New-York tribune., 1900-07-08
A PENITENT

PTessive by the little breaks of sound-the rip
ping OF the stream or an occasional tut fitting
overhead, with gush of melody Scarcely a
leaE stirred IL all that green wilderness. Here
and there. where a shaft of sunlight had found
rs way through, spotted lizards lay basking
among the dry leaves and fragments Of brown
and sivery bark that covered the moist black
earth on every side Above We're myriads Of
leaves and branches; below myriads of ferns
Presently g man came Iinping into sight. He
was covered with dust from head foot. and
great beads Of perspiratiOn rolling down his face
had made runleJs through the dust, and gave
him strange. ghastIy look His eyes We're like
those Of q hunted animal his tongue loled out
IN the heat like dogs
He made straight for the stream. and pain
fully scrambling down the edge Of the gully.
among ferns and creepers. he flung himself over
the water and drank eagerly Iaving his face in
the stream as he drank Then he drew deep
breath of relief and lay back, his arms behind
his head, IN a state Of exhaustion.
He had thrown aside mis- hat. and mis- hair
wet with sweat lay Imply on his brow. He was
stalwartIy built fellow with q keen, hard face
and hands roughened by years Of toll His
clothes were old and rough on the knee Of one
trouser was stain ike that Of recently spilled
blood
As ne lay piIlowed among delicate fern frOnds
still ho1. and painting now and then a wild
pigeon came close above him a fallen tree
bough- The mild innocent creature looked At
hiEn with It's fun red eye. and showed no sign of
perturbation. It's kind had not yet learned to be
afraid Of man This man lay and watched it
q while in silence. His eye marked its one
beauty after another, its broad. snowy breast
its red bill the lovely mingling Of green red
and purple on its wings and back He had op-
por-unIly % examine it fully for it sat there
win great composure. only now and then pull
Ing IF green leaf and eating it, At last the
E2an reached OJ- MS hand for d big pebble he
could knock ii down easily without changing
his position H rad ms hand ready To throw
when swift compunction seized him. and he
flung the pebble crashing through the distant
underwood.
No. I'm darnec" he muttered, If I can hurt
the pretty. innocent thing. after au"'
Al ne noise Of the falling pebble the bird rose
with a loud whirr Of It's magnificent wings and
passed or TO another tree. The man was sorry:
ne wished II mad stayed where it was that he
might watch il. Then things gradually grew
3nd1s-incr and he fell asleep as easily as a child
He slept heavily Tor time. Then his sleep
became broken; dreams troubled him-ugly
dreams OF things that had happened since this
summer sun rose
again he was at the little village public house.
smoking and drinking with his mate, Bill Har-
rs. The drink was bad. but the day was hot,
and both men We're thirsty after hours Ot work
IL the scorching sun Then they turned out
again. going back 10 their Telling and saving Of
timber And as they went quarrel sprang up
between them and grew fierce. Then Bill in
an unhappy moment reminded his mate Jack Of
the 30 he had been owing him these months
past This brought Jacks wrath 10 climax,
h= raised the axe ne was carrying and struck
Bill who fell like a log th= dusty road. the
blood suouting from MS wound Jack kneIt
down and gazed stupidity: BIZ was dead. The
shock soiered him on the instant. He dragged
tb.- dead man into the shade Of the bushes and
fed for his life. feeling the hot breath Of the
avengers behind him every second
BIZ dead2 Bul2 oh, confound it all, no!
Things we're getting mixed up in his brain It
was ne himself VINO had been III for weeks to
a,a.ber in the lyinter-nigh at deaths door-and
BIN had nursed him and waited on him with
the tenderness Of a woman Yes, it was Bill
Who had saved his ife-brav=, honest old Bill,
who had faced sun and storm with him for
three years past. Aye. he was such mate as
fellow didn't often chance 10 get. And then to
say that he was dead. on. how absurd.
v-adlv thoughts and images hoated through
his brain leaving only a dim. haunting sense
a. trouble. Then he slipped back 10 the English
meadows Of his chiIdhood-daIsy sprinded grass,
ana a gray river edged with pollard willows that
broke into green Iove-iness every spring How