The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-25


Il was on the trail
And those who heard, thrilled with
the savage music of that bay which
awoke in their own breasts the latent
saYagery Of the human beast Their
pulses beat to a 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. It
could be seen plainly the gap, now thar
the dog pointed the way To the right
along the lane as far as the stile; over
this and across the fields by the foot
path e the parsonage, straight on into
the village. What stranger had passed
through that day. Eagerly they asked
each other the question. None could
answer it, And the wonder grew az
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 posfohice
Men locked at each other with wonder
and suspicion. What did il mean?
Eagerly the dog strained at his leash;
quicker and even quicker he dragged
his keeper along
Again into the fields. back again int,
the village, then along the road back
to the house of death Enerrinel5,
without a moments hesitation the
great beast tugged along waking fhe
echoes of the coming night with his
deep-thrQated bay, which announces
that he still held the trail and If was
growing warm. Tense with the eager
ness OF the quest, they followed he.
hurrying dog, shrinking each from the
other IN the nameless suspicion fast
growing in every breast
Arrived al the lawn before the house
the hound turned promptly toward the
mac bush But it did not 20 quite
TO IT. AT a point some dozen feet short
of the shrub it turned off and headed
again across the lawn toward the gap
IA the hedge. Again to the right along
the lane, over the stile across the
ing party.
Among those who followed this hunt
Tor a man was the hunted man himself
Lifelong friends eyed each other as
kance; in each face was a look writ by
horror ana trepidatioH, which to the
superficial might appear the look of
guilt itself. Each suspected his neigh-
Dor and felt himself suspected. Vain
In that universal uneasiness to seek TO
read the guilty one. Nothing to do but
TO follow on this everything traiIaround
and around until the end Back a third
time to Rose Gable. the attendant fol-
lowers now heightened to trailing
queue, as the dog pressed more eagerly
forward. and the more infirm among
the followers lost ground. unable to
Keep up. though none dreamed of drop
ping out. Painting, nearly overcome. a
little group brought up the rear enter
ing the grounds just as the head of the
party, led by the indomitable hound,
was emerging from the gap in the
hedge. The man holding the leash Stun
bled and the dog thrown forward by his
own weight overran the scent and for
moment was at fault He had il
again in a second, however and with
bay of rejoicing resumed the tracking,
but in the ether direction Back again
to the gate of Rose Gable, back across
the lawn, and with a snarl of rage the
great beast tore Itself free from the re-
straining hand that held him and
spVang 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 18th 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 villa gers fled out of the court room,
ence of the impressive scene in which
they had just played part
Who'd e thought it? Jasper Downes.
Of all mem Why. I'd most as soon We
believed it of myself"
1t was Homer Cough who spoke to
Uncle Amos. but he voiced the thought
of the country side. which had not yet
recovered from the amazement into
which the unexpected climax of the
Rose Gable tragedy had thrown them.
For Jasper Wownes had lived all his life
amongst them beloved for his gentle
nature.
The human heart is curious puz-
zle," said Uncle Amos There's never
any telling what anybody'n do You all
know how Jasper loved his half brother.
and how he took that brothers going
to the bad to heart. OF course ne
thought it was the wife's fault, and
when he saw her living respected by the
community, happy apparently. while
his mothers son. the man he loved bet
ter than he loved his life. was an out
cast and drunkard. he lost his head. -
St Louis World.