Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-01-21

The nine fell into her lap.
g. Barring GOULD


ing to her feet. They all hurried out
of the garden, and stood in front of
the house, looking up and down the
lane
Stay here and 1 will see,' said Jas
per. There may be poachers near
In pity do not leave US, or | shall
die Of fear cried Eve.
The darkness had deepened. A few
stars were visible. Voices we're aud.
ible, and the trend Of men In the lane.
Then human figures were visible. 1t
was too dark at first to distinguish
who they were, and the suspense was
great.
As, however, they drew nearer,
Jasper and the girls saw that the
party consisted of Joseph, the warder,
and a couple of constables, leading a
prisoner.
we have got him. said Joseph
Woodman, the right man at last
Whom have you got?' asked Bar
bara.
Whom!-why the escaped felon,
Martin Babb.'
A cry. Eve had tainted.
CHAPTER XXxVTlI.
We must go back in time, some
thing like an hour and a half or two
hours, and follow the police and
warders after they left Morwell, to
understand how it happened that
Martin fell into their hands. They
had retired sulky and grumbling.
They had been brought a long way,
the two warders very long way, for
nothing. When they reached the down,
one of the warders observed that he
was darned if he had not turned his
ankle on the rough stones Of the
/ lane. The other said he reckoned they
had teen shabbily treated, and it was
rot his ankle but his stomach had
been turned by a glass Of cider sent
down into emptiness. Some cold beef
and bread was what he wanted,
Whereat he was snapped at by the
/ other. who advised him to kill one Of
the buIlocks on the moor and make
his meal on that.
Hearken,' said Joseph; brothers,
an idea has struck me. We have not
captured the man, and so we shant
have the reward
Has it taken you half an hour to
discover tEat?'
'Yet,' answered Joseph simply.
Thinking and dige5ting are much the
same I amt a caterpillar that can eat
and digest at once
4 wish I'd had another glass of
cider, said one of the constables,
but these folk seemed in mighty
haste to get rid of u.s.
There is the Hare and Hounds" At
GoatadOn, said Joseph.
/ That is a long bit out of the road
demonstrated the constable.
What is time to Us police!' an
swered Joseph. 1t is made to be
killed. like a flea.
And hops away as fast said an
other
Let us get back to Tavistock, said
a wardeT.
Oh, if you wish it, answered 10.
seph; only it do seem a cruel pity
What is pity?
Why that you should ha come SO
far and not seen the greatest won
J der of the world
What may that be?'
That fat woman answered Joseph
Woodman. The landlady of the Hare
and Hounds" You might as well go to
Egypt and not see the pyramids, or
to Rome and not see the pope, or to
London and not see the tower
4 don't make any account of fat
women" said the warder, who had
turned his ankle.
But this argued Joseph, is a reg
ular marvel. She's the latest woman
out of a caravan believe the fat
test in England; l dare say the very
latest in the known world. What
there be in the stars l can't say
Now, said the warder, who had
turned his stomach, what do you call
fat?' He was in a captious mood.
What do l call fat?' repeated Jo-
seph; why, that woman. Brother, if
you and l were to stretch our arms at
the farthest, taking hold of each
other with one hand, we couldn't
compass her and take hold with the
other
I don't believe it. said the warder
emphatically.
"Tain't possible mortal could be
so big said the other warder.
I swear it, said Joseph with great
earnestness.
There is never a woman in the
world, said the warder with the bad
ankle whose waist I couldn't en-
circle, and I've tried lots
But tell you this woman is out of
the common altogether
Have you ever tried?' sneered the
warder with the bad stomach.
No, but I've measured her with my
eye
The eye is easy deceived as to dis
tanceS and dimensions. Why, Lord
bless you! I've seen in fog a sheep
on the moor look as big as hippopot-
anus
But the landlady is not on the moor
nor in a fog persisted Joseph. I bet
you half guinea, laid out in drink,
that It's as l say
Done!' said both warders. 'Done!'
said the constables, and turning to
! their right, they went of to the
: Hare and Hounds two miles out OF
! their way, to see the fat woman and
! test her dimensions
| Now this change in the destination
] Of the party lea 10 the capture OF
! Martin. and to wounding the warder