Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-05-15
!, The Swamp Secret
Observation-Disclosures


| ldtef.
"She hit one. sure enough said the
| foremost settler. as he paused at the open
stable door. Hes hurt purity bad, or
dead, / reckon. jedgin' from the blood"
Lift him up" said Mr.. Boone. "Mebbe
he's tainted"
Two men stepped forward and attempt
ed to lift the figure in the doorway.
He's dead" said one of them, after
partially raising the body. .Neighbors,
there's one less horse thief in this world,
he added, solemnly, vet not without
sound of satisfaction in his voice.
There was a moment of deep silence in
the crowd. The presence of death kept
down the demonstration of the excite
ment that every man felt.
Just then Wayne came up, in company
with one of the ministers.
I'VE heard you had caught a horse
thief. and came to crafty a curiosity to
see what one Of the animals looked like"
he said, with laugh. But Mr.. Boone
fancied that he detected an uneasy sound
in the speakers voice, and that the laugh
which accompanied the words seemed
forced and unnatural
I'VE have" said Mr.. Porter. holding
his lantern so that the light of it fell full
upon the dead mans face.
Wayne started back with a frightened
exclamation. He stood for a moment
and looked upon the CHASTITY sight, then
turned away with shudder that he could
not hide and walked toward the house.
The wrath of God smiteS the trans
gressor," said the minister, solemnly.
May he have mercy on this poor sinners
soul! Let us pray"
And kneeling by the dead, among an
awe-struck company which stood with
barred, bowed heads, the good man pray
ed. and the sound of his voice was all
that broke the silence until "Amenw was
said.
A hasty consultation was held con-
corning the disposal to be made of the
body.
Before it was concluded Mr.. Boone
came hurrying up with the news that his
horses were gone.
Il tell you what it is, men," said one
of the settlers, as he listened to the It'd
ings, 'ef we ever git track O. the thieves,
we've got to do it now. Them with
| Boone's horses can't have more'n an
hours start of us, an it seems as if
they must ha' left some track behind.
| This pointing to the body in the door
way" ii be quite likely to put an end
to their performances in this neighbor
hood for spell, anyway, an we don't
want 'em to git away if it's possible to
find 'em. We've hunted fer 'em high N
low, an hunted thurrer, but we haInt
| got on to the right trail fer some reason
OF another. We hain't never found out
| what they'd done so soon after they'd did
it as we hev this time. Eff we turn out
an s'arch as eff we meant bisness, |
can't help feelin' s eff we could get some
track of EN-. 1t seems so, anyway An
/ / go in fer ln1sia' such hunt as we
hain't made yit, though don't knows
we can be a bit more thurrer'n we hev
ben. But we can try, anyhow; an eff
we do find any signs of 'em, we can foller
EN- up eff we git right at it an don't
waste no time. What say, neighborsy"
A hearty murmur of assent went over
the crowd.
Lights were procured, and close ex-
animation of the premises about Mr..
Boone's barn began.
Here's their tracks plains day." de-
clared Bill Green. as eager for the pur-
! suit of horse thieves now as he had been
an hour ago for pardon of his sins Il
Z
time. l do SOL"
An hour later there was unbroken quiet
where, so short time before, there had
been so much excitement They were
on the trail of the horse thieves at last.
The dead mans body had been placed
in the barn to await burial on the NOR
row.
1t was twelve o'clock when the lights
carried by the men who were on track of
The horse thieves faded into faint glm-
mers in the distance, and finally dwindled
into so many sparks, and then seemed
to go out in the darkness of the night.
In the kitchen at Mr.. Porter's the wom-
en- and ministers were talking over the
exciting events of the evening. Wayne
had retired. The clock struck one.
Il declare exclaimed Mrs. Boone, I'D
no idee twas so late! Come, Mis- Hold
redge, let's be goin', or we sha'n't gil
any rest tonight, an / feel clear beat
out"
Mrs. Holdredge was a visitor from
''dcwn below" whom Mrs. Boone had in
vited home with her from camp meeting.
Are you ready. Nannie?" asked Mrs.
Boone, as she and Mrs. Holdredge rose
to go.
You can so on, mother. and Rhoda
and III come right along responded
Mamie. Il want to see Samanthy
minute
Mrs Boone and her friend took their
departure. and Mamie called Samanthy
\ into the pantry for consultation.
Dick ought to know what's happened.
said Mamie. 1t may be that the knowl-
edge of il would be of great advantage
TO him. Hadn't better write a few
lines and put them in the hollow tree?
Hen find them to- morrow. il he's already
been there to night"
Il reckon 'twould be good idee. said
Samanthy
So Mamie tore blank leaf out Of the
front part of hymn book and hurriedly
wrote few lines, explaining the condi-
ton Of affairs.
I'll leave it there on my way home,
she said. Good night, Samanthy I'm
glad didn't shoot that man, bat ! don't
think YOU did wrong. Nobody does
Neither du l, . said Samanthy. .But
do feel awful curtis over it somehow.
He deserved it, but--I'd ruther some one
else a did it. But it's done, and cant
be helped an | dunno's I'm sorry or hev
any call ia be. Mought jest as well be
me tn du il as any body else, a. said
afore; hut
y Mamie and Rhoda took their departure,
and Samanthy went to her room and
went to bed, but not to sleep, The face
Of the dead man alone in the barn seem
ed before her constantly. She was hon
est with herself when she said that she
felt she had done right, and yet the
thought that a man had come 10 his
death by her act was anything but q
pheasant one.
sIIe deSarvcd it, She kept saying TO
herself" brt III rnther somebody else
had did it,
CHAPTER NNIII.