The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-04-27
% we'll = could under the !sttinR

rock. 35ss ss ~ .
In { few moments. right out in front
Of me, about two or three hundred
yards down the mountain side, stood
the figure of a slender, black haired,
bare-headed man. he wore "a faded.
gray jacket and corduroy breaches, and
he carried in his hand an old-fashioned
musket. sy--s zssage xss4s. go
Deerfoot ut last! sssa -
I grasped my shot-loaded rife and
moving quickly out of my hiding place
1 stood bolt aupright displaying my
black uniform to full advantage, and
with my gun pointed straight at the
strange man. cried: ''Srand!"
.Ehe stranger turned quickly round,
took swift survey of me, and then
bounded like a deer down the noun.
tain side.
stop! in the queens name, or I'll
fret" I shouted. And as he took no no.
tice OF my challenge 1 did fire. with
what result could not tell. saw the
furze fly quite close to the poacher-l
had no doubt whatever that he was
| mys man-but I couldn't say whether
anyof my shot had caught him. Has.
thy ramming a new cartridge into my
gun started in pursuit of tho fugitive.
Ny plan of action was arrived at in.
stantly. would not attempt to dodge
him or seek to make any short cuts. l
would keep my eyes fixed on Deerfoot
and follow his every movement He
would be sure to know and to avail
himself of every short cut I prided
myself on my fleetness and my supply
OF wind. and my keenness of sight. 1t
would be = regular hunt without
hounds, and there wouldn't be much
fear of my fox running to earth in any
! of his hiding holes while had my eyes
upon him. Pr -, s~xz.szc
The man was certainly splendid
runner. Try as might couldn't gain
an inch upon him. He had quite five
hundred yards start of me, for the dis.
charging and reloading of my gun had
cost some valuable moments. I felt
the game would be up if let fly at
him again and missed him.
On we flew anyhow, crashing through
furze and brushwood, but never halt
| ing or STUN bling. l was confident /
could overtake the poacher, even if
some lucky accident didn't help to de.
liver him readily into my hands.
The man seemed possessed of but one
idea-to outstrip me. He never turned
| once, or faltered in his headlone race
| down the slope.
At last we got clear of the brush
wood, and with bound Deerfoot start.
ed ahead on the level ground at the
! bottom of Blacknock. He gained bit
on me here, but l kept up my peckel
| by rejecting that there was nothing
for him but to cross the level sward
and try to mount the opposite hill. l
would have the advantage then. and
could easily drop ON him when he
would start to climb.
About half way across the valley
which was really only wide and in
the winter time a somewhat sogpv
gorge-1 felt l was slowly but surely
gaining on my man. As he neared the
| rising ground knew I was not two
hundred yards from him.
My heart now beat wildly. l feared
could not keep up the tremendous
pace much longer.
''Stop!" I cried. at last, raising my
gun to my shoulder. stop this in.
slant, or I'll ire!'
The poacher made no sign of re-
Spouse, so, aiming low, let fly at him,
cutting up the ground at his feet.
Though could not be certain if the
shot had caught him, had little doubt
on the point, especially as he dropped
almost Immediately into a limping trot.
now put on an extra squirt, and,
holding my gun by my side, made a
| final rush at Deerfoot
As got within dozen yards of the
limping man-already feeling as if I