The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-26
SWAlIPY.
An Ouctast, Whose Hand Was Against
Every Man, at Cypress Knoll.

An Ouctast, Whose Hand Was Against
Every Man, at Cypress Knoll.
by Kirk Munroe. author OF ''Dorymates
From dense thicIzet OF upon, over
which yellow iassamine had clambered
so luxuriently, and hung such wreath
of sweet scented flower bells, as to form
screen almost impervious to light,
crouching figure peered eagerly out.
The form was that OF a boy perhaps is
years OF age, but with face 80 thin and
shrewd that it might have belonged to
man af so. 1t was tanned, freckled and
weather. beaten; and was Swallowed by
thatch of sun Dleached hair, that the boy
every now and then pushed back from his
eyes with an impatient gesture. The
gray eyes had stealthy and hunted look,
like those of a wild animal.
He was bare footed and bare headed,
while his only garments were a blue cot
ton shirt and a 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 a
knife.
This boy was known far and wide as
s'Swampy,'' and if 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 whom was cred
tied all the mischief and thieving of the
community.
-oI- Nv fcr,f fr,t
night he prowled about the country side
and shadowy glimpses of him were al
ways followed by the discovery of looted
chicken roOst, spring houses or melon
patches.
Many fruitless trap was set Tor him,
and he had eluded many a hot chase. He
laughed to scOrn all efforts to bring him
to Justice, and defed his pursuers from
the trackless businesses of the great
swamp in which he always found a Sc
cure retreat.
1t was generally known that somewhere
within its black depths, amid whose
tangled cane brakes panthers, bears and
wild cats roamed unmolested, where
water moccasins and alligators abounded,
and where tempting beds of greenesb
moss concealed deadly bits OF shiny ooze,
| old Jake Minders had for years main
tanned a moonshine still, though no liv-
| ing man had ever visited or seen it; and
/ IIdU HIS SOus tllG 10y OulI huOHn d.
sS5Wampy, - had remained alone ever
since the disappearance of the old man
who, either dead or a fugitive from
| justice, had now been missing for many
months.
How Swampy lived none knew nor
cared. His neighbors only swore when
| ever they spoke of him, and wished he
would cease to live at all or would follow
his father to parts unknown.
Even Swampy wondered why he stayed
| where he did. The only reason he could
give to himself was that he knew and
loved the Black Cypress, with knowl-
edge and love belonging only to those
who have passed their lives in single
house. Amid its gloomy shadows he had
dWelt ever since he could remember, and
for aught he knew he had been born in
the swamp.
His life was as cheerless and lonely as
can well be conceived; but, although he
never worked and knew not the meaning
of the word Study it was fairly busy
one. He had a living to get as well as any
one else, and he got it by hunting, trap
ping, fishing and stealing, all OF which
were to him perfectly legitimate Occupa-
tions He had never been taught that
stealing was wrong, though he had re-
ceived from his father many lessons of a
nature that he was not likely to forget, on
the enormity and disgrace Of being caught
at it.
!, Thus when the boy was thrown upon
his own resources he stole whatever he
considered necessary to his comfort as
naturally as he breathed or slept, and was
more than fond of the knowledge that he
, had never been caught at 1t.
The principal scene OF Swampy's de-
predat1ons was Cypress Knoll, a planta-
ton that bordered on the swampin which
he made his home.
1t was near by. abounded in the very
things he most needed, and was less
carefully guarded than other places whose
owners lived on them.
It's owner, whose name was Adds, was
J compelled by business TO spend most OF
his time in a distant city; but the planta-
ton, left in the charge OF an Ioverseer,
was kept up after a fashion, principally,
} so Swampy was pleased to fancy for his
especial benefit. Although there was
much thieving on this plantation OF which
Swampy was both innocent and ignorant,