Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-04-10
MARKS
L OF CRIME
[Original.]

TOOK out his handkerchief TO wipe
them, but, discovering that it, too, was
bloody, threw it On the ground, scraped
earth over it, cast a glance Over his
shoulder, shuddered and hurried away.
What was that purring behind him?
He turned and in the road saw a white
kitten. 1t stood still, but when he
went on it hoped along behind him.
He could not bear that even this hv-
Ing thing should follow him and, turn
ing again, tried to brighten it away.
1t sat down on it's hind legs and looked
up at him stupidity. Again he went on
and, again hearing the purring, knew
that the kitten was close behind him.
Selling a stone, he threw it; but,
though his missile struck within a
hairs breadth Of the kitten. it did not
move. Sitting quietly on it's hind legs
and lifting one paw, it began to lick it.
Without trying to brighten it again
the man hurried on, hoping by walking
fast to leave the thing behind. Surely
such tiny legs could not travel as fast
as his! His strides were long ones
and followed one another in such
quick succession that his gait was
almost a run. When he was quite
exhausted and his heart was beating
SO fast that he feared it would burst,
he turned once more, expecting to have
lost the kitten. He was disappointed.
1t was jumping along, each jump the
length Of one of his strides.
Thop no Jo+orro;noI c;noo ho oo1116
not distance it, he would kill it. Draw
ing a revolver, he tool deliberate aim
and fired. The kitten sprang aside,
avoiding the bullet, and sat looking at
him meekly out of it's little soft eyes,
apparently unconscious that he had
tried to injure it. He fired again, this
time wounding his tormentor in the toe,
a slight scratch, but sufficient to draw
blood, the sight of which drove him on
again with a curse. In time he recov-
cred himself and, turning, fired again,
wounding the kitten seriously. This
time, when he went on, it limped after
him with difficulty. Nevertheless it
kept pace with him. and. though he
emptied his revolver, he failed to kill it.
Then he determined to catch it. He
chased it. pausing now and again to
coax it, but it was still fleet enough to
distance him and wary enough to
elude him. He sat down on a rock and
called, Exit, kit, kit!!' .whereupor the
kitten, as if it bore no malice for it's
wounding, resumed it's favorite posi-
ton on it's launches and began licking
its bloody spots standing out crimson
against it's white coat. He got up and
walked slowly toward it, holding out
his hand as if to stroke it. The kitten
waited until he anne within reach,
then drew back and before he could
get his hand on it was a dozen yards
away. Meanwhile he was getting back
to his starting point.
Then he noticed something that filled
track left by the kitten on the road.
He looked farther IN and discovered
another. These tracks would betray
him. He must catch the little beast or
be discovered.
The kitten ran into the trunk of a
hollow tree that stood beside the road,
and he was sure he had cornered it.
Putting in his hand, he was cropping
for it, when, hearing a purring above,
he looked, and there it was emerging
from a hole near the lower branches.
In despair be turned away and started
up the road, but no 0 had he left
the tree than the kitten ran down the
Ax,,-Ir orl ~ oS4O. IS,,, NgoIin~ n
dash for it, with almost superhuman
swiftness he chased it till he came to
the spot where awhile before he had
emerged from the wood. He stopped
and wrung his hands.
Then his tormentor went and sat OF
the heap of earth he had scraped over
his bloody handkerchief.
There were sounds in the woods, the
sounds of coming men. The fugitive
heard and knew his doom.
"This is the nearest point from the
house," said a voice. HI must have
struck the road right here"
"Look out for marks Of blood" said
another. "Murderers lever succeed in
getting rid of all the traces. Like
enough you'll find n on a leaf or a
twig, but if it's no bigger than a pin
head the microscope will tell if it's hui
man.
The murderer stood motionless. Had
he given up to the inevitable or did he
fear to acknowledge by fight that he
had committed the crime? When he
heard the words Of the last speaker, he
felt a ray of relief that the bloody
tracks of the kitten were not human.
Suddenly he gave a moan. The beast
stood on it's feet, it's back arched. its
tail pointed to the sky, and with it's
claws was scratching away the dirt.
A man emerged from tn. road. leap
ed the creek and stood face to face
with the fugitive.
"Take me- said the murderer. ut IS
useless to try to conceal the marks OF
my crime. There they are. Go and get
them"
"Where?'
Under that cat"
81 see no cat"