Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-12-02

he quilted the house, was to slip his
cutlass into the belt he strapped
on.
Yet he was only on the track of a
helpless woman and feeble child. But
in the surmise he uttered two YaW
! mans, Leghorn had expressed but q
portion of his own convictions; and
/ there was that in his mind which
stronger than desire for vengeance
or recovery of his wife-urged him to
pursue and capture her at all hazards.
The game was a desperate one, and
none the less that he-playing in the
dark-was ignorant even whether she
knew of all at stake.
If the fierce curses uttered by him,
as he sped on his way, had had pow
er to blight, what desolation would
have strewn the path he took. His
hot blood boiled with wrath at her
desertion; his hands clutched as he
would have grasped her-again he re-
viled her ingratitude for all his pas
sionate love, and with fierce contempt
cursed his own folly, and castit to the
winds-even while he meditated new
! devices for humbling her to his will or
| for extorting her tenderness.
Satan himself might have borne
! Saul Meghorn company in his walk
that night.
AS for Yawman, no such emotions
lent a zest to his share of the pursuit.
Villain as he was, and apt at the
track, there was something not wholly
displeasing to him in the chance that
the Daredevil should not be degraded
by the presence of one OF the inferior
portions Of humanity.
He would bless the misadventure
that should knock the captains mag
got on the head; yet there was some
thing decidedly congenial to his blood
hound nature in the quest; and he
joined in it with vigor, ardently hop
ing it might fall to his lot to restore
the daring fugitives to their lawful
| tyrant, 'Sif so be as they was to be
found"
OF the two, / doubt not but Mat
fulfilled his duty the most efficiently,
Saul frequently rushing forward at
giant strides past many fitting hiding
spot, returning to cut and thrust and
lay bare, or with q cursory and MUIR
derous glare passing them by. Now
scaling a hill, now defending into a
rayine, with the speed and hot excite
ment Of maniac, as if he beheld his
prey in sight.
In that chill hour. when Nature
with a shudder yields herself to the
embraces Of the dawn, they stood,
master and man, before the '.Trouble
House."
1t was public-house SO called Jour
friends the teetotallers would consider
aptly), of no stainless repute, yet
guileless of any definite and affixed
misdemeanor; it stood on it's own de
Tense by convicting its accusers of
envy solely. And it was afact, spoken,
too, by many far and near, that no
such liquor was to behad within miles,
as that of the Trouble House
It stood at the junction of six
roads. Perhaps the central atoned
for the solitary position, there being
no other dwelling within at least
seven miles.
Saul arrived some few minutes be-
fore his mate at the TRUSTING place.
He eagerly awaited the coming of the
other, but mutual disappointment
was the greeting of both
ebay is breaking" said, Saul,
gloomily; II cannot give up this mat
ter, but you must be abroad. Yaw-
mans, and betimes."
They've got help some way, capt'n,
| I'm thinking, unbeknown to you. It's
a poor chance, to my mind"
~ must find her, tell you! It's life
and death!-I shall find her, and be-
fore night. / will be aboard at night.
fall, and with all | seek, too"
''Ay, ay, yer honour; as you say, so
you'll do returned the other
"There's light in the house" said
Saul.
GAY, sir, a great funeral set out, I
take it, going by one of the roads,
and the fellows stop to bait"
"We'll 60 in for awhile, Yawmans; /
want to talk to you, and from this
you'll take the nearest road to Fergus
Bay"
Say, ay, sir, and welcomed I'll be
visa you. capt'n, in moment"
Saulhad gone forward towards the
house, and was in the act Of knocking
at the door when hand was Laid up
on his shoulder
'4Avast, capt'n'' cried Yawmans, in
a hoarse whisper at his ear, liust a
minute;-this way softly capt n, SOFT
ly!"
Meghorn followed, as the other led
the way, to a deserted cow-shed, that
lay behind some out-offices in the rear
Of the house.
The entrance was closed by rude
lattice-door; the floor was streWn with
rotting straw and refuse of all kinds.
The roof was almost open to the sky,
and the first blush OF day made visible
the noisome hole within.
Visible, too, to Saul--as, following
the indication of his companion, he
peeped through the aperture his wife
and child.
In far corner, upon a few garments
heaped together, little Ida slept,
Upon the ground beside her, and
budding round, as il to shield her
child from the cold, the mother sat.