Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1894-04-19

robbed. knew that we could n OF AZ
ford to lose any of the valuables in
our collection, and, without waiting
TO dress myself, / followed the tattooed
man. Sure enough, he was not mis-
taken, for when my eyes rested on the
spot where the Brighton Prisoner had
stood from day to day, there was moth
Ing left but the small wooden pedestal.
and the absence of the figure seemed
to give the place most gruesome APP
| pearance.
Beside the pedestal / noticed that
the sawdust had been greatly dis
turbed, and after moments study
found the place where someone had
dragged the figure under the canvass.
| Like hungry bloodhound / started
on all fours under the canvass. My
hopes were not dismayed, for I could
| see the trail clearly--the foot of the
figure had made sharp cut in the
| ground and the footsteps of the thief
were clearly visible in the soft, brown
soil. So l followed the trail until
was almost broken down with fatigue.
| Over beds of moss, over banks of wild
| flowers, along solitary cattle paths,
| under chaparral so thick that | could
only force my way through it, down
! into damp canons, over hillsides and
along fertile meadows the miscreant
had dragged the leading feature Of
my show. / must have followed his
trail for nearly three miles, when
came to a deep canon. The foot
prints and the cut made by the
foot were palmer than ever, and
as | entered this ravine / noticed at it's
bend rejecting all the glories of Gods
early morning, a beautiful waterfall.
1t fell from the mountainside, seem
ingly as silent as the breath from
maiden's lips, and all that told of its
life were the silvery beads of spray
thrown off in its fall. With my eyes
full opened by the marvellous wonders
of the dream of nature, I forgot all
about wife, child, tattooed man and
performing lion, and rushed to meet
it as a child hastens to find the end of
a rainbow. Imagine my establishment
when ! pushed through thickct of
young willows and saw the young man
of the night before standing on a log
that protruded from the bank and
stretched out over the boiling pool at
maniac with his disheveled hair and
wild staring eyes. The Brighton
POisoner was clasped to his heart with
strong grasp, and he was uttering
some inaudible words, with his right
hand outstretched to heaven. But |
inferred that he had come 20 this wild
spot to perform an incantation and
supplicate the Almighty on his behalf.
The diaphanous dress of the figure
was trailing in the water She looked
as fair and quecnly as ever, but the
stare in her CLASSY eyes was awful to
behold
How he managed to stand on that
trembling log was as IN uch a part of
the mystery as everything else. The
wavelets caused by the fall were
strong enough to keep it moving very
unSteadily.
What are you doing there?" cried.
lie turned and looked at me. Both
arms embraced the figure with
dcath-like tightness.
NO, no, you shall: not take her! Go
back! Go back" How wildly he
looked at me. Then kissing the cold
wax face he said: My Christine,
speak, say that you love me!''
could stand no more of this, for
realized the peril of the figure.
rushed for the log, intending to re-
cover the figure and return with il to
the wagon. but in my haste my foot
Slipped and pushed the log with its
lovers into the stream.
Horror of horrors. | saw it caught
by the waves of the boiling pool and
glide slowly toward the downpouring
torrent could not swim, and was
utterly powerless. Two minutes
more and all would be over.
The young man must have seen his
danger. But he stood erect on the
log and as it was drawing him more
swiftly toward his death, heard him
cry aloud: God! He'll. Christine.
We shall die together. We are going!
going! Come, love, speak before we
die! Kiss me, kiss me! dar-"
That end of the log on which he
stood rose high in the mist-laden sun
shine, as the other felt the impact of
the fall, and then the Brighton Pois-
oner and her mad lover plunged to
the bottom of the stream. Fran
cisco Newsletter.