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


head, an nebber get cotch eff yo' amt
look out. Yes, sab! pears like him plot
tin fer to carry off der whole planta-
ton fore him dun got troo!"
So against Swampy was the pro-
prietor's wrath directed, and vowing to
bring the young rascal to justice before
he left the neighborhood he laid many.
plans for the lads capture.
OF all this the boy remained in such
ignorance that he found no reason for
ceasing his stealthy visits to Cypress
Knoll, whenever his hunger or other
necessities seemed to demand them.
He even began to visit the place by
daylight and more frequently than ever,
for he had learned that it possessed a
new attraction for him, and one so fas-
cinating that he could not resist 1t.
Dainty little Mildred Adds, with her
happy laughter and bewitching ways,
was revelation to the young outcast
of the swamps, and to lie hidden in
some tangled thicBet from whence he
could watch her became his greatest
pleasure,
He soon discovered the favorite
haunts to which Mrs. Adds, always ac-
companied by Mildred, took her work
or book on warm, drowsy afternoons
Near one of these he would wait for
hours, and when they appeared would
watch with almost breathless delight
the butterhy-like movements of the
child.
Swampy had never heard of angels;
but he was intimately acquainted with
| birds, and to his untutored mind the
little one, with her brightness, daintiness
and incessant motion, was like one of
the exquisite ruby-throated humming
birds that flashed to and fro among the
jasmine flowers and to himself he called
her 'humming bird"
On this particular afternoon Mrs.
Adds had sought the shade of giant
live oak, beneath which she sat alb
sorbed in book, while Mildred played
near her, and Swampy from the thicket
In which, crouched like wild animal,
he had long waited for their appear
ance, watched her with swelling h cart
and strange longing to be in some
way different from what he was and
more like the people whom this child
could know and love.
At times the child came so close to
gather the yellow flowers that hung
about him that he could have touched
her, but he crouched low and she did
not discover his presence,
Suddenly on one of these occasions a
half-grown Newfoundland pup APP
peared from behind a clump of shrub
berry, and with awkward gambolings
and loud barkings made straight for
the little girl. With frightened cry
she ran toward her mother. An instant
later Swampy, fancying that the child
was in danger and naturally hating
dogs because they were always set on
him, had sprung from his concealment,
seized the animals throat in his sinewy
young hands, and would have choked it
to death had he not in turn been grasped
from behind and forced to loose his
hold.
Mr.. Adds and the owner of an ada
cent plantation who had been but few
steps behind the dog, and who misun
derstood the cause of Swampys attack
on him, had sprung TO his rescue.
who are you? You young villain
What are you doing here? And what
do you mean by this outrage?" de
manded Mr.. Adds stcrnly, as he tight
cncd his clutch on the lads arm ant
slightly shook him. To these ques
tions Swampy, angry and sullen, made
no reply.
"It's that young cub of old JAKE
Minder's," exclaimed the other gentle
man, with keen look at the boys face
1.-The most audacious young scoun