Catoctin clarion., 1901-01-03
THURMONT, Frederick County, Maryland Thursday January g. 1901

Hell kill him some moment when
we're not watching said Storrs to me
more than once.
No; Logan is of too fine mold Tor
that l replied. He'll never deliber-
ately assassinate him. He has passed
that point since the terrible trial Of the
first meeting.
do not know that l felt as confident
as nv woids indicated; perhaps | said
what | desired to feel, and was content
Now, when night came on and Bor-
den failed to appear, Storrs and 1 were
uneasy, for on that afternoon, Logan
and his enemy had both been in the
swamp. OF course, they did not 90
together. Borden went first, with
light fowling piece on his shoulder and
a rectangular botonical case slung at
his side. l remember that, as he
walked away from the camp, he I'M
pressed me as being the handsomest
man that I had ever seen, and yet he
was at middle life. An hour later, Lo.
gan handled his ponderous rifle. his
brace of heavy pistols and hia large
hunting knife Che always armed him
self thus) and, although l did not
think of it at the time. took himself in.
to the swamp jungle, in the very tracks
of Borden.
was out for while that afternoon
myself, and when returned both Storrs
and Logan were smoking in front of the
long lean to tent.
So darkness drew on, as | have said,
with startling screams, howlings, hoot-
ings and bellowings all around IN that
trackless and. in many places, almost
impenetrable jungle.
The man eater was drawing nearer
to us with every cry. 1t was, indeed,
so close at present that its voice, az it
seemed to curdle in the blacklist cor
ners of the night. suggested the fetid
breath OF the monster. Scarcely fur.
long distant, should have ventured to
guess, though it may have been twice
that far away. | knew how its eyes
were glaring and how its tail was writh-
ing.
Strange | said, something m Isl
have happened to Borden
Did you-did you happen to see him
in the swamp, LoganY inquired Storrs.
lie felt, az did | instantly, the i'm
propriety of the question; but it was
too late to withdraw it or modify it.
Just then the panther yelled like a
demon OF despair.
Logan lifted his head and looked at
Storrs. then at me. 1t was deep,
searching, apprehensive glance which
instantly betrayed his perfect under
standing Of our suspicion. He did not
speak; it may have been the man eaters
voice that hindered him; but his lips
moxed dumbly as he resumed his for
mer attitude.
| rose to my feet and said that some
thing must be done to find Borden. 1t
would never do to sit there and wait.
At that moment thin, infnitesimal
drizze of rain came down from fog,
like cloud blown in off the sea. Storrs
sprang up finging aside his pipe.
Where is that pitchpine for torchesT
he inquired.
Here it is l said, kicking the heap
of long fat spllnters with my boot.
We buckled on our belts and seized
our guns; then, lighting our torch, went
to the fringe of the jungle, where we
paused to peer into the gloom at the
limit of our light. Here Logan strobe
up to us and said:
If we don't find that scoundrel alive
I'll kill you both. You think | have
murdered him
He was fully armed, as usual, but he
had no torch. Turning from us i'm
uediately he plunged right into the
dense tangle of the swamp, and we
heard him tearing his way along like a
river horse, his heavy boots splashing
the water of the inky pools.
Wed better halloo, suggested Storrs,
as We stood there hesitating.
assented, and then we took turn a
bout shouting and calling Borden 8
name. The old cat yelled back at US
with savage energy. The fine rain
sputtered in the fire of our torches, and
the dark earth gave forth a rankish
smell, half fragrance. half stencil, for
the breeze could not reach US here,
though overhead it was waving the tree
tops noisily.
1t was our fifth or sixth call that had
answer from human throat, halloo
which came from distant part ot the
Jungle. 1t was steady, resonant cry