Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-05-19

'"VWNsHW s s~sss.' ssl ns a. IS
TO form screen almost impervious to
light, crouching figure peered eagerly
out.
The form was that of q boy perhaps
sixteen years of age, but with face SO
thin and shrewd that it might have be-
longed to man of sixty. 1t was
tanned, freckled and weather-beaten,
and was Swallowed by thatch of sun
bleached hair, that the boy every now
and then pushed back from his eyes
with an impatient gesture, The gray
eyes had a stealthy and hunted look
like those of wild animal.
lie was barcfooted and bare headed,
while his only garments were blue
cotton shirt and pair of coarse trousers
much too large for him and turned up
at the bottoms. They were supported
by leather belt, still showing patches
Of tawny hair, and into this was thrust
knife.
This boy was known far and wide as
"Swampy," and II he had ever borne
any other name he, as well as all others,
had forgotten it,
He was the outcast of that thinly-
settled southern neighborhood, his hand
was against all men, and to him was
credited all the mischief and thieving OF
the community.
He was rarely seen by daylight; but
at night he prowled about the country
side and shadowy glimpses of him were
always followed by the discovery OF
looted chicken roosts, springhouses OF
melon patches.
Many fruitless trap was set for him
and he had eluded many hot chase
He laughed to scorn all efforts to bring
him to justice and defied his pursuers
from the trackless Businesses of the
great swamp, in which he always found
u secure retreat.
1t was generally known that some
where within its black depths, amid
whose tangled canebrakes panthers
bears and wildcats roamed unmolested
where water moccasins and alligators
abounded, and where tempting beds
of greenest moss concealed deadly bits
of shiny ooze, old Jake Minders had 70,
years maintained moonshine still
though no living man had ever visited
or seen it; and that here his son, tn,
boy only known as "Swampy," had re
manned alone ever since the disappear
ance of the old man, who, either deaC
or fugitive from justice, had nov
been missing for many months.
How Swampy lived none knew no
cared. His neighbors only swor,
whenever they spoke of him, ant
wished he would cease to live at all o.
would follow his father to parts un
known.
Even Swampy wondered why h,
stayed where he did. The only reason
he could give to himself was that h,
knew and loved the Black Cypress will
n knowledge and love belonging t,
those who have passed their lives in
single house. Amid its gloomy shadows
he had dwelt ever since he could remem
Der, and for aught he knew he had beef
born in the swamp.
His life was as cherries and lonely a
can well be conceived, but, although h
never worked and knew not the mean
ing of the word study" it was a fairl,
busy one. He had a living to get a
well as anyone else, and he got it b,
hunting, trapping, fishing and stealing
pll of which were to him perfectly legit
Innate occupations. He had never beer
taught that stealing were wrong, though
he had received from his father man,
lessons of nature that he was not like
~ TO forget on the enormity and dis
grace of being caught at IT.
Thus when the boy was thrown upol
his own resources he stole whatever h
considered necessary to his comfort a
naturally as he breathed or slept, an
was more than proud of the knowledg
that he had never been caught at it,
The principal scene of Swampy's der
rotations was Cypress Knoll, planta
ton that bordered on the swamp i
which he made his home.
1t was near by, abounded In the YER
things he most needed, and was les
carefully guarded than other place
whoseNA ers lived on them.
Its oMer, whose name was Add,
was compelled by business to speu
most of his time in distant city, bu
the plantation, left in charge of an over
seer, was kept up after fashion, prir
cipally, so Swampy was pleased to fancy
for his especial benefit. Although Their
was much thieving on this plantatio
of which Swampy WIS both innoceu
and ignorant, 1t was all credited to hir
in the reports made TO its proprietor.
About o week before the time wit
which this story opens Mr.. Adds, al
companied by his wife and their ,onl
child, little. five-year-old daughter
arrived Unexpectedly at Cypress Knoll
on a visit of inspection.
The proprietor soon discovered tina
he had been Systematically robbed o
all sides, but so far as he could find on
every one was honest AID innocen
save "Dat tievin' young debbil of
Swampy Tell yo' sab, him so keen fe
stealth dat he steal de toof outen y,