Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-10-18

| formed Dy the OLD quarry, anu TAIN
! in the soft, pure morning air. Only
1.-THE birds were stirring, and a rabbit
or two scuttled through the grass. SO
| far as human beings were concerned
| | seemed to have the world to myself.
! 1t was quite a long way down iGto
the valley, through the bottom CT
which a narrow footpath ran towards
/ the house. Suddenly, as / looked
through the bushes on the edge of the
little plateau where | lay, | saw a fig
lure come hesitatingly out frum the
| trees ard take his footpath and f2oCe
the hcuse-the figure of = rlan.
could sec him quite clearly in the
bright morning light / saw that ne
was ragged and unkeml,t. ami that his
boots were broken. He looked like a
Uanlp-in fact, / might have taken
him for poacher bit that he APP
peared to carry NJ weapon.
Tie curious thing about the man
was that, although he seemed to know
bis way well, and to strike the path
naturally on coming out OF the ttees,
he yet looked about him hesitatingly.
as though uncertain whether TO go on
| When he stopped at last he stood In a
little natural clearing, that had for its
/ background the trees and bushes from
which he had emerged. 70 make my
Town position clearer, / may say that it
was almost as though | mad beel in
Ilhe gallery of a theater, and had
Hooked down upon a stage on winch
1.-The man stood, the only difference De
ling that the distance between Us was
lmuch greater than it ccald have been
in theater.
Suddenly, from the trees, there
ismerged another man knew him It
Ionce 1t was Felix Hartman, and b Z,
walker straight .owaad where the man
Iatood looking at him. A pace or two
away he stopped. / saw has left hand
go CUT TO grasp the gun he carried IL
the crook of his right arm. ami to
bring it into position for use. It was
almost as though he challenged the
ramp, although of course at that great
distance | could not hear what was
said
| saw the tramp throw cut passion
ate hands towards him and once shake
a fist at him. Evidently some strong
alteration was going on. And ali the
TINE Felix Hartman stood there, with
| his head thrust little forward, and
with The gun held in both hands
Presently / saw him jerk his head
: quickly, as though signaling to tine
other man 10 go; and the man began to
! back away from him, turning, like a
hunted dog, now and then to snarl at
him. but still always steadily moving
towards the belt of trees whence he
had emerged. Just as they reached
the edge of the clearing, in that posi-
ton. and in that dramatic attitude on
the little natural stage, leveled the
camera and snapped the picture. AS
/ raised my head again saw them us
appearing Hartman driving the other
before him into the trees.
lay for about half minute, gazing
at the spot where both men had Gis-
appeared then the whole air was star
tied by the loud report of gun. Rab-
bits scHttled away; birds flew scream
ing overhead; then there was great
silence. Only dimly Guessing what
had happened, lay still with my heart
beating tumultuously, and with my
miad slowly gripping the idea that
was practically the only witness OF
what must have been a tragedy. SO
Supplying an effect did it have upon
me that lay quite still for what must
nave been many minutes. | vas only
aroused to action by seeing a figure
come ont from the belt of trees.
One figure only-that OF Felix Har
man. He stopped on reaching me
edge Of the clearing, and looked about
him quickly, raised The gun he carried
| in his hands until he could look down
at the Lreech cf it close to his face,
then dropped it into the hollow o. his
arm. lie seemed in a curious fashion
10 set himself, ana then. with head
| erect marched on towards the house
! And | felt, Just as clearly as though he
had shouted IL up to the morning sky
al owe him, that he had left the tramp
dead in the bushes.
| did not quite know What 20 30. At
first | had an insane feeling that
Wculd 80 down by a winding path
knew, o meet him before he got to
the hcuse-eYen to tell him what had
seen. But my knowledge OF the man.
and my remembrance Of the weapon
he carried ami which already he had
NOT hcsitated 10 use. gave me pause;
1t Light be better if | never told OF
that scene at all. So | watched nlm
80 towards the house, aud went back
10 the inn anC tried to eat some break
fast: and said not wcri even TO
Enoch Voyce.
kept my secret for whole day.
he next morning. unable to hold II
any longer, | reused Enoch NOyce AT
an early hour and, with my moure
close against his ear whispered tire
= dreadful thing to him lie listened in
toptly ana made no comment. He got
M at once and dressed. and together
we set out in silence for The woods. II
! seemed To he SO much an understood
hing between as that we must dis,
I cover what hal happened tina. we tooR
? the direct road without so much as
SD, aklug Of our intention. And sc
came ut last into the little clearing
{ and to the edge Of the belt of trees.
/ Il was early, not soul to be seer