Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-12-20

Opcucu Ills OWL iii tuc StIlhAuS VI d
match was followed by the smell of
bush tobacco.
| The shadow of the hop bush was
| spreading like split ink, and for the
moment Stingaree thought he had it to
himself. But wreath of blue smoke
lowered overhead, and when he got to
his elbow and glanced behind, there
sat Cairns in his shirt sleeves. filling
| the niche his body made in the actual
green bush, swollen wet water bag at
his feet. his revolver across his knees.
There was an Ominous click even as
Stingaree screwed around where he lay.
GIVE me a drink he cried at sight
Of the humid canvas bag.
"Why should II" asked the superin-
tendent, smoking on.
Because I haven't had one since we
started-because I'm parched with
thirst"
"Parch away"' cried the creature of
suspicion "You can't help yourself,
and | can't help you with this baby to
nurse"
And he fondled the cooked revolver
in his hands.
Very We'll. Don't give me one," ex-
claimed Stingaree and dealt the moist
bag a kick that sent a jet Of cold wa
ter squirting over his foot. He expect
ed to be kicked himself for that. He
was only cursed the bag snatched out
of his reach and deeply drained before
his eyes
| Il was going to give you some," said
Cairns, smacking his lips. "Now your
| tongue may hang out before I do"
| Stingaree left the last word with the
| foe 1t was part of his preconceived
! policy. He still regretted his solitary
retort but not for a moment the more
| petulant act which he had just COM
mitted. His boots had been removed
after his fail, one of his socks was now
wet through, and he spent the next
few minutes in taking it off with the
other foot. The lengthy process seem
ed to afford his mind certain penSiye
entertainment. 1t was Shapely and
delicate white foot that lay stripped at
last, foot that its owner. with moth
!
legitimate satisfaction, But Superin
tendent Cairns, noting his prisoners
every look and putting his own conf
dent Interpretation on them all. cursed
him afresh for Il conceited pig and
filled another pipe. with the revolver
for an instant by his side.
Stingarce took 40 interest in his pro-
ceedings, The revolver he especially
ignored and lay stretched before his
captor, one sock off and one sock on.
one arm i'll splints and sling and the
other bound to his ribs. a model priS
oner, whose last thought was of es
cape. His legs indeed We're free. but
man who could not sit on Il horse
was not the man to run away. And
then there was the relentless superin-
tendent sitting over him. pipe in mouth,
but revolver again in hand and a crook
ed finger very near the trigger,
The fiery wilderness still lay breath
less in the great heat. but the lengthen-
ing shadow of the hop bush was now
a thing to be thankful for. and i'll it
the broken captive fell into n fine
semblance of natural slumber Cairns
watched with alternate envy and sus-
picion: for him there could not be
wink: but most likely the fellow was
shamming all the time. No ruse, how
ever. succeeded in exposing the sham,
which the superintendent copied by
breathing first heavily and then stertO-
rously. with one eye open and on his
man. Stingaree never opened one Of
his: there was no change in the regu-
lar breathing, in the peaceful express
sion of the blood stained face; asleep
the man must be. The superintend-
-ent's own experiments had gone to
show him that no extremity need
necessarily keep one awake in such
heat. He stif1ed a yawn that was no
part of his performance. His pipe was
out; he struck match nOisily on his
boot: and Stingaree just stirred. as
naturally as any infant But Stinga-
reefs senses We're incredibly acute. He
smet every Wifi of the rekindled pipe,
knew in ten seconds when it went out
once more. and listened in an agony
Was the superintendent himself really
asleep this time? He breathed as
though he were: but so did Stingaree;
and yet was there hope in the fact
that his own greatest struggle all this
time had been against the very thing
he feigned
At last he opened one eve little: it
was met by no answering furtive
glance; he opened the other and there
could be no more doubt The terrible
superintendent was doing in his place,
but it was the lightest sort of doze.
the eyes were scarcely closed and all
but watching Stingaree, as the cooked
revolver in the relaxed hand all but
covered him.
The prisoner felt that for the mo-
ment he was unseen, forgotten, but
that the lightest movement of his body
would open those terrible eyes once
and for all. BE It remembered that he
was lying undo, fnem lengthwise, on