Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-07-06
Saint Nafg's Beacon.


now, ! was trooper in the mount
ed police. / had gone out TO the
gold fields, like thousands Of other
younger sons. expecting to make
my fortune.
After toiling for months in .
WORKOUT claim, often knee-deep in
water, my chum bolted with orr
pitiful of accumulation of gold dust;
and Q pick, cradle. and the clothes
l stood in represented my worldly
all. Under these distressing cir
cumstances, was thankful to en-
list in the police. The reputation
of being steady and good man on
O horse, were my sole credentials.
The pay was small. was Q long
way astray from the pleasant high
road which leads to fortune I; work
was incessant and promotion slow.
had been nearly three years on
the force, and was still Trooper
Thompson and began to fear that
IS Trooper Thompson ! should live
and die, when that well-knoWn tide
that interferes so potentially in the
affairs of men, set my way at last !
We had been out two days on q
track Of q party Of notorious BUSH
rangers, and returned empty-haLd-
ed to our headquarters pretty we'll
done mp, to find when all stragglers
were assembled, that Trooper Mar
tin was missing. Just before dark
bis bay mare galloped in, covered
with dust and sweat, but her &C.
countrements were complete, and
there was not speck of blood on
saddle or holsters, or anything
about her to afford the faintest clue
to the fate or whereabouts of her
rider.
A rigorous search was instituted
ut sunrise--a search that was re-
peated for Eve days ; not a perch of
ground was left unexplored within
q radius of ten miles, nevertheless
this indefatigable quest proved un-
avaifing.
Look here, Thompson our
chief said, you have q fairly good
head on your shoulders use your
wits, and find out what has become
of our man. Ii you succeed, /
promise You promotion-and mind
this, shall expect to hear from
Martin, dead or alive, when | re-
turn this day week. So be up and
doing
Three of the precious days had
gone by-had flown-and yet no
trace of our missing comrade, work,
ponder, track as would. At length
it came to the eve of the chiefs re-
turn, and alas / was no nearer
promotion than when he had start
ed, though j had covered miles OF
country, and lost whole nights Of
sleep. | was utterly worn out with
my fruitless quest that evening,
and after hasty meal threw my
self on my cot and slept the sleep
Of utter exhaustion. / cannot say
how long this sleep may have last
ed. but the moon was shining full
into the window when ] was awak.
ened by some one in heavy boots
en- tering my rooms msn-who
came over and stood by the foot OF
my bed. and / must confess that
was good deal startled when / re-
cognized Martin.
'Hullo ! / shouted, where the
dickens have you been: Why did
you not report yourself?'
No reply-but Ned Martin was
proverbially slow of speech.
"A pretty fright you have given
us-and nice search We have had.
! sat MP and stared bard at my
comrade, and noticed that he look
ed white and death-like. His eyes.
as they met mine, had q strange
lack-luster expression-no doubt
the poor chap had been nearly
starved in the bush.
where have You been p asked.
After . pause he answered in 3
low, husky voice, that sounded as
If far away.
Ten miles west-Laffan's Run
shepherds hut-six yards to the
rear-six feet Deep
Then he suddenly turned round,
and made for the door. As /
jumped out Of the bed and hurried
after him, | noticed by the search
ing moonlight that there was q
great stain on the back of his coat