The bee., 1909-02-18
WINGS
w HIPPIN G
BY Phil slnms.

| Wing, the giant Oiack tfuSly, the
prison doctors stable boy. had seen It.
and a glitter Of intense hate flashed
in his eye as he turned away NUT
tering:
"He tried to get away. Tonight
I'm goin and I'll stay gone. or"
ooh Wing, Wingl" called a baby
voice back Of the trusty, and Or.
Pills" the fve.year-old pet of the
prison, son Of the doctor, came run
ming up to the black
The hunted CLEAN vanished soft
light came in it's place
wing" fed the doctors horses.
drove the COWS in from the pasture,
hitched the visiting preachers mule
to the buggy and left in direction OF
the prison.
But he lodged into side path lead
ing toward the swampy creek, and
stopped before huge tree. He
thrust his arm into hollow and drew
forth a bundle.
1t contained trousers. shirt, soft
hat, cheap revolver, some cartridges.
long knife, stale food and a little
money. The collection had taken him
months.
Soon. rock weighted, his prison gar.
ments lay at the bottom OF a deep
pool
Southwark the AlabamA river, north
ward Birmingham. Skilled by virtue
OF many sham escapes" in evading
the stockade bloOdhounds, he waded
into the creek.
Freei Free! Before him the sweet
smelling woods, glorious in dogwood
blossoms and honeysuckle. Behind
we're prison bars, a 2O-year sentence
and beating.
Wing" fondled his revolver. He
would never go backl
"Dr. Pills. had Disappeared
Bedtime came at the doctors
house and still no sign of the boy.
The prison was alarmed, likewise the
village near, but no one had seen
| 'Dr. Pills" sgif
The stable boy was called for at
the prison. The astonished reply was
that when the count had been made
the guard thought wing" at the doc.
tors. detained as he sometimes was,
after hours. as.
So Wing" had escaped! "Dr. Pills.
missing, tool
Had he been murdered? Kidnapped!
Past midnight, Wing" still keep
Ing TO the shallow stream. stumbled
on.
His escape now was sure. He had
gained the most dismal spot In all the
untrod swamp, and here he might rest
for a day then lelsurely make his
way.
Suddenly he stopped and listened,
He thought he heard voice like the
wall of a child. There! It came
again. and so weird was It out there
in the swamp Wing" heard his own
heart beat. ga
Again it came--a child weeping
surely as SIM "n
He waded in to the bank, calling
softly, and instantly a glad cry an
swered: rf 'rs
f'oh, Wing I'm so glad! I knew
you'd GOMEZ" a
%Dr. Pills. by" he muttersd. -
To leave the child there he knew
meant its death. But IL was not his
funeral. Should he take him back,
himself TO be beaten? To serve his
20 years umore? To give up his free
dom tonnRhieh he had planned so
long Nh c-,i
Neyeri N
please take me on your shoulder,
Wing" pleaded the baby voice. I'm
80 afraid"
"Why'n thunder didn't you" he be-
gan, surlily, but ended with: How'd
you git heah?"
Il crawled up In the back Of the
preachers buggy and went to sleep.
When l woke up ] was skeersd awful
and just jumped out and started back
along the creek, -an'-thats all"
1T was pig trail, honey Pills. an
hit don't go no whar You never seed
dis path befo!"
The first lights OF rosy dawn shot
athwart the low country and touched
the miSts that hung low and white
above the creek. The hounds had
failed. Wing" was gone and "Dr.
| Pills with him.
The doet2r aud his wife were be-
side themselves with grief.
Suddenly the dogs whining in the
yard sent up a bay. and moment
later a tall. tattersd. wet. muddy and
scratched.up black, a sleeping child In
his arms, staggered up the walk. the
hounds knowing him, ieaping joyfully
about him.
Doctor. warden. prison guards,
neishbors, started Nth Amusement,
while the mother with a glad cry ran
forward.
Il fetch I'm back, missy" Wing mar.
Injured, and sank exhausted on the
steps. I'm take my whuppin'."
But he never got II.
First Woman suffrsgIst.
The frat book ever published on the