Mower County transcript., 1902-08-20

I 3 gcnanc0 OF Delng pOLIeQ against
|, when his aim was truer. Z u I. II
{ othing further happened; the in
Visible marksman did not attempt to
repeat his experiment. The little
man had now come to an opening in
the woods. Beyond, to his right, his
sharp eyes detected q slender thread
Of smoke drifting lazily up through
the warm air, and it was in: this di-
ERECTION that he now bent his steps. e
Entering a little glade he saw be-
yond him what seemed to be the
foundations of house rooted over
with old tarpaulins and bark. It
was out of a hole in this roof that
the smoke was drifting, and which
had attracted his attention. :.<.s.
There seemed to be no opening
to this building, but near the front
wall, set in the ground, was square
slab OF wood like the covering to a
well. ID & -.
r. Without moments hesitation he
| lifted this, disclosing burrowlike
hole that evidently communicated
with the interior of the place. Care
fully he climbed down into the hole,
and, passing through dark passage,
found himself in a ceHarlike room
feebly lit and filled with the sitting
smoke Of the green boughs with
which the fire had been fed.
"Ahoy, there! Anybody at home?"
for, in that light, there was no hui
man being visible.
Then, what he had taken to be a
bundle of fagots lying by the fire,
seemed to become suddenly endowed
with life, and finally resolved itself
into the form of q. little woman,
bent with age, who came hobbling
forward with surprising agility.
'You know me, mother" bending
his head down near to hers for a
moment, while she examined his fea-
cred hand over his face.
eyes, Will, know you. What do
you here2"
1T matters not" roughly. "And,
let me tell you, am not to be potted
like bird by your people. Just
now, as I was coming through the
woods, some one fired on me-"
1T win not happen again." she
said, timidly. 1T is the youngster;
he is new and has much to learn"
1T will be well if you tell him there
are lessons can teach him that are
not learned in schools" said he,
harshly; lessons that, once learned,
are never forgotten. You under
stand, mother? Let the lad know
that once I forgive for his youth,
but again"
"You have nothing to fear," she
stammered.
He broke out into loud laugh
that reused strange echoes in the
place.
"Fear-fear, did you say? A pleas.
ant word, and soft on the tongue,
but what does it mean?" and he
laughed again.
Seeing a pick standing against tne
wall he took it. Il have need of this
MOTHER She nodded.
"Win you be here long?'
'That may be as business calls for
I simply stopped here now that you
might give that man warning." He
moved toward the entrance, and
then, stepping back few PAGES, laid
his hand on her arm while he looked
down in her face searchingly.
"There was a trouble up at the big
house yonder," waving his hand il
the direction of the town. "You
heard about it?"
"Yes"
swell, what then?" and his grasp
on her arm frightened.
II know nothing Of him who
caused %
"No; it was none Of our work"
"You are sure of that?"
"Do you SUPPOSE would keep 1t
from you II I knew =.
NO." and, dropping her arm, with.
out another word, walked over again
to the way he had come. II go on
business OF my own, and while am
in the neighborhood am to be left
alone. No following, remember" and
with this parting warning, which his
manner implied more than his word,
he passed out into the passage, and
20 on up into the outer afr. :.
As he stood for q moment little
dazzled by the sunlight, two men en-
tered the glade. In. deep talk they
did not notice him at hrst, but, when
their eyes fell on him, ono uttered an
exolamatfon and seized his compan-
ion by the arm and dragged him into
the bushes. &. ~ @@c@s. %s~S H.
The object Of their alarm, noticing
the action, simply laughed, and,
turning on his heel went down q
path to the right, With good-hu-
mored smile on his face. s. 5 .@:,s
! As he made his way along, he
paused once. and again 70 listen. He
held the pick hs had borrowed with
both hands, as II preparing 10 use II
in case Of q necessity. @
To ma1ke sure that no one was fol
/ .s%t t-1rB : 5{