The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-04-21
GHOST OF A GALL0WS.

SLOW 10 lnlnh us " RUE, TehllIcu iuhl
instantly. AT my feet in the dusty
roadway lay Il revolver still hot and
smoking from its discharge, the re-
port of which had just startled the quiet
of that country lane, while not forty
feet away from Inc lay in the rond tho
| body of man who had fallen from
dogcart to the ground, apparently
stone dend. And the worst of it was
that the man who lay there in the road
4, was my bitterest enemy.
The horse stopped and swerved with
terror at the discharge of the pistol
| and this action threw the man, dead
| or wounded from the cart. The groom
who was sitting back to back with his
master jumped from the vehicle and
ran toward the PROSTATE figure. while
the horse, left entirely TO his own de-
vices. came toward and went past me
in n mad gnllop.
As n drowning man thinks, so did ],
in that brief period. When the groom
reached the body of his master he saw
in an instant that he was dead. Then
he looked at me. L was still reviewing
the situation. But there wasn't much
time to spare.
IL was not | who fred the fatal shot.
The road at this point was lined on
one side with high hedge and l knew
that the murderer had fired from this
ambush and dexterously thrown the
revolver to where it lay just Mt my
feet. But l was quick enough to real
ize that no jury in the world would
ever believe this unless proof OF the
real murderer could be produced.
Instantly knew that my only hope
lay in his capture, aud l Immediately
dashed through the hedge in search
of him, while the groom, thinking no
doubt that l was attempting to escape,
came in hot pursuit of me.
Inside the hedge there was no sign
of any living being. The fair green
fields stretched away to the hillside,
beyond which the white walls of II
farmhouse were just visible, as peace
fully as if there could be no such
thing as the tragedy which had just
taken place on the other side of the
hedge. 1 looked up and down the
long hedgerow in vain. There was
not the slightest clue to the murderer
to be seen.
However, / determined that the man
might possibly make for the railroad
station, whence had just come, for /
knew that there was train to the city
due in few minutes. Could tho ruff
fan catch it? And could l ovortak o
him before he did SO? II not l re-
hected l might easily telegraph to the
next station and have him appre.
hended.
l was running all the time as hard
as could inside the hedge and tow.
ard the railway station. The groom
had given up pursuit of me, doubtless
thinking it his duty to return to his
masters body. 1t wanted six minutes
before the train was due, as saw by
a hasty glance at my watch, but / did
not know how far the station was from
where the murder occurred.
I Inever ran 80 hard in my life be
fore, but felt that my life depended
on the chance OF securing the mur
derer, and consequently the effort
cost me no strain. My wind began te
tell on me, however, at the end of the
first quarter-mile and was just won
dering vaguely how long could keer
it up when came upon the empty
dogcart with the herunaway horse quiet
ly cropping grass by the roadside
Here was luck indeed. jumped int
the cart as speedily rs my exhauste'
strength would let me, and gathering
up the reins I struck the whip and w
I were off as fast as the animal could rul
D toward the station.
estimated that there was still two
minutes before the train was due an'
: / felt sure that the station could not b.
> more than u third of mile distant
Suddenly heard the whistle OF tn
, locomotive and with it came an in
v spiration.
y The murderer might never he found
Q At all events could not lay hands ol
0 him Just then. Why not take til
, train and make good my own escap
9 while the opportunity presented itself
G 1t seemed terrible thing to thus he
n from justice because OF u crime whic
: / had not committed, but could nc