Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1909-11-24
CHAPTER lIl.-continued.

prowling boatman 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. l took the paddle, and we
crept 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 prowler
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. Agathas.
Where the wood gave way to the
broad lawn that stretched up to the
school buildings 1 caught sight of my
quarry. He was a 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
along the edge of the wood, looking
of toward the school buildings, and
while 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 a view of st. Aga
tha's from the front, and I 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 busi-
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 vine-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 OF like the
wind
After him, Andy! After him!" 1
yelled to the Scotchman.
/ shouted my own name to reassure
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 1 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 il the young fellow
dashed for the lake; and he now led
me a pretty chase through the flower
garden. He ran with head up and ell
bows close at his Sides and his light
boat 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 perplex or wind me.
By this time 1 had grown pretty
angry, for foot race in a school gar
den struck me with disgust as child
ish enterprise, and l bent with new
spirit and drove him away from his
giddy circling about the summer
house and beyond the only gate by
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 pace to study the bounds of the
garden. and felt myself gaining.
Ahead OF US lay white picket fence
that set OF the vegetable garden and
marked the lawful bounds OF the
school. There was no gate and felt
that here the chase must end, and ]
re3oiced to find myself so near the
runner that heard the quick. soft
pattef Of his shoes on the walk. In
= moment 1 was quite sure that ]
should have him by the collar, and
had every intention Of dealing severe
u with him for the hard chase he haf
Sven me.
But he kept on, the white line o.
: fence clearly outlined beyond him;
and then when my hand was almos
upoa him he rose at the fence, a.
though sprung from the earth itself
and hung q moment sheer above tn,
sharp line of the fence pickets. hi,
whale figure held almost horizontal, il
the sfu9hion OF trained high Jumpers
Tor what seemed an infinite time, a
though BY some wttcheTy Of the moon
} light
: 1 plunged into the fence with
: force that Knocked the wind out O
me. and ~ I elung painting to tn,
pickets the runner dropped with
!. crash into the midst Of giass vege
, table frame. - - iAxther side. h