Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-22


and hurying ii in my poor friends side.
1t was done in I'M instant-so suddenly
that | had neither time to spring be
tween nor 10 grasp his intention before
the wounded man sank gaSping on the
ground, and the knife tinkled upon the
pathway at my feet. The villain set no
Il Shrill cry of triumph. and bounding
back in time To avoid the savage sword
| thrust which | made at him, he turned
and fled down the road at the top of his
speed lie was far lighter man than
l. and more Scantily clad, vet | had from
my long wind and length of limb been
the best runner of my district, and he
soon learned by the sound of my feet
that he had no chance of shaking me Oft.
Twice he doubled as a hare does when
the hound is upon him, and twice my
sword passed within foot of him, for i'll
very truth | had no more thought of
| mercy than if he had been Il poisonous
snake which had fastened its fangs into
my friend before my eyes. / never
| dreamed of giving nor did he OF clain-
| ing it. At last hearing my steps close
upon him and my breathing ut his very
| shoulder, he sprang wildly through the
reeds and dashed into the treacherous
norasS Ankle-deep, knee-deep, thigh
| deep waist-deep, we struggled and stag
| gered, | still gaining upon him until |
| was within arm 5 reach of him, and had
! whirled up my sword to strike. 1t had
! dren, that he should not die the death of
a man, but that of the reptile which he
1 was. for even as | closed upon him he
sank OF Il sudden With a gurgling sound,
and the green marsh scum met above his
| head No ripple was there and no splash
/ to mark the spot. 1t was sudden and
| silent, as though some strange monstc,
| of the marshes had seized him and
! dragged him down into the depths. As
stood with appraised sword still gazing
| upon the spot. one single great bubble
/ rose and burst upon the surface. and
| then all was still once more, and the
dreary fens lay stretched before me, the
very home of death and desolatloI.
| I know not whether he had lndee1
GENE upon some sudden pit which had
| engulfed him, or whether in his despair
| he had cast himself down of set purpose.
! do but know that there in the
great Sedgcmoor morass are buried the
bones of the traitor and spy.
| | made my way as best / could
through the oozy. clinging mud to the
margin. and fastened back to where
| Reuben was lying Bending over him |
| found that the knife had pierced through
the side leather which connected his back
and front plates, and that the blood was
not only pouring out of the wound but
was tricking from the corner of his
mouth. With trembling fingers | undid
the straps and buckles. loosened the ar
nor. and pressed my kerchief to his side
to stanch the flow.
Il trust that YOU have not slain him.
Micah" he said, of a sudden, opening
his eyes.
a higher power than ours has judged
him. Reuben" / answered.
Poor devil, He has had much to inn
bitter him. he murmured, and straight
way tainted again As knelt over him,
marking the lads white face and labored
breathing. and bethought me Of his sim
pie. kindly nature, and of the affection
which | had done so little to deserve. |
am not ashamed to say, my dcars, albeit
am a man somewhat backward in my
emotions that my tears were mingled
with his blood.
As it CHANGED. Decimus Saxon had
found time to ascend the church tower.
for the purpose of watching IFS through
his glass and seeing how we Jared Not
ing that there was something amiss. he
had hurried down for a skilled chirur-
gc0n. whom he brought out TO us under
an escort of scythesmen. | was still
kneeling by my senseless friend, doing
what an ignorant man might to assist
him. when the party arrived and helped
me to bear him into the cottage out Of
the glare of the sun. The minutes were
as hours while the man Of physic with
grave face, examined and probed the
wound.
1t will scarcely prove fatal, he said
~ iHSAs anu 4 Goulu nave embraced nm
for the words THE blade has glanced
on rib. though the lung is slightly
torn. We shall bear him back with us
to the town"
You hear what he says" said Saxon
kindly. "He is Il man whose opinion is
Of weight.
A skilifu leach Is better far
Than half hundred men Of war.
Cheer up. man! You are as white as
though it were your blood and not his
which was drained away. Where is Der
rick"