Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-01-29

his head down near to hers for
moment, while she examined his fea-
lures keenly and then passed with
cred hand over his face.
"Yes, Will, know you. What do
you here?"
cit matters not" roughly. "And,
let me tell you, 1 am not to be potted
like a bird by your people. Just
now, as 1 was coming through the
woods, some one fired on me-"
ct will not happen again." she
said, timidly. cit is the youngster;
he is new and has much to learn"
cit 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 pick standing against the
wall he took it. 81 have need Of this,
mother" She nodded.
Twill you be here long?"
"That may be as business calls for.
I simply stopped here now that you
might give that man a warming" 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 trouble up at the big
house yonder," waving his hand in
the direction Of the town. "You
heard about it?"
Eyes"
"Well, what then?" and his grasp
on her arm frightened.
"I know nothing of him who
caused it?"
"No; it was none of our work"
''You are sure of that?"
"Do you suppose l would keep it
from you if 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 l 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
so on up into the outer air.
AS he stood for moment . little
dazzled by the sunlight, two men en-
tered the glade. In deep talk they
did not notice him at first, but, when
their eyes fell on him, one uttered an
exclamation and seized his compan-
ion by the arm and dragged him into
the bushes.
The object Of their alarm, noticing
the action, simply laughed, and,
turning on his heel, went down a
path to the right, with good-hu-
mored smile on his face.
AS he made his way along, he
paused once and again to listen. He
held the pick he had borrowed with
both hands, as if preparing to use it
In case of a necessity.
To make sure that no one was fol-
lowing, he withdrew into the bushes
at one side of the road and waited.
He was in position to command the
path, and see any one coming or
going.
It was not long before g. cracking
of dried branches warned him that
his suspicious were correct. Pres
emily a tall young man, with dark,
unshaven face, and in very ragged
clothes, skunk into view. He drew
nearer, looking about with fright
ened eyes. AS he came abreast OF
where the other was hidden, he
paused to listen. It was only for a
moment that he stood there, for the
man with the pick leaped out in the
road, with the weapon uplifted and
such fierce look on his face that the
other, with howl, turned and ran
up the path, his grotesque tatters
futtering in the wind, and dlsap-
peared in twinkling at a turn in the
way.
ga fine new recruit that" muttered
the man with the pick, looking after
him. ''But what Of it? The most OF
the breed are towards"
Then he shouldered his implement
and went on down the path until he
he came to small ravine, through
which a brook was flowing. Swing
ing himself down over the bank he
dropped on the edge of the stream,
and, for a moment, stood looking
around him carefully at the rocks
on either hand. Then one peculiar
shaped stone seemed to attract his
attention, and he nodded, and at
once began to throw up the earth at
the foot of the rock. His face wore
an anxious expression now, and was
full of tense emotion. He worked fu-
riously, as if his very life depended