Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-21

hundred feet high, which looked like
the uplifted head Of q serpent. Inc
island was in Silver lake, perhaps a
mile from shore.
The boat landing was on narrow
strip of beach beneath the head OF
the serpent. To get to the top OF
the bluff it was necessary to walk fos
thousand yards along the beach 10
spot where the precipice began TO
subside ana path wound upward.
The day was beautiful, with all the
warmth of summer. When the dozen
Young people reached the top they
sat down on the new grass to rest
after the climb, and to enjoy the
sween OF sparkling water and wooded
shore spread out before them.
"A sudden scream of fear cut
through their light-hearted converse.
ton and brought them to the edge OF
the bluff. Below on the beach was
sight that for the moment struck them
dumb with terror.
TWO OF their party, Mr.. and Mrs:
ban Pomeroy, had just landed ana
drawn their rowboat into the cluster
of other. small craft. Barely had they
stepped ashore when the huge, black
bearded figure Of a man darted from
clump of underbrush with CLUB up.
raised. Mrs. Pomeroy had screamed
at sight of him. !.
The group above saw the next act
in the tragedy. Pomeroy advanced
bravely, but the club swept down
ward through the guard of his arms
and struck him on the head. He
dropped, and shrek on shrek burst
from his wife.
"That's the maniac who nearly
killed his keeper at Fairview asylum
yesterday and got away! They tele-
phoned me his description gasped
Patterson, editor of the village paper:
ooh. what shall we do?" moaned
Jessie Dane. See, he's going to gran
| Ednat" She turned to the white
faced young men, "Oh, run, run!"
Peter Price slipped of his coat and
shoes "No time" he said swiftly.
shed be killed before we could get
down the path. I'm going this way
He stepped down onto a ledge OF rock
on the perpendicular face of the cl1n.
Living feet had never pressed the
face of Snake island cliff before. 1t
seemed q sheer drop of ten score feet
from Ilc grass TWINS, ~ SAN
But there were lodges and shelves
which furnished handgrips and loot
holds, however precarious.
Price worked his way downward.
He dared not look. for when he did,
his head swan dizzily. He CROPPED with
his feet. already stockingless, torn
and bleeding from the jagged rock, ana
found support somehow. Hand under
hand he crawled over the flint as ny
crawls on the side Of the house.
He was careful-but not'too care
full. For too much care meant delay.
And Edna Pomeroy's screams even
now echoed pitifully as she struggled
in the madmen's clasp.
Once he lost his hold and fell for
yard or more; fingers and toes.
spread talonlike, rasped over the
merciless rock. Peter Price reverted
to type, went back ten thousand years
in the flicker Of an eyelash. Once
again he was a man-monkey who had
! missed waving branch In the high
way of the trees. His fingers had eyes
| in them: his toes clutched with fierce
suppleness.
He found crevices no wider than the
bridge of his nose, and clamped onto
them. Slipped caught: and clung
again. The fall was stopped. He
climbed, with no time to be thankful
for his escape.
The picnickers, struggling, sobbing
and painting, reached the beach. They
found Peter tying the subdued maniac
with painter from one Of the boats;
Dan Pomeroy was LAYING his throbbing
head; his wife was crying little,
but quite calm-considering her exper.
ience-apd wholly unframed.
Jessie Dane went straight to Peter
and took both his SCARED hands IN
her own.
"Be careful, Jessie; they're bleed
! ing. You'll get all stained up" He
tried to speak in his old. matter-of'
fact way, but his voice trembled.
81 don't care" she said, and her
eyes shone with a light that dazzled
III don't care. For you are safe
Peter-dear!"
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