The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-05-15

oSSA4 " p~Sh VI ~
excited men pass him in quest of a
negro criminal. His memory harked
back to that time, and his hair raised
itself in terror. He threw away his
food and dashed madly into the woods,
seeking to escape that menacing un-
dertone which his consciousness told
him could have but one quarry. He
knew in an instant that the boy had
betrayed him, and that he, Count
Seigo, a nobleman of Japan and de-
scendant of the Samurai, was being
hunted by dogs like a wild beast Of
the woods.
For a few minutes he ran in a panic,
taking no heed of direction, and bent
only On gaining time to think, and put
ting space between him and his pur-
suers. A tangle of underground COM
PEELED him to stop and seek for ave
nues through the wilderness. He ran
down what seemed al old deserted
road; but on neither side could he find
a place favoring a change of course.
He was doubling back along the side
of a triangle, and vas so close at n
time to the hounds that he momen-
tarily expected them to break cover,
drop the scent afforded by the hand
kerchief and cut across to where he
was. He could ever distinguish the
shouts of the men behind, continually
encouraging the animals in the chase,
and heard me exclaim: Its the Jap,
all right, or he wouldn't have lit out
SO quick!"
His teeth came together with a click
at this confirmation of his suspicious,
and now he realized that wherever an
officer of the law was posted warning
had been given of his coming. He
swore that he would yet escape, and
urged himself in the name of his
country to rush ahead; and thus for
many minutes the fate of Japan rested
on a race between bloodhounds and a
fugitive who tore headlong through
the underground, careless of thorns
which reached out and SCARED his
face, ripped the false queue from his
short cropped bristling hair and rent
his clothing.
Once, blinded with pe%rspiration, he
plunged into what appeared to be a
pathway; but fell through a tangle at
the end, to find himself beside a way
side spring. He gulped three or four
swallows of water and retraced his
steps, cursing fate for the loss of
time, and ran with renewed energy
down the roadway. A flash of re-
flected light smote him in the eyes,
and he saw that he had reached the
waters edge. At his feet stretched
only tossing waves, and like a stag at
bay he was driven to the open.
The end seemed very near now; for
back of him the harsh clamorings
broke out into a triumphal wailing
note telling those behind that the quar-
ry had been sighted. The hounds were
coming on the run, and round the
bend of the road emerged an excited
but grimly determined lot of men Of
that stamp which makes a frontier,
set jawed, lean visaged, and running
with the long, Looping stride of those
accustomed to sustained violent ex-
ertion.
Seigo, distracted and desperate,
took a few steps in either direction,
uncertain which way to turn, and
then discovered but a short distance
below a boat in which lay a pair of
oars. 1t was the only way to gain a
moments respite from those great
brutes which, with bellies low to the
ground, with lolling jaws and flaming
eyes, whose red he could discern,
were closing in on him. He made
three or four frantic leaps and threw
himself into the craft. showing 1t of
almost as the animals we're upon him,
and then with maniacal energy threw
the oars into the locks and bent him.
self double pulling against them.
one brief moment OF exultation 70 he
heard the swish of parted waters
against the bow and saw the space
widening between him and the beach
on which stood his bafled pursuers.
He saw the men halt on the single
and heard them shouting to him; but
never ceased pulling. hoping and half
believing that he could put himself
beyond range. It was Seigo against
them all now. and he began to glow
with triumph, not knowing the char
acter Of those men Of the west who
still gave him a chance for his life.
Drunk with excitement, he shouted
back a taunt in his own tongue.
Two of the men on the beach knelt
down and aimed their rifles calmly
and steadily at that moving target
which was drawing away. They were
as cool as they would have been II
covering a grazing deer in the hills.
The rising sun made of the Japanese
a fair mark, lighting up even at that
distance his %sneering face. There
were two quick puffs of smoke, which
rose simultaneously into the air and
f1oated away in little wisps, two short
sharp reports, and Seigo sprang to his
feet, dropped his hold on the oars, and
clutched his breast in agony, whirled
round III his wildly bobbing craft, and
then slowly pitched forward and over
into the waters Of the sound. his days
Of effort terminated in defeat and his
mission at al end.