The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-18


bic threats Having no further use for
him, I flung Inn dozen yards among
the trees and, with my hands OH my
hips, waited.
I heard him crashing through the
limbs and leaves and finally fall to the
ground with resounding thump Then
all was still.
II hope I haven't killed him, but he
must have been Jared pretty badly
No, he wasn't dead. for I heard him
moving among the underground. He
came cautiously forward until saw his
dim outlines at the edge of the wood.
There he paused and stared at me for a
full minnie before speaking. Then his
tones were not only husky, but tremu-
lous
II say. boss, is that you?"
eyes"
"Kin-kin you tell INC whether this is
me?"
ITS the tramp that tried to rob mo
Of my money"
II say, bossl'
"Well?'
He seemed to rouse himself for tho
final effort and exclaimed:
Holy geel''
At which he whirlcd about and dash
ed among the trees, as il fearful Of more
punishment for his oEcnse,
Meanwhile the others had disappear
ed. and saw nothing more Of any Of
them.
Tho stone house which was my des-
tination was sGmcwLetn in the vicinity,
and l began search fer it. l recalled
that the Path was well marked from the
highway but the poHition of the moon
in the sky threw that side Of the road in
shadow, and could see nothing in the
nature of ciew.
Not forgetting that sha;iowy pursuer
scanned the road to the westward, but
he was not in sight
Finally struck a match and held it
close to the ground. There the path was
exactly III front of me, BY the tiny
fame I was able to follow it with my
eye for rcd or more. The house was
barely 50 feet distant.
Neither eye nor ear could detect any
thing unusual, and l picked my way
along the path, with just a trifle of mis-
giving, for be it known that that region
is afflicted with venomous copperheads
and the warm spring weather must have
brought many Of them from their win
ter quarters.
Only part of tho distance was passed.
when light twinkled among the trees.
Some one was at the stone house.
"Discoe and Huke have become impa.
tient, though cannot be much behind
time.
Somehow the knowledge that human
beings were near at hand drove away
all fear of the deadly reptiles. moved
more resolutely, and minute later
paused in front of the old stone struc.
ture, which stood in the middle of q
small clearing.
Still it was prudent to make recon-
noissance before entering the building,
which was to be the scene Of an event.
full meeting.
The thought had never come to me
served on the nrev;ous sunday there
wave M signs If lise about n and Tom
Discoe r. referenoes had M, removed That
imnress;on
But it WA an error Some one lived
there thonpb tho lower story consisted
NJ h,t a sineIe room while a slon;no
ladder led tn the rooms above saw
througb thc onen door tbe scantv furni.
ture With LARGE table in the middle Of
itb. anortment and mon n stood a pood.
,v s;1ad lawn vh;oh sbod a hr;ol, lin.
,r;nat;on ,hrorgh tho ;nter;or
Pnt nome of the threa ~ Porr chairs
,,,as ooonnioS r. iooLad os 70 tho o,,nar
nfter Egbtinu Tho lamn had den,rted
md ,;ven over Tho nlace r. tbe parties
that bad envaoed II NV Tho ovon;pa
perha,s I bod mistaten the hui,d;,,
and ret hat con,d hardly ha
wiz. 7 stooa ~ douht ona ,or,,or;+u
frustrating WAelner " uuNaHce VI W WulI