The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-04-20

and when we can afford it we shall 90
where you can have better advantages,
but that fellow Hayes is not the right
kind, and don want you to have any
thing at all to do with him. I've left
word with Dick to have his horse ready
when be gets back, for he has got to
leave this place to-day. Of course I've
got no proof that he is bad one, but
1t is easy enough to see. Look at his
brace of pistols. l tell you a rifle is
good enough here against anything but
the sheriffs posse. But must go; re-
member what say and don't look for
ME back before night" and Mosby turn
ed away.
Anton Mosby's occupation was to
protect a large section Of pine timber
owned by an eastern company from en-
croachments by rival firms and necessi-
tated long tramps along the boundaries
of the great forest estate. His home
was located in a small clearing not
large enough to escape the shadows Of
the trees for more than half Of the day.
The nearest village was numbering
town ab )ut Is miles distant. From this
village ran narrow, scraggy road out
into the forest, past Mosby's house, and
then at the distance Of a mile or so di-
vided, one branch turning south and
leading somewhere in the direction of
civilization, the other running several
miles northward and ending in an old
quarry which was dug in the side of a
rocky ledge
After Mosby's departure Jessie went
on with her work indoors with heavy
heart. Her fathers suspicion that the
man Hayes, who had been sojourning
with them, was only refugee from
justice, panied her. He had always
been very obliglng about the house, had
books in his saddlebags and sometimes
read aloud to her, which was a matter
of real entertainment, and while she
did not care for him she felt extreme
ly sorry for the treatment he received
at her fathers hands. She had to con-
fess, however, on thinking it over, that
it was a queer place for man to come
whose only occupation was pleasure.
Her father had an idea that some
day an officer of the law void ride into
their little clearing and demand pris-
oner; that scene would follow, and
the prisoner, escaping, would seek safe
ty in the Shiny caves which penetrated
the sides of the limestone ledge. He
ever dreamed about it and woke one
night imbued with the idea that the
house was surrounded by mounted
horsemen. Day by day his suspicious
increased, until finally from fear Of
Jessie's falling IN love with Il villain he
decided to drive him away.
Hayes was an ordinary looking man
of about feet 10, hair brown, eyes
blue and rather quick and nervous in
his speech, 1t was suspicion of em-
barrassment in the latter respect when
questioned as to his business that first
led Mosby to observe his actions, and
his preference for the old quarry road
which was rough and swampy and led
through tangled grow h Of under
brush, seemed evident enough that he
belonged to those who prefer darkness
rather than light.
These suspicious made Mosby, natur-
ally hospitable man, cold and satirlcal,
and many an arrow of sarcasm was
plumed for his victims breast, but
Hayes usually seemed perfectly obliv
ious of their meaning, fact which on
ly further determined Mosby in the be-
ief that he was bad one.
The season had been exceedingly dry.
For nearly a month not drop of rain
had fallen. The sand lay in drifts in
the middle Of the road aud blew away
from the roots of the trees. During
the previous weeks great fire had been
raging to the northward, several towns
being razed to the ground and wide
stretch of timber ruined. The ledge of
rocks referred to ran in crescent and
acted as a barrier to the flames, so that
the country over which Mosby presid-
ed was left unharmed.
This great northern section, however,
where the fire had been so destructive,
was inhabited by wolves, which now,
oaled by fire and hunger, sought safe
ty to the south ward. Moshy saw them
frequently, and their baying could be
heard at night while prowling through
the woods in search of food.
w hen Mosby went on the tramp, he
invariably took his rifle with him, hop
ing to obtain enough pelts during the
season for robe
evolves" ;" he used to say to Hayes,
"are about all the game you will find
about these quarters, but if you want to
kill any you d better throw away your
six shooters and get rifle, for all the
things are good for is to kill men, and
| reckon the people around here are a
peaceable lot. OF course, it might be
a good thing if one wanted to escape
from constable, but we are presuming
that you want to kill animals" But