Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-11-18
CHAPTER IIl.-continued.

drop one of the canoes into the
water" l said; and l watched the
prowling bcatman while lima crept
back to the boat house. The canoe
was launched silently and the boy
drove it out to me with few light
strokes. took the paddle, and we
crcpt close along the shore toward
the st. Agatha light, my eyes intent
on the boat, which was now drawing
in to the school pier. The prow.er
was feeling his way carefully, as
though the region was unfamiliar; but
he now landed at the pier and tied his
boat l hung back in the shadows
until he had disappeared up the bank,
then padded to the pier, told lima to
wait, and set off through the wood
path toward ST. Agatha's.
Where the wood gave way to the
broad lawn that stretched up to the
school buildings I caught sight of(my
quarry. He was q young fellow, not
above average height, but compactly
built. and stood with his hands thrust
boyishly in his pockets, gazing about
with frank interest in his surround
ings He was bareheaded and coat
less. and his shirt sleeves were rolled
to the elbow. He walked slowly
a'ong the edge of the wood, looking
OF toward the school buildings, and
willie his manner was furtive there
was, too, an air of unconcern about
him and heard him whistling softly
to himself.
He now withdrew into the wood
and started of with the apparent in
tention of gaining view of st. Aga
tka's from the front, and | followed.
He seemed harmless enough; he
might be a, curious pilgrim from the
summer resort; but was just now
the guardian of st. Agatha's and in
tended to learn the strangers bu3i-
ness before had done with him. He
reached the driveway leading in from
The Annandale road without having
disclosed any purpose other than that
of viewing the v.ne-clad walls with
tourists idle interest. The situation
had begun to bore me- when the
school gardener came running out of
the shrubbery, and instantly the
young man took to his heels.
"Stop! Stop!" yelled the gardener
The mysterious young man plunged
into the wood and was off like the
wind
After him, Andy! After him!"
yelled to the Scotchman.
l shouted my own name to reassu~e
him and we both went humping
through the beeches. Whoever the
young gentleman was, he had no in
tention OF being caught; he darted in
and out among the trees with astound-
ing lightness, and | saw in a moment
that he was slowly turning away to
the right.
Run for the gate!" called to the
gardener, who was about 20 feet away
from me, blowing hard. | prepared to
gain on the turn If the young fellow
dashed for the lake; and he now led
me a pretty chase through he flower
garden. He ran with head up and ell
bows close at his SIDES, and his light
beat shoes made scarcely any sound.
He turned once and looked back and,
finding that | was alone, began
amusing himself with feints and
lodges, for no other purpose,
fancied, than to perp!ex or wind me
BY this time l had grown pretty
angry, for foot race in a school gar
den struck me with disgust as child
ish enterprise, and / bent with new
Spirit and drove him away from his
giddy circling about the summer
Nd fhn nn1u hu
which he could regain the wood and
meadow that lay between the garden
and his boat. He turned his head
from side to side uneasily slackening
his race to study the bounds of the
garden. and l felt myself gaining.
Ahead of us lay white picket fence
that set off the vegetable garden and
marked the lawful bounds of the
school. There was no gate and | felt
that here the chase must end, and /
rejoiced to find myself so near the
runner that / heard the quick, soft
patter of his shoes on the walk. In
a moment was quite sure that
should have him by the collar, and
had every intention of dealing severe
ly with him for the hard chase he had
given me.
But he kept on, the white line of
fence clearly outlined beyond him;
and then when my hand was almost
upon him he rose at the fence, as
though sprung from the earth itself,
and hung a moment sheer above the
sharp line of the fence pickets, his
whole figure held almost horizontal in
the fashion of trained high-jumpers,
for what seemed an infinite time, as
though by some witchery of the moon.
light.
plunged ITO the fence with a
force that knocked the wind out of
me, and as l cluug painting to the
picllets the runner dropped with a
crash into the midst of glass vege-
table frame on the farther side. He
turned his head, gr.nned at me sheep
ish'y through the pickets. and gave
kick that set the glass to tinkling.
Then he held up his hands in sign of
surrender and | sew that they were
cut and bleeding. We were both badly
blown, and while we regained our
wind we stared at each other. IL
was the first to speak
kicked, bit or stung!" he NUT
tered, dolefully; that saddest of all
words, 'stungn It's as clear as moon
light that I'm badly mussed, not to
say cut"
Nay trouble you not to kick out
any more o. that glass? The gardener