San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-04-10


Volante stepped proudly along, prick
ing up her ears to recognize familiar
bugbears and to question strange stocks
and stones, whether they We're mich
ing malicho' to horsefesh.
Brothertoft walked by his daughters
side. Only now and then in their hur-
ried march could he take her hand and
speak and hear some word of tender
love. But the consciousness in each of
the others presence and the knowledge
of the new birth of the hottest of all the
holy affections between them were suffi-
cient. A vague bliss involved them as
they hurried through the dim night.
And both evaded the thought of that
hate they had left behind-that en-
bodied hate, helpless and alone, at
BrothertOft manor.
The negroes trotted along, babbling
comically together.
Jierck Dewitt led the way in silence.
II shall never dare to face Major Skier
rett again if don't bring these people
straight through" so he thought. II
am just sober enough to walk my chalk
if pin my eyes to it. If l look at any
thing else or think of anything else this
path'll go to zigzagging and splitting up
into squirrel tracks and climbing up
trees. Old Voltaire says he don't know
these back roads very well. If loss
the track we shall be nowhere
The region a mile back from the river
was mostly forest then, with scattered
clearings. Often the course of our fugi-
tives was merely wood road, or a COW
path, or an old trail. There We're giant
boles stopping the way and prone trunks
barricading it. There were bOgs and
thickets to avoid.
1t is bewildering business to travel
through forest in the dark Jierck
Dewitt kDaw this well. He did not dis
tract his attention with talk or recall
ing the events of the evening. He held
tight with all his eyes and all his wits
TO the track, commanding it not to di-
vide or meander. This severe applica-
ton steadied his brain. He slowly So
bered. The fine fumes of his potatiOns
of BrothertOft Madeira in the cellar
exhaled. The cOarser gases of rum from
the paternal jug split their exit through
the sutires of his skull.
1t seemed moment, it seemed mil
lennium, it was an hour when the party
reached the foot of Cedar ridge, almost
three miles from the manor house.
Cedar ridge is famous lookout.
"What you cannot see from there is not
worth seeing" say the neighbors. It
rises some three hundred feet above the
level of the river and surveys highlands
north, uplands and lowIands south, with
Januslike vision
Such a landmark attained without
error, Jierck Dewitt began to feel Sc
cure. He could relax his strict atten-
ton to his duties as guide and let his
thoughts confuse him again.
The moment he began to review the
events of the evening with a sobered
brain he grew suddenly troubled.
He halted where the forest ceased on
the ridge and the two bare mounds with
the low cedar appeared against the sky.
He paused there and let Voltaire over
take him.
This was the third night of that old
braves travels. The present pace was
telling on him. He was putting loud
and long as he stopped at Jierck's sig
nal. The others passed on up the ridge.
The white mare became a spot of light
in the open.
"Voltaire," whispered Jierck, 81
didn't see the mistress around when we
left the manor. Do you know what was
done with herr
where was you, that you didn't
see?' asks VOltaire, taking and yielding
air in great gasps between every word.
"Never mind that! What became of
herr"
"Why you know puff that she fired
gasp pistol Explosion and sigh at
master, and everybody thought Cwheeze)
that she'd shot him dead" Here Vol
taire took i'll a gallon or so of night air,
and delivered it slowly back by the pint
in the form of a chain of clouds, as
white as if they came from the lungs of
pure Caucasian.
This speech explained half the mystery
to Jierck. His curiosity seemed to be-
come more troublesome. He continued
anxiously, Yes, yes, 1 know" which
he did not until this moment. But
what was done with her afterward. |
was outside doing my part there"
You was outside, was your" says Vol
taire, slowly recovering fuency. well,
l guess they wanted you inside"
GA man can't be in two places at once.
What did they want me for:"