Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-06-13
The TRAGEDY OF
THOMAS HEARNE
(Continued.)

Il saw you by the cd1rn ana Circle
above the Black brook this after
noon," he went on. rs that to be the
scene of your present investigationsT
II have no definite plan at present"
said with snap.
He took long look at me and
stopped his questions. i left the table
as soon as could do 80 decently, rout-
ed out the landlord and engaged
private room. l had had enough OF
raking meals with neolithic ex'
pert.
1t was blowing hard next day, a
fierce Northwestern that cleaned the
clouds out of the sky like a sponge
washes slate.
Just after eleven | started out to
make further examination Of the po-
sition. wasn't such fool as to
march up to the cairn with old
Hearne and a warder or two, as 1t
might be, spying on me from another
hillock, so went down the high road
that lay as white and clear across the
gray moor as a streak Of paint, until
! had left the place some distance De-
hind me. No one, SO far as could see,
was in sight, and presently / turned
off the road along disused cart
track that seemed to lead in the d.
rection | wanted. Its ancient ruts
were filed with sprouting heather,
and the short moor turf had covered
up the hoof-marks with velvet sur
face
had walked good quarter OF a
mile, when, rounding a curve OF the
hill, found the old road explained In
the ruins of a small farm, one Of those
melancholy memorials of time when
frozen meat was unknown, and 1t
paid a man to breed cattle and sheep
and cultivate wheat field or two,
even on Dartmoor. The roof had
fallen in, and the woodwork had been
carried away, but the stone walls OF
the house and outbuildings still re-
mained undefeated by a hundred
years OF storm. A weather-beaten
cherry tree was pushing out its
spring LEAKAGE before the door.
Leaving the farm, began to climb
the cairn hill, as l must call it for
want of a better name, which shei.
tered the farm from the north and
west.
It was rough walking, for the heath.
er was set thick with granite bould.
ers. At last reached the top, skirt.
ed the mound set about with stones
where the prehistoric chief lay sleep
ing-and very nearly stepped upon
the body of that old fellow. Thomas
Hearne.
Luckily for me he never turned his
head. The wind on the face OF the
hill was blowing in great gusts like
the firing Of a cannon, and my foot
steps had been drowned in its thun.
der. l crept back behind heap Of
tumbled rocks and dropped on my
hands and knees, watching him
through a convenient crevice. He lay
fiat on his chest, while he covered
the gang at work in the new ground
below with a small telescope.
It might be curiosity, of course. for
many men regard a convict as some
thing abnormal, something that is as
pleasant to stare at as II he were the
cannibal king at fair. And yet that
seemed a weak explanation. Was he
In with the police? Had they got
news that an attempt at rescue was
to be made? II SO, | stood the best
chance in the world Of finding myself
in the county Jail within the week.
There was nothing to be gained BY
imagining bad luck. walked back tt
the inn, and sat down to study o.
the district with maps had brough
with me. There was only one rail
road within many miles, and that wal
the single track that ran up from Ply
mouth to Princetown village. At thu
first signal that convict had escapet
the station would be full Of warders
so that outlet was barred. South o
the moor, fifteen miles away, ran an
other branch line ending at Ashbur
ton. But I was determined to leav,
the railroad alone. The stations woul,
be the first places to be watched b.
the police. Torquay, some thirty milo
away, might easily be reached by
good horse and trap within the day
I could hire one for a month through
the landlord, with the excuse that
wanted 1t for my exploring expedi
tions amongst the stone remains.
would surprise no one If 1t were seel
of the roads with luncheon-baske
prominently displayed. So l decided
I questioned the girl who brough
the meal to my sitting-room as to oil
Hearne, but she could give me littl