The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-10-16
On account Of a projecting rock

his covert, and he dared not leave
the cave lest he should be discov-
cred and fired upon by his foes
Had he been armed with other than
a knife he would have felt less I'M
easy. AS it was he lay quiet, wait
ing for the danger to pass.
The time wore tediously away
while his gaze was riveted on the
Bhadowy form until his eyes became
blurred and his limbs benumbed.
To his wonder, the figure contin-
ued motionless, though once OF
twice he fancied there was a slight
movement.
Several times he was upon the
point Of leaving the cave, trusting
to escape, but he refrained from
taking the risk.
''The furies take emp he NUT
tered. "They can shoot me down
like a dog without my lifting a fin
ger"
He chafed at his helpless position
and blamed himself for coming
again to the place, while higher and
higher the great round moon stole
up the dark blue dome of night.
Still there was no visible change
in the shadow on the rock. In his
bewildered state he never realized
that with the ascent of the moon its
shape would alter and its position
vary, or if he did give it a passing
thought it only served to intensity
the mystery and increase his fears.
Vainly he waited for it to disap-
pear-waited until to his feverish
vision it grew palmer in outline, un-
til the shadowy limbs seemed sub
stantial, the body the rounded form
Of a living being.
II can't stand this any longerp'
he cried at last. Il must take my
chances whatever they be-"
Freeing himself Of the plumber
he had hoped to take away, so that
he would not be unduly numbered,
he crept out upon the shelf.
Not a sound broke the stiffness of
the night save the ceaseless murmur
of the sea.
Now that his back was turned
upon the phantom figure and that
his hurried survey of the scene dis
covered no one, he moved forward
with rising hope.
He had passed half of the circular
distance from the cave to the end of
the narrow pathway without any,
thing to alarm him, though at each
furtive glance he saw the change
less shadow, when the sound of
footsteps reached his ears.
A moment later a mans form
came around the edge of the cliff,
and then a second and third.
With low cry he turned to re-
trace his course to the cavern,
knowing that once there he could
defend himself against a dozen, but
in his excitement he missed his foot
hold, and, clutching in vain upon
the ledge, he went headlong down its
jagged side upon the rocks below.
A piercing cry that rang far and
clear on the night air, a sullen
splash in the water and a deathlike
silence followed.
The newcomers proved to be some
of his own confederates, who, anx-
ious at his nonappearance, had come
in search of him.
The smugglers were about to de-
scend to the side of their unfortu-
nate leader when they saw for the
first time the shadow of the cliff.
Without stopping to solve the
mystery, they beat hasty retreat
to their homes.
The next day it was found that
the supposed shadow was the paint
ed figure of a man, and, strange
enough, Burk Brandon's idiotic son
had done the work. He had come
to the place in a boat and, having
singular aptness in this respect, had
performed his self imposed task with
remarkable faithfulness to nature.
In the glimmer Of the moonlight
his fathers mistake was not unnat-
ural, though it had cost him his
life. With the death of their chief
the smugglers no longer continued
their nefarious business, SO that
Witless Jack had unconsciously rem
dered an inestimable service. That
was several years since, and, though
the figure has faded from the rock,
the place is known as the Snug
gler's Shadow.
Some Family Talk.
tHNb;o 10 q hard foy,oi1u n Two