Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-12

ese' kneD
lie spranQ clean on top of the police
officer.
saw the mistake he had made by
to the right to make the gate, and the
officers, who had run straight ahead
and thus gained a score Of yards, were
upon him in full cry.
The gate was q high wooden one,
luckily without spikes. The runaway
straddled the top just as the pursuers
reached the bottom and left a shoe in
their hands ere he threw himself down
upon the other side and kicked its
fellow to the winds.
Tom ran swiftly on and presently
overhauled a cart numbering westward
along the middle of the road. He
was passing it at a less suspicious pace
when he made a discovery. The driver
was bent double and fast asleep.
Tom dropped behind again and peep
ed in over the back. 1t was a hay
cart, and the load had been left In
town. All that remained was the tar
paulin lying in a crumpled heap. He
looked back along the road, but saw
nobody. Then he boarded the cart
silently enough in his ragged socks.
and curled himself up beneath the tar
paulin.
At Kew the carter stopped for his
breakfast, and Thomas Erickson made
good his escape.
Tom had his breakfast in the beauti-
full early sunshine beside the rivers
brim.
Overnight he had avoided the tavern,
but not the pastry cooks shop, so he
had made his supper in the empty
house and was still provisioned. More
over, his pocket was still weighted by
poor Blaydes' broken watch, nor could
he make up his mind to pitch into the
river his only asset, and one to which
he was so justly entitled. He was
clear of London now; the early sun
gave him confidence and pluck. He
would pawn the watch in one of these
Thames valley towns and then get
back to London and the docks by riv-
er and in new habiliments. 1t was
Saturday morning; he would wait IN
til that best of times, Saturday night,
but first he must find a place to hide
his head in during the day.
He found n in the boathouse of a
small, new, white brick villa, with a
narrow garden leading down to the
rivers edge. The boathouse had an
open window. Hardened by his ex-
tremity into Incredible alacrity in such
enterprises, Tom was through it In a
twinkling and we'll pleased with his
discovery. The boat was still hiber-
mating keel upward on trestles. 1t
would be a very strange thing if that
day, of all others, were chosen for
launching her for the summer. Deter
mined, at any rate, to risk it, the run
away climbed into a little loft which
might have been made for him and
settled down for the day. He rolled
himself up in several folds Of straw
berry netting and made another quaint
pillow of the DoX of a moving ma
chine, wherein he slept soundly for
several hours.
When Tom deemed it dark enough
for a judicious exit the wet earth was
as fragrant as q flower. He shifted 1t
joyously through the open window by
which he had entered. The garden
path was washed very yellow and Dor
dered by twin canals. There was more
light than he had thought when in the
loft. Still, not q soul was in view, and
it had been lighter yet when he arriv-
ed. 1t was necessary, however, to get
out of the window legs first and back
ward, and when Tom had done so and
turned around he beheld standing on
the yellow path between the two ca
nails and q%uizzically regarding him the
quaintest and the tiniest old gentle
man he had V e encountered.
He was certainly not more than five
feet high, but he carried himself SUI
perbly and fixed the intruder with a
steady, %jocular, light blue eye which
inspired respect before fear. He. seem
ed, indeed, the essence of contempla-
tive geniality, but it was his powdered
hair, black knee breeches and white
silk stockings that gave him the pic
ture book appearance at which even
Tom found time to marvel. But he
marveled more when the old gentle
man made him a courtly bow and said
in high, chirping tones:
II am delighted to see you, sir! 1
fear my boathouse will have afforded
you but Indifferent shelter on so vile a
day. Such as it has been, however,
you are welcome to it indeed"
"Welcomew exclaimed Tom.
"And why not!' chirruped the other.
"Surely we who have must give to you
who have not. be it roof or boot? I
am sorry, however. to see you bare
footed. for you will permit me to OBJ