The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-02-22


discovered IN ten.acro wood ios. ! paaeea
nncbsllenged through the shallow ras.ae,
and was wondering II b. chance ! had al.
ready cleared the lines. when the works OF
San advanced retloubl rose against the dun
sky, and at the same instant there came she
ring Of muskst and a voice called: Halt.
who's therer'
II waA not my plan TO halt, OF annwei
either, for that matter. ! hEd located The
voice TO the right, but could see no one. And
was fairly sure tbs; only the noite Of nay
progress had been marked. and not myself.
Therefore ! swung toward the left and bur
ricd along as rapidly and silently "a | could,
soon having che pleasure Of hearing the sen.
tiuel stumble across my trail some diStaneo
In the rear
had now the rcdcabl 10 ilank, and. sc The
woods bad been cut down at its front a. we'll
a. on either side. there was an open space ioa
me to Traverse. Here lowered ms dignity
by getting on 10 RIlloura, and. holding my
blade betwixt my teeth. ! eTepi slowly on.
ward, taking advantage Of every stump and
fallen tres as post 20 halt aud listen. Hut
these latter we're none too frequent, and !
used at least an hour IN getting the few
hundred feet which las between the works
aud the ahaiis protecting them. Having
gained the abatie, | rose and felt my way
through the tangled branches Of the felled
timber, making a deal Of noise | thought,
hn, finally got past and into the woods be
yond. These woods proved 10 be but a strip,
and q narrow one al that. for iroon came 10
a road which served me only in showing ~
location, a. knew Of one crossing from the
kingsbridgc road TO another leading 10 the
village Of Greenwich
was well satisfied with myself aud ny
progress, considering that the worst was
passed, bat my pride underwent a sudden
fall whea. a. ! was putting ms leg over the
snake fence. voice came out Of the d1sk
sess:
HALT Who goes thercf"
"a friend. but without countcrsigu.
Where are your ! returned. easily. though
] made mighty start.
Then stay where you be- or I frc'"
VERY good! Come to ps, answered,
swinging myself back and re,rcating 10 a
tree nen By, aud from that 10 smother.
II gave me infinite relief to hear the
tramp Of horse, and know the man was
mounted yide,te. aad 10 the course Of lev
seconds he went By me 70 where had an
swered him, though By then bad retreate5
along the line OF the road and was 90 feet
away, Hating his horse. he agnin chal.
leuged, but, on receiving no answer, fired bic
pistol into the woods and began cursiug like
a pirate.
knew there would be trouble nor, and,
indeed, the echo Of the shot had s.arce died
away when heard galloping coming from
either direction as his fellows FASTENED 10
join him. Il would not do for me 10 linger
n the vicinity, 80 ] lcapCd the fence and
crossed the highway above him, gaining the
opposite timber just before another horse
man swept by toward the point Of alarm
At this luncturc ! Thanked my stars for
three things First Tor the wet aud black
ness Of the night; second, that the lines |
had run were the third or inner huea, com
paratiycIy llly guarded aud but halt
manned. established TO he used only IN case
Of the fall OF the outer dclrnsea; aud, third.
that my present destination lay not beyond
the next obstruction | q, would have
dared attempt the passage OF the barrier
gates" az they were called, a strong and
continuous work across the neck OF land be
low Fort Washington: aud even bad this
been possible. the outpost Of The British
army at kiHgsbridgc would have Hoorcd
anything without a pass or wings There.
in the face OF the army Of Washington. u, ~
but few miles distant, Il would h1ve be
come almost q matter Of creeping hctwiat
the legs Of the scutincIs.
was not possessed with q great curiosity
regarding the outcome Of the trouble bad
raised on the road, and got myself away from
Its locality gs rapidly az was consistent with
rough ground, thicky growing trees and
undcrbrush and p.lchy darkness. | felt ! was
safe at last, safe from immediate disaster.
and then awukc TO the fact that. save from
being warm instead Of cold. / was m about d.
miserable o position as any man unhurt aud
shaking a free foot could well be. had eat
en- but little during the day, and a man OF
my sl2c and activity soon hungCrs, though
AZ yet my hunger had not become a serious
matter. was drcnohiug, without shelter
aud without prospect OF shelter, and miles
from any possibility Of a helping hand. 10
stumble onward might land me IN some dilh
Guilty from which ! could no, easily recover
l was nov at a distance from the cross ruau,
and knew not II / was bearing out Of ms
line uorthward or toward one Of the two
great highways 10 approach either Of which
was AlAukNA WIN TUG kItMAEAt udhhGIs
Therefore ! determined TO settle where
was until glimmer OF dawn should show me
my way onward. ! bad no choice of spots.
and 80 sat me down on the stump | had bat
just iallcu over. and, drawing my CLOAK
about my head. emulatcd the eArrmcst %
thence Of Job, who. for all his troubles. had
never been bcsct as was l.
Not for an instant did nod or cease ms
watchfuiness through al the long hours
The rain. noted for its impartiality. seemed
to belle the adage and focus on the as thouRl
! sat beneath a sarEoyle. Toward daylight,
which came none too early, the beat had
gone from my blood. aud something like 3
chill took It's place, and with the first sign
Of lividness in the clouds above ! set DOT.
more from an Instinct toward fight thab
from any definite plan, The Dove was my
destination, but Il was only TO he ap
preached by night. and il was acarre an
hours walk from where ! sat Nothing
could be gained by wandering aimlessly. Sc,
such was the spirit Of high, within me that
even movement partOok Of the nature OF
safety, and the loadEtone attracting me las
still 10 the northward. Toward the north,
then. ! turned
The birds had begun 90 stir in their uextt
and twilter slsepily as came to the edge
Of the woods and bcheld the checker of farm
fields aud woodland from the elevation on
which was standing. Gne.dawn aist so
blurring the distance that il seemed 10
finite. ! went on. and by sunrise crossed
the Minetta water. striking westward that
J might got into The wilderness above
Greenwich. reaching that almost primeyal
forest toward neon
But 4 IS useless to follow my old trail here
did u years after with great satisfaction tc
myself, calling up a cloud OF memories tina,
brought back my lost youth, albet il
brought laz II dOea no,sl a mist before ms
eyes as well. Through that afternoon
wandered wen toward Bloomingdale. aud as
the shadows fell, cut eastward near the old
ApthoFp mansion aud across the wild land
which lies beautiful waste about the cen.
ter Of the island. Nov Central Park.
! was now close TO the Kinasbridgr road
again. aud not half mile from the Dove.
The storm had cleared With the going down
Of the sun. leaving the air cool aud pleasant.
but. though am lover Of nat re and prone
to mark the effect Of storm and sunshine,
remember iittle OF this evening save that Il
uas gorgeous one, vita moon, something
lcss than haligrowu. swimming IN the sky
like a cleft coin.