The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-27

appeared 10 me at least 10 be an almost
endless time. now backwards and now
forwards i'm wander.ngs that seemed
interminable. And still JacLy Travelled
on, his head bent forward, his eyes
never lifted from the ground; and still
the sergeant followed doggedly In his
steps, his face set grim and stern, his
carbine gripped tightly in his hand.
j had no choice but TO follow them.
For the last two hours or more our
course, in spite of its wanderings, had
taken us steadily down hill. 1t was GER
tainly after midday now, and the hot
sun was lighting up the depths of the
forest and falling In bright streams
and patches of gold every here and
there In our path. Jacky stopped sud-
denly, just as we came in sight OF
huge mass of rock which rose grny
and rugged above the trees In front.
Between us and the crag there WAS
gully deeper and more densely wooded
than any we had yet passed. Jacky
stood still and peered cautiously down
the dim slope, where the trees grew
thicker and the dense foliage shut out
the sunbeam. The sergeant glanced Mt
him, and then he passed him by. Come
on" he exclaimed, 'youngster. Keep
your finger on the trigger, and when
YOU see him mind you fire this time
With his hand on the lock of his carbine
the sergeant crept down through the
trees; with my finger on the trigger OF
the revolver l followed him.
The gully was unusually large and
deep. In my excitement the time it
took us to descend into the bottom
seemed endless. 1t is true we went
slowly, watching every tree, peering
into every dim vista, expecting each
moment 10 hear the report of pistol
shot wake the echoes of the wood. On.
and on, and yet we saw nothing, and
nothing happened. We had reached
the bottom and began cautiously to
ascend the slope beyond. The snow
had fallen heavily here, and still there
were patches of it in the darkest places
where the shadows fell the thiclSest. We
had gone perhaps half way up the slope
when, as l strained my eyes to look
along a dim avenue between the gums,
i saw something that made me start
and utter an exclamation. The SER
geant Joined me in an instant, and side
by side we made our way towards the
spot.
Nearer and nearer we crept up be-
tween the trees, planting our feet eau
tiously as we went that no sound might
give him the alarm; scarcely daring
10 breathe in our excitement. And now
we could make out plainly that it was
a man. He was seated on the ground,
his back resting against large bowlder,
his hand apparently grasping something
lying by his side-no doubt his fatal re-
yolver. Another step or two and we
cold see that his head was bent slightly
forward on his breast. He was asleep;
we should capture him without q
struggle. We crept nearef6nd nearer
something moved. Was he going to
wake, after all? The sergeant was draw
Ing himself together for a spring,
could see. when suddenly he stopped
something moved again, but now we
could make il out, even in the shadow
-r-it was a bird. We had disturbed it,
and now with n hoarse croak it rose
clurnsily, and futtered away into the
shadows.
There was no need of caution now.
Two or three quick steps and we were
at his side. 1t was Mike! Yes, and
what was more, it was Tom also. Tom