The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-14

| later or only minutes that seemed lik
| hours when the climax came. All b
| ever knew was that his head was b.
this time very light, and that the moor
was no higher than the trees when
shone upon the stray wether bleatin'
piteously in his path, which was t.
stand out terribly in his mind eve
after. Yet up to that moment a fort,
hours fast had been broken but once
with sandwiches. 1t was either this O.
lingering death.
The moon won clear of the trees. 1
shone into the glutted eyes and on thu
blood caked mouth and fingers of a!
desperate and abandoned a young con
Wet as the settlement contained
He pushed on now with a new and
dreadful energy. He thought he smell
the sea. The country, however, was
still we'll timbered, and instinctively
rather than with conscious precautior
the fugitive made his line where the
trees were thickest. He was now
steering jealousy by the moon, with
his head thrown farther back the high
er 1t sailed. Thus 1t was that little
later he tripped and staggered without
foot, but 1t felt peculiar, and after a
moment he turned round, stood still
and went back
1t was the dead body Of man.
The body had not rag upon it.
Tom knelt to examine 1t by the
moonlight, and cold thrill ran down
him, which he resented when he had
time to think. 1t showed there was
something human in him yet.
The body was that of a very swarthy
man. with wonderful white teeth, upon
which the moon shone and glistened in
the ghastliest manner, and pierced
ears. from which the earrings had
been brutally torn, and a chapfallen
blue chin. Tom thought the man had
not been many hours dead. What
puzzled him was the apparent absence
OF a mortal wound where the other
evidences of foul play were so glar-
ing. When found, however, the wound
itself puzzled him much more. 1t was
at the back of the sunburnt neck and
might have been a bullet wound, but
Tom had never seen one before, nor
would he have expected a bullet to
drill hole SO clean and round.
He now behaved as though he had
been tripping over murdered men all
his life. He had not only recovered
his composure: he was able to glory in
1t as a sign that his heart was dead
after all and SO past bleeding for any
thing or anybody any MORE At this
he raised his eyes, and his
new found composure was at an end.
A light flashed through the trees into
his eyes-a tongue of fame from some
campfire.
Tom listened. No voices reached his
ears save those Of the nocturnal BUSH
The fire was farther of than he had
thought.
He got up and first walked, then
.rept toward the light. The colony
was infested with bands of bushrang-
ers. What IL here were one and this
corpse their handiwork? Now Tom
thought of it, one particular and most |
notorious band had been depredating
his very part of the country ever since
The new year. He had heard env1ous
'eports of the villains in the convicts'
luts at Castle Sullivan. and especially
lad he heard of their terrible Italian
.hief. said to be an outlawed brigand
,ome to seek fresh fortunes In New |
south Wales. OF the merciless ferocity
Il this free alien the most horrifying
tories were afloat. Yet the worst of
hese but feebly expressed one who
hot men from behind. stripped their
orpses and tore the very rings from
heir ears.
Tom crept near the fire in a personal
right curiously exhilarating in it's in
ensity. He might almost have been q
rec man once more, worth robbing,
vorth numbering for his money. The
ovel sensation brought back mo-
nentary Whit Of unconscious self re-
pect. 1t was Just the little thought
f having a life worth taking once
nore. of being anything to anybody
ut a beaten dog. and 1t came and
rent and WAS forgotten in the same
loment.
The next he was gazing on a curious
Gene, and his fears were also at an
nd.
In the light OF the campfire four men
,ree faces more innocentIy inteut-for
1t 1OUTtu WAS luTucu Tue OIueE way
ON had never seen in his life. On
is left sat a long limbed STRIPPING
'hom the others addressed as Slipper
lille they shuffied aud cut and crit
Used his play. 1t was clear that Slip
er was a novice. though an anxiou.
sient OF the game His partner was
wall eyed man without a smile. Nei-
er did Tom hear a word from the
e whose black hair and sullen Shout
ps were toward him. but opposite
aom, facing Tom. sat the visible life c
q soul Of the party. c
This was a little elderly man with {
ay tufts upon his bloodless cheeks
d horn spectacles pushed halfway up =
benevolent brow. He sat
llorwise. like the rest. but played his
rds in way of his own. He had r
ly one band for the job. His right
10 terminated in a polished hook
tn cork at the end of il, but there c
cit at his side gigantic aboriginal. T
10 threw down each card as the :
aver touched it with the cork. Such :
is the party. At the first glance Tom :,
d looked anxiously for the blood a
rsty Italian brigand, but he soon for "