Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-10-15

/ Uncle Amos, the foreman, graspiug
the uail-studded leather collar Of the
dog, led him TO the clump of Ilacs,
raised his heavy muzzle and laid it
along the broken stalk. Mute sur
prise in the beasts eyes only. Fur
Their along, above the fracture. An
eager shifting told that it understood,
that il had the scent.
Dropped to all tours, the dog shifted
the ground eagerly, ran hither and
/ thither, circled around the lilac bush.
then, tossing its head high, with long
deep-chested bay. it laid its muzzle
once more 10 the ground. and drag
ging the quarrymau who held II with
stout leathen thong, it set of across
the lawn. II was on the trail
And those who heard, thrilled with
the savage music Of that bay, which
awoke in their own breasts the latent
savagery Of the human beast. Their
pulses beat to faster measure, the
righteous Indignation of an outraged
neighborhood. for the moment gave
place TO the fierce exultation Of the
hunters of wild beasts Primeval man
awoke in them and, scorning the chas-
tening effects Of centuries, rejoiced in
the chase.
Eagerly the dog tugged at his collar,
as eagerly the crowd of young and old
pressed in its wake Yes, here was
where he got through the hedge. II
could be seen plainly, the gap, now
that the dog pointed the way. To the
right along the lane as far as the stile;
over this and across the fields by the
footpath to the parsonage, straight
on into the village. What stranger had
passed through that day? Eagerly
they asked each other the question.
None could answer IL. And the won
der grew as step by step the keen
scented dog tracked the footsteps Of
this unknown fugitive, followed them
into the various familiar places in the
village, the store, the blacksmith shop,
the post Office. Men looked at each
other with wonder and suspicion.
What did IL mean? Eagerly the dog
strained at his leash; quicker and
ever quicker he dragged his keeper
along. Again into the fields, back
again into the village, then along the
road back to the house Of death. In
erringly. without a moments hesita-
ton. the great beast rugged along,
waking the echoes of the coming night
with his deep-throated bay. which an
nounced that he still held the trail
and il was growing warm. Tense with
the eageruess Of the quest, they fol-
lowed the hurrying dog, shrinking
each from the other in the nameless
suspicion fast growing in every breast.
Arrived at the lawn before the house,
the hound turned promptly toward the
lilac bush. But II did not gro quite to
IT, At a point some dozen feet short
OF the shrub Ii turned off and headed
again across the lawn toward the gap
in the hedge. Again 10 the right, along
the lane. over the stile, across the
fields. The dog was tracking the track
ing party. Among those who followed
this hunt for a man was the hunted
man himself. Lifelong friends eyed
each other askance; In each face was
look writ by horror and trepidation,
which to the superficial might appear
the look Of guilt itself. Each suspect
ed his neighbor and felt himself sus-
pected. Vain in that universal uneasi-
ness to seek TO read the really guilty
one. Nothing 10 do but 10 follow on
this everything trial, around and around
until the end.
Back third time TO Rose Gable, the
attendant followers now heightened to
a trailing que. as the dog pressed more
eagerly forward. and the more infirm
among the followers lost ground, I'M
able to keep up, though none dreamed
of dropping out. Painting. nearly over
come, a little group brought up the
rear, entering the grounds just as the
head of the party, led by the indom-
liable hound. was emerging from the
gap in the hedge. The man holding the
leash stumbled and the dog, thrown
forward by his own weight, oyerran
the scent and for a moment was at
however, and with bay of rejoicing
resumed the tracking, but in the other
direction. Back again 10 the gate of |
Rose Gable, back across the lawn, and |
with a snarl of rage the great beast |
tore itself free from the restraining |
hand that held him and sprang at the /
throat of Jasper Downes.
"And the sentence of the court is
that you be taken back TO the place
where you have been confined and be
kept there until the goth of March,
when you shall be hanged by the neck
until YOU be dead. And may God have
mercy on your soul"
The famous trial was over at last,
and the villagers filed out of the court
room. silent and awed still under the
influence of the impressive scene in
which they had just played part.
who'd We thought it? Jasper
Downes. of all men Why. I'd most
as soon We believed it Of myself"
II was Homer Cough who spoke to
Uncle Amos, but he voiced the thought
Of the countryside which had not yet
recovered from the amazement into