Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-10-27

settlers had moved away from sheer
terror and apprehension. The State
had taken up the matter and increased
the reward for the villains capture by
another $500. 1t was just after this
had been done that my odd adventure
befell me.
81 had been out after wild turkeys
-ostensibly, at any rate-and was
coming home with an old gobbler slung
over my back. AS 1 approached the
road / heard the thud OF a horses
hoofs, and, as had become customary
with me, hurried forward to see the
rider pass, with vague hope that the
mysterious eagle might choose that
very moment to swoop down upon an
other victim.
"a familiar proverb says 1T is the
unexpected that happens. But every
rule has its exceptions and every prov
erb as we'll. This time it was the ex-
pected that happened. 1 had pre-
sentiment that was about to behold
something wonderful and strange
and I did. Hardly had l come in sight
of the horseman land there was still
thin, concealing veil of foliage be-
tween me and the open road) when q
great waving shadow came drifting
along the highway. 1 glanced up and,
with my heart in my mouth, saw
huge bird descending with set and
motionless wings. But I saw some
thing more, something that almost
froze the blood in my veins. A minia-
ture man sat astride of the eagles
neck, his fierce little face set with vim
dictive purpose. To this day I can
see the baleful CLEAN in his small,
blazing eyes. In one hand no carried
a glittering. naked knife. The other
hand war extended as if to grasp in
anticipation his victims hair.
"When the eagle was almost direct
ly over the unsuspecting horseman.
the pygmy bandit threw one leg over
the birds neck, sat sidewise and
poised himself, ready to drop upon his
victims shoulders. Instinctively and
with motion as quick as thought my
rifle sprang to my shoulder. just as
the dwarf let go his hold and dropped
there was a ringing report, and the
, eagle, pierced through the heart by
my bullet, fell simultaneously with his
pygmy master. Both struck the tanks
of the frightened horse, and the ami
NAL sprang forward in wild, snort
ing gallop, so sudden and SO endan-
gering to the rider that he did not
even venture to turn his head to see
what had occasioned it. In minute
/. | 4 - ont Of al ri T.
around bend in the road.
"The eagle rolled into the dust and
after few nnspasmodic futterings lay
still. The pygmy bandit, springing
to his feet, glared about him for mo-
ment with mingled rage and terror in
his weakened and contorted face.
Then, with cry, whose utter despair
+. and piercing anger shall never for
get. he darted into the bushes on the
opposite side of the road and disap-
peared.
"Hardly knowing what 1 did, L
bounded after his disappearing form,
Init the sly creature. vas too quick i fo OF
useless to pursue being who could
dart unobstructed along a rabbit path,
+ and I soon gave up the chase as vain.
Leaving my wild turkey concealed
| in the bushes, carried the dead eagle
} to the village and told my story. At
first there where none who would be-
} lieve me, but when ] led the way to
the spot where the tragedy had &C.
t Cured, and the old Indian fighter had
examined the small footsteps in the
r dust, and in the soft mud of spring
, hole in the woods, which the dwarf
: had crossed in his fight, doubt and
cayil gave way to wonder and con-
| graduation, and became at once the
I hero of the community.
I Although I had not captured the
. pygmy bandit, I had solved the mys-
terry that surrounded him and de-
stroyed the unique means by which
he approached and surprised his vic
: tins. From that day the terrible
| little man disappeared utterly. The
/ last of his strange crimes had been re-
corded.
/ 81 received one thousand dollars for
/ my amateur detective work. Half OF
3 it offered to the man who had puzzled
out the necessary clue. But he would
| not touch cent. No, my bow he
) said, you deserve all you have earned
: and more, whether you actually cap
: tured 80 pygmy bandit or not, for
:, Jou fixed him so that he is better than
dead to the world. He has ceased
from his crimes and retributive Justice
has been spared the unnatural job of
disposing of such human freak. You
are born detective, lad, and my ad-
vice to you is to go into that profess
sion for all you are worth. And T
, have"
"Good advice. ried. as Sand
| hurst oeaeod, Ca - .Isses5
the most remarkable introduction to q
| profession I ever heard ofl'-Detroit
Free Press.
Degeneracy of Great Names.
= According to the London directory
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