Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-05-21


doom burn closer anil closer 1t was
a situation TO drive the strongest man
to madness. But / will not dwell at
any length upon that sad portion of
the story. A few moments more,
shortly before sunset, the son came
down the lonely mountain road, whis-
tling merry tune. Wholly uncon-
seious of what he should find, he
approached his cabin home, tried the
door and found it securely locked.
NotAa sound came from within. Still
unaware that anything unusual had
happened, he placed his rife beside
the door and walked slowly to the first
of the two windows the cabin con-
tanned 1t was fastened, nailed
securely from the inside. A look in
side and wonderful change came
over him. He rushed frantically to the
one remaining window, only to find
that it also resisted his best efforts to
open it. At this moment the fathers
eye rested upon the form of his son,
aud tears of gratitude wet his rough
cheeks. There was not an instant to
lose--a less observing man than the
son could have seen that. In the
fraction of minute he had gained
possession of his trusty rife, showed
the muzzle through the window pane
and fired. His nerve was not the
stea1iest nor the light the best, but
simultaneously with the discharge of
the weapon the Pickering flame Of the
candle went out and the whole weight
of the pinioned mans form tested the
strength of his bonds. He had faintedl
With muttered curse, knowing not
but his father was dead, he picked up
log of wood aud with three giant
sweeps battered the door in. In
another moment he had cut the bonds
which held the limp form of his father
and placed him tenderly upon his cot
in the corner.
"Then, with his father safe for the
present, the thought of personal
danger came to him. Rushing to the
window overlooking the road, he saw
in the gathering twilight the forms of
two men, as they approached, with
Of affairs dawned upon him in an in
slant ! These men, temporarily con-
tent with The success of their plans,
had left, imbibed freely of moonshine,
aud, having heard the report of a rifle
from the cabin, were now returning to
loot the premises, thinking it was all
overi They We're soon to realize their
error, however, for, before they had
proceeded half a dozen more steps. the
report of a rife again broke the still
ness, aud the foremost of the two went
down without cry"
The narrator paused a moment at
this juncture, and wiped the prespira-
tion from his brow, while his three
auditors awaited the resumption of his
story with eagerness.
"The other villain took to a tree"
he went on, ''but Gs the son iniudi-
icously showed his form at the window,
rife ball came crashing in and tore
his good right hand almost to pieces.
His teeth were set now and a look of
intense hatred glowed in his eyes His
opportunity came before long, for the
desperate moonshiner was imprisoned
behind the tree. Knowing escape to
be well nigh impossible, he hastily re-
loaded his weapon, and, getting down
upon his knees, cautiously peeped
from his covering, unable to resist the
chance of taking another shot at the
man in the cabin. 1t is needless to tell
you what followed, except to say that
the single look caused his death, which
might otherwis have been averted for
some time, perhaps indefinitely, as
darkness was fast coming on.
'There is little more to relate. The
older man, he upon whom the torture
had been inflicted, lived for many years
after the tragedy, and the son-well,
he is living today
''And the son was never brought to
trial, l presume, spoke the treasury
official, with rising infection of his
voice.
'No, sir, was the emphatic re-
sponse, 'that is not the way things
are done, in our section of the country,
at least Why, sir, he was one of the
most talked-of men in the whole state,
aud, strange as it may seem, was
elevated to a position of some promi-
nence In fact, some of you may
have heard of him.
He arose as he spoke, took deep
breath of cool air at the open window,
slung his overcoat over his arm and
extended his hand to his host with a
hearty "Good night"
"But his name; who was he % l
asked. But the colonel, more used to
such revelations than the treasury
official and myself, made answer for
him. There was no word spoken, but
raising the hand he held in his own,
so that it was fully exposed to the
electric light, We saw, with feelings OF
awe, that it bore a ragged, unsightly
scar extending from the second joint
of the forefnger clear to the wrist =
Waahin0 0ton Star