The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-28
A POAcHING STORY.
81 WILLIAM BUChAN.

The afternoon BUN ''"N
me b,oaa shoulder Of the RuchiI and
,bc s,rath below was plunged in shad-
ave It had been one Of the halycon
DAVIS which sometimes fall on the 5oF-
d,rIand of autumn and winter, when
IN. sgn shines with summer brIlllance
rom a cloudleas sky. when the now
sompre landscape takes a younger and
, BRIGHTER ASPECT, and TO the worn OUT
berbage there comes touch of fresh
ne But now. as The cold line OF shad-
ov haunted the hillside and the suns
neat died from the earth, the harsher
foeliug OF the late season asserted It
salf and there was shiyer in the air
betokcniug night Of frost. The stream
IN the valley had lost It's sparkle; cold
and colorless its waters looked as they
lowed fun Tipped between their banks
o. dry gray bent; and even the mus
wore scarce relieved from monotonor9
rrayness by the bright patches Of With
cred brncken, the soft sreen turf OF tho
burnside. and the clumps OF aarh pins
which dotted their slopes.
The shepherd OF Kirgsmu!r arose las-
ne from the messy bank where he had
l,csp reclining. He was returning from
ONE Of his rare visits to the neare't
market town, and. as the way waS
,n,g and the heat had been oppressive
No had sat him down by the stream
,,tde 10 rest. But now shutdown and the
obnI Of evening reminded him that he
must be getting on his way; So wrap
ming his plaid more tightly around MS
broad shoulders he prepared to resume
his Journey. Before him in strag-
Ling line the flock Of sheep he had that
day bought at the market solemnly
croppad the roadside turf, hanked by
TWO shaggy collies who watched In
jealous rivalry to prevent their stray
ing: and the shepherd as he surveyed
their broad. well neeced backs, was
filled with much content.
"Meg-Don-away by wide" he cried
in the mysterious language of herding.
But as. at the order, the obedient dogs
scampered off in hairy whirlwind to
recall stragglers and trim the flock for
the march, something in the stream at
his ,,.t caught the shepherds eye and
ma,e him bend cautiously lower For
the shepherd. though in many ways an
exemplary subject and a strict observer
of the laws Of the realm, nude one ex-
ceptlon. The salmon laws, he held,
were inlquitous: and there being few
things in the world he loved better
than salmon, he saw no reason why he
should not capture them when and by
what means he chose. The close season
had begun; and on the lower streams
the bailiffs would be keeping strict
watch for the unwary poacher. But
here 1t was different. One such gen.
tleman, have heard. did In a at Of
oyer-zealousness for duty, penetrate
these Businesses; but from his fate his
successors took warning. and of late
years these moorland streams had been
u little overlooked.
So It was with small fear Of interrupt
ton from that quarter that the shep-
herd took out his hooks for the capture
Of goodly salmon which lay Invltingly
in q convenient part Of the stream. He
was an old, experienced hand, and adj
vanced confidently expecting an easy
capture. warily he approached the
stream and arranged his tackle; and
very skilfully he worked his hooks up
ward. But the salmon was a cunning
fish. and resisted the, efforts to land
hlIa. With each failure the shepherd
grew the more determined till at last,
n the heat OF the chase, he became OBJ
llylous to all else. SO ensrossed was he
that he did not notice a short. thick-set
man approach and stand watching him
vita c grim smile.
Tie newcomer seemed strangely out
OF rlseo in his surroundings. IN his
appearance there were none of those
marks which cling to the dweller in the
hll!a and distinguish him from other
mon He had the air OF one who had
strayad from the smoke Of a mining
country Into the midst Of this great hill
land: at any rate he was certainly not a
shepherd. He was short and squat,
with n bull neck and an unlovely coun-
tenance unimproved by q most vicious
cast in his eyeslght; and the Ieer which
diafgured his face when the shepherd,
his perseverance at last rewarded, drew
his priza to land and at length turned
round gave him most sinister aspect,
The shepherd eyed the stranger with
some astonishment. He had not heard
him approach, and his silent behavior
was ominous But It was ridiculous TO
have any fears on ths score OF SO in
significant a person; go. nothing daunt-
ed, he slipped the salmon into his plaid
and grit himself again for the road.
As the other showed no sign OF ad-
dressing him, he felt bound In clylllty
to venture remark