-
mote mountain classes, this did
not indicate any change of feeling on
his sweetheart's part. But the words
spoken at their last parting, Maidie's
appeal to his hated foe, and the dis
tracing thought hat Haggard might
then be with her, at times almostdrove
him wild.
In the quiet days in prison, malice
and venom gathered force in his heart,
and a desperate resolve secured a firm
hold there. In his dreams Haggard's
calm face would swim before him He
dreamed on, because the best of the
dream was yet to come, and, before
the sleeping fancy was ended, he stood
triumphantly smiling into the bloody.
dead face of his foe.
The first news from Maidie came
about three months after Big Dolph
went to jail. 1t was brought by a
young mountaineer who lived near
Maidie. Maidie was sick with fever,
and had been for nearly two weeks.
He couldn't tell whether she was
dangerous or not. But he called Dolph
aside and whispered:
"Haggard's thar a-nussin' of her.
He's pow'ful keerful an tender like to
her, an she pears to take to him nice
ly."
Dolph did not trust himself to speak.
He asked no questions. He understood
it all. To shed Haggard's hearts blood
was worth his living. He told no more
stories that day. An importunate COM
panion who spoke to him was knocked
down. After that no one approached
him. He walked about the yard like a
man in a dream. AS he walked his
eyes scanned closely the wall that in
closed the prison yard. He stopped
and seemed to be calculating something
in his mind. Late that afternoon,
watching carefully to see that no one
saw him, Big Dolph crawled under the
prison and hid himself.
At the usual hour that night the
prisoners were locked in and his alb
sence was not discovered.
The night dragged its weary length
with a maddening slowness. To the
densely dark spot where Big Dolph lay
there came, at what seemed weekly in
tervals, the sound of the city clock
striking the hour. At twelve o'clock he
heard the footsteps of the guard pass
in his rounds. When the footsteps died
away, Dolph noiselessly crawled out.
He contemplated the wall for a mo.
ment. He grasped one of the support
ers and hoisted himself up. His feet
rested OF a cross piece. Standing on
that, the top was yet high above his
head. He secured another hold, and,
with superhuman strength. dragged
himself up. He reached up and graspeG
the top of the wall. A moment m ore
and he sat on top of it, faint and out o.
breath from his exertion.
There was no time to be lost, and he
leaped to the street below. 1t was de
serted and he hurried away. He soor
recovered his breath, and. with a feel
ing of wild e~xultation, he walked fas
along. Soon the city was behind, ant
he was in the open country following
the well-worn wagon roads that Dolpl
remembered, having travelled it once il
a mountain wagon. Daybreak fount
him several miles from the city, still
hurrying on.
| The witching hour of midnight o.
the mountains. All nature seeme'
asleep. The big mountains cleaned il
, the moonlight like mighty sentinels
Here and there a mountain home shon'
among the trees. A solitary human be
ing approached one of the cottages
and raped upon the door. A sleep
voice answered, and a moment later
1.-THE young mountaineer peered fror
the door.
Big Dolph!w he exclaimed.
flush" said Dolph, Il want you
rifle. And don't ask me what for.
Wonderingly, the man disappeared int
the house, and, reappearing, handed
Winchester rifle to Big Dolph. "a
good q one as ever carried a load" h
said; ''sure as pisen, and dead agi
revenues Are they pressin' of 20
tight, Dolph?"
Dolph did not answer, but was gone
Three miles farther on, he came int
the deserted path where. three month
before, Haggard had surprised and dis
armed him. AS he walked wit
springy step along he was thinkin
that it would be different this time.
e From the rear the little home a.
q peared deserted. but, coming near, Ri
9 Dolph saw light cleaning through tt
G crevices. He walked easily, maxim
no sound. A four-paned window in tt
d chimney orner gave him a view Of tt
interior of the house.
e A tallow candle shed a dim light ovt
the small, barely-furnished room, ar
by its rays Big Dolph could see Maidi
her face robbed of its bloom and teri