Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-08-09

Of the land Of bondage. And,
though he little knew it. but
Pared less, Tom Erlchsen was now liza
Bile to further transportation, even to
Norfolk island, and that for life.
Six months In chain gang was, how
ever, a likelier term. He might even
get off with another fifty lashes and
doubtless would if he fell alive into the
ruthless hands through which he had
slipped at last. He set his teeth at
the thought, 1t should never be. They
might take his body-there would be
one or two more to 60 with it when
they, did.
The stars were still sharp in the sky.
they remained so for some hours long |
Or when a breath of wind blew them
out like candles, and day broke, or,
rather, burst, like q shell.
Meanwhile Tom had struck q creek,
waded mile in it to destroy the scent,
waded within a stones throw of Jar.
mans hut, turned tail in a panic and
waded back, and miles farther, in the
opposite direction. In the creek also
he slaked his thirst and laved his
wounds He had turned his back on
1t when the sun rose. And toward the
rising sun he ran and ran until there
was great belt Of blue beneath 1t In
the sky, then hid for the day in tiny
clump OF trees in the midst of an open
plain.
Here he slept for hours, yet dreamed
but one dream-of baying dogs and
ha tIQ
first sound was actually audible, but
far away and growing fainter. 1t pass
ed altogether, and he fell asleep again.
Awaking second time, he found the
stars back in the sky, but as yet no
moon, And Tom was deadly faint for
lack of food.
Also his wounds were so stiff that he
could scarcely stir, every movement
causing him pain. Yet he struggled up
and tottered east, with those five fixed
stars shining feebly upon his wan
right cheek and haggard profile,
How long this continued Tom could
never tell 1t might have been hours
later or only minutes that seemed like
hours when the climax came. All he
ever knew was that his head was by
this time very light, and that the moon
was no higher than the trees when i,
shone upon the stray wether bleatine
piteously In his path, which was tc
stand out terribly in his mind ever
after Yet up to that moment forty
hours fast had been broken but once
with sandwiches. 1t was either this OF
lingering death. -
AZ,
tr 81 the e51hg con
Wet as the settlement contained.
lie pushed OH now With new ant
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 We're thickest. He was now
steering jealousy by the moon, with
his head thrown farther back the high
er 1t sailed. Thus it was that little
later he tripped and staggered without
seeing what it was that had caught his
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 a rag upon it.
Tom knelt to examine it by the
moonlight, and cold thrill ran down
him, which lie resented when he had
time to think. 1t showed there was
something human in him yet.
The body was that of very swarthy
man, with wonderful white teeth, upon
which the moon shone and glistened' Id
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 q 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 bullet to
drill a 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 us a sign that his heart was dead
nfter all and 50 past bleeding for any,
thing OF anybody any more. At this
moment 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 off than he had
thought
He got up and first walked, then
crept toward the light. The colony
was infested with bands of bushrang-
ers. What IL here We're one and this
corpse their handiwork? Now Tom
thought of it, one particular and most
notorious band had been depredating
this very part of the country ever since
the new year. lie had heard envious
reports of the villains In the convicts'
huts at Castle Sullivan, and especially
had he heard of their terrible italian
chief. said to be an outlawed brigand
come to seek fresh fortunes in New
South Wales. or the merciless ferocity
of this free alien the most horrifylng
stories were ailoat. Yet tho worst of
these but feebly expressed one who
shot men from behind. stripped their
corpses and tore the very rings from