Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-10-14

TO the girls apparent ulScOmnIure-
Coming to little place called Tracy,
Barker said he thought he would leave
me, giving as a reason that he had
heard of a farm for sale In the locality
and he would look II up. Since II wna
evening. I concluded TO go no further
that day, and. driving my team into
wood, I embarrassed my horses, fed
them, made some coffee and prepared
to spend the night there. Barker, who
by this time seemed to repose in me Q
confidence that 1 didn't care to have,
told me that the girl was going to
sleep In a house in Tracy, and when
she awoke in the morning he would be
missing.
made no reply to this. was not
especially prejudiced In his favor, and
there was something about the girl
that drew me to her. ] confess i had
come to believe that some game was
being played between the two. and
had SUFFICIENT curiosity to be interested
in It. There are 30 many possible
complications in any affair in which a
woman is concerned that had no
faith in any theory formed with re-
gard to the couple. 1t appeared. how
ever, that they were deceiving each
other.
About o o'clock Barker and 1 turned
in. The night being pleasant 1 didn't
sleep in the wagon. nor did he.
slept few hours when something
awakened me. Barker was standing
near with his back to me. He had
something in his hands, and. although
/ 1 could not see what It was. 1 knew
by a series of clicks that 1t was a re-
volver which he was examining, cock
ing It and lowering the hammer to re-
volve the chambers. Then he put it
In his hip pocket. and, taking another
pistol from his other hip, he examined
that in the same way. He next looked
at his watch. trying to make out the
time Of night, then, stepping stealthily.
moved away from the bivouac.
My curiosity In the little play that
was going on 80 near me impelled me
to get up and follow the man. He took
a, road leading southwark down to-
| ward a little town at the foot of the
plateau called Jasper. dared not
walk near him lest my steps be heard.
I therefore kept about hundred yards
in his rear / was in danger of losing
him, but would rather do so than
have him know that followed him. !
finally did lose him, but soon again
: caught sight of him or what I sup
: posed was he. What was my surprise.
keeping my eye on the figure before
! me, upon its passing over rise in the
ground and showing its silhouette
against the sky to see the garments Of
woman instead of a man.
Had Barker taken on a disguise1
/ Had lost him and fixed my gaze on
another? An explanation soon de-
veloped. Against the sky saw two
figures They looked to be side by
side, but one was in rear Of the other.
could see the legs of one; the other
from the waist down was bell shaped
like a woman's dress.
As I looked the man turned to the
right and entered a wood. Then l saw
the woman co the same / entered the
wood ut the point as near as I could
determine ii that they had entered and
soon found myself In a ravine. 1t was
dark as pitch In there. and could not
choose my steps. Occasionally l
i would catch a faint sound as one of
the persons I followed dislodged a
stone or broke a stick under foot
Guided by such indica lions 1 pushed
on till suddenly was halted by a
sound of another kind.
1t was the crack of pistol or rife.
All was still for a few minutes
Then heard some one hurry past me
up the declivity, but could not see
who it was. / stood listening till
heard a groan coming from below.
Then 1 went down as rapidly as
could In the dark and after going
some distance stopped and listened.
Another groan nearer guided me, and.
moving toward 1t, soon came to an
opening in the trees admitting enough
starlight to show me a body lying on
the ground. bent over 1t, at the
same time asking:
"Who are your
''Pm Barker. Is that your"
Eyes. it's l. What's the troubleT
"I've been shot"
"Badly hurtT'
II think I'm done for. must give
you some Information at once. I'm
John Archard, United States gov
eminent detective employed to hunt
up these Illicit mountain whisky stills
and bring those who run them to JUS
tice. I've come here after man who
is running still. Some one who has
got on to what 1 was after has fol
lowed and shot me-"
Whom do you suspectT
'I'm at loss to know. 1t may be
that Nancy Parkss suspecting that l
was intending to shake her. watched
and followed me. not knowing any
thing OF my mission and thinking my
object to be simply to get rid of her."
very different theory occurred TO
me. Judging from what had seen.
surmlsed that In Nancy Parks he had
happened on one who loved the man
I he was after. Ireckoned that man to
be Elijah Hanks. Likely the govern
ment man had led Nancy to size him
! up for what he really was and to feel
assured that he proposed to arrest her
lover. She had pretended to be infat-
! uated with Archard and followed him
to keep him In view till she could
warn her lover. Having failed to
' IT, A. -.