The Washington herald., 1909-01-31

YOU Then ne sprang up and darted into wood
Well hunted for him Ike madnan until morn
ing was then arrested escaped the following night
disguised myself as tramp. and began life OF vaga
bondage looking always for him Il rather odd.
don't you thnk7 the innocent man hunting for the
murderer the law hunting for the innocent the
murderer being co1npassionatey SEARCHED :Or BY his
mystissd friends, while the guilty hir1sef
fugitive from his own conscience and ne Yes. when
think OF II Il odd
As you may easily surmise. memory Of all this
big and bitter fn ne that night as I sat the
rivers rnargs in Florida hearing the faint music OF
the dance now and then Ike haunting whisper al my
ear. hand OF moonlight lay across the bank and cut
athwart the water Ike satin ribbon and presently
human shape tnto i from the direction Of
the house II the OF the swamp. He passed
feet from me. with fingers stopping his
wild eyes turned back over his shoulder toward the
glowing building the knoll he might have served
for picture OF Cain flying from Eden Suddenly be
stopped and listened then. TO ny utter aazement, IN
sort OF pantomiae he rehearsed the tragedy OF the
conservatory To ne IL was as vivid and real
revealed BY burst Of lightning All the motions
Of It he accompanied with frightfu words ending in
high. empty rattle Of laughter
There stood the man who had injured ne beyond
all expression-a hend debased ana demeHted by the
laTgeness OF his sin With a burning throe OF horror
and rage sprang UP and confronted him For no
msnt he seemed 10 shrink 70 the stature Of an ape
shaking and staring and dividing his breath little
sasps then suddenly dashed me fat bounded over me
and down the bank with Incredible hestness eaped into
a the waters edge and shot out into the
stream. pistol, for him. always lay in my pocket
and scrambled I'D, drew It. and fred twice. At the
second report heard kind OF snarng cry; then the
canoe passed into the shadow OF trees down the oppo
site shore and lost view
There was no sleep for me that night Do you
think Il little thing that had been an outcast for
four years? That this man had barred the door Of
Paradise for BY wedding the woman I loved and
had slain her. and pushed the crime upon ne? DO you
doubt that cared 70 put the blame where Il belonged
and be man among men again? Fancy one dying OF
thirst in desert and once dreaming OF a drink
from the spring that bubble under the hiI
By his bOyhood home one lying IN he'll Indifferent
that others trod free and painless heavens fields OF
asphOdeT
Well before day6reak I was in a canoe at the
swamp's edge with the gleam OF light drove
eagerly into the watery tange- IN moment I was
in alien world buried realm OF liquid lanes
fanked with brown trunks. that bore aoft roof
OF matted vines and interlacng boughs through which
actual sunshine never fell. On al sides were writhng
heaps OF knoted cypress and vines that leaped
aleft like huge brown ropes and hung along the dim
ceiling webbed and festooned with wells Of silver moss
The air blush twilight, the water like amber
oil
q sat kneeIiRg upon my knees in the canoe as I
padded, revolver and knife by my side As glanced
along the fantastic tunnels snakes slipped from the
knees, and far and echoing through the
aisles the splash and snoring susperaton Of
aligators- may have progressed a mile or more,
driving for the swamps center. when entered broad
pool which the matted roof arched lofty and thin.
The light green crystal IN this leafy and
out OF it path burrowed eastward to solid and
slightly higher ground A swung under droop-
ing ferns az the spotted here and there with
crimson. like that from human veins An thought !.
this the island and this way went MY friend Of
long ago-wounded toor
landed and with cooked revolver in hand pro-
eeeded stealthy along the path For short distance
it pIowed through yerduTe neck high, then wsvered
through broad sweep Of sunless woods and presently
came TO opsn marsh where thousands Of ducks and
footed creatures OF many feeding Here
and there and odd looking traps for taking
the fathered creatures and farther the path having
led into the wood and to higher ground again.
came 10 fantastic habitatiOn fancy ever con-
eeved. It seemed sort OF huge bird with walls
Of pale yellow cane and thick with birds
wings Ont OF this odd structure. through opening
at the top two big vines went upward TO the matted
treetops these vines being formed into ladder
by twisting withes back and forth between them and
letting out through hole in the leafy roof the
shine, and, doubtless, glmpses Of the distant