Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-10-18
"A Modern Samson" :"
BY ROBERT BARB.

officer, and Samson was placed under
arrest. When the inquiry was held,
the officer expressed his astonish-
ment at the fact that Samson hit two
men who had nothing to do with the
insult he had received, while the real
culprit had been allowed to go un-
punished.
''They deserved it," said Samson,
sullenly, ''for what they had done be-
fore. could not strike the little man.
l should have killed him."
'Silencew cried the officer "YOu
must not answer me like that"
Il shall answer you as like" said
Samson, doggedly.
The officer sprang to his feet. with
little rattan cane in his hand, and
struck the insubordinate soldier twice
across the face, each time raising an
angry red mark.
Before the guards had time to in
terfere Samson sprang upon the Off
Ger, lifted him like a child around his
head, and dashed him with sicken-
ing crash to the ground, where he
lay motiOnless.
A cry of horror went up from every
one present.
Il have had enough" cried Sam
son turning to go, but he was met by
a bristling hedge of steel. He was
like a rat in trap. He stood de-
family there, man maddened by Op-
preston, and glared around him help
lessly.
Whatever might have been his
punishment for striking his comrades,
there was no doubt now about his
fate. The guardhouse was rude hut
Of logs situated Oh the banks Of the
roaring stream. Into this room
Samson was flung, bound hand
and foot, to await the court
martial next day. The shattered
officer, whose sword had broken in
pieces under him, slowly revived, and
was carried to his quarters. A SEN
try marched up and down all night
before the guard-house.
In the morning, when Samson was
sent for, the guard-house was found to
be empty. The huge Breton had
broken his bonds as did Samson of
old. He had pushed out log of wood
from the wall, and had squeezed him
self through to the bank of the
stream. There all trace of him was
lost. If he had fallen in, then of
course he had sentenced and executed
himself, but in the mud near the
water We're great footprints, which
no boot but that of Samson could
have made; so If he We're in the stream
it must have been because he threw
himself there. The trend of the foot
prints, however, indicated that he had
climbed on the rocks, and there, of
course, it was impossible to trace him.
The sentries who guarded the pass
maintained that no one had gone
through during the night, but to make
sure, several men were sent down the
path to overtake the runaway. Even
If he reached town or village far
below, so huge man could not es-
cape notice. The searchers were In
structed to telegraph his description
and his crime as soon as they reached
n telegraph wire. 1t was impossible
to hide in the valley. and u rapid
search speedily convinced the officers
that the delinquent was not there.
AS the sun arose higher and higher.
until it began to shine on the north
ward-facing snow fields, sharp-eyed
private reported that he saw black
speck moving high up on the great
white slope south Of the valley. The
officer called for a field-glass, and
placing it to his eyes, examined the
snow carefully.
Call out detachment" he said,
that Is Samson on the mountain.
There was n great stir In the camp
when the truth became known. Ennis
saries were sent after the searchers
down the pass, calling them to re-
turn.
"He thinks to get to Italy" said the
officer. II did not imagine the fool
knew SO much of geography. We
have him now sure enough"
The officer who had heen flung over
Samson's head was now able to hob
BILE about, and he was exceedingly
bitter. Shading his eyes and gazing
at the snow, he said
"a good marksman ought TO be able
to bring him down."
There Is no need of that" replied
his superior "He cannot escape. We
have nothing to do but to wait for
him. lie will have to come down."
All of which was perfectly true.
4 detachment crossed the stream
and stacked its arms at the foot of
the mountain which Samson was try
ing to climb. There was II small level
place few yards wide between the
bottom of the hill and the bank of the
raging stream. On this bit of level
ground the soldiers lay In the sun
and smoked. while the officers stood
In a group and watched the climbing
man going steadily upward.
For short distance up from the
plateau there was stunted grass and