The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-05-16
THE TRAGEDY OF
THOMAS HEARNE
(Continued.)

(Continued.)
Il saw you by the cairn ana CIRCLE
above the Black brook this AFTER
noon" he went on rs that to be the
scene of your present investigations!
'I have no definite plan at present,
/ said with snap.
He took a long look at me and
stopped his questions. left the tapie
as soon as could do so decently, rout'
ed out the landlord and engaged 8
private room. / had had enough OF
taking meals with neolithic e1'
pert.
It was blowing hard next day,
fierce Northwestern that cleaned the
clouds out of the sky like a sponge
washes a slate.
Just after eleven I started out to
make q further examination OF the pO-
sition. l 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 l 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 be-
hind me- No one, so far as l could see,
was in sight, and presently turned
off the road along disused cart
track that seemed to lead in the d.
rection l wanted It's ancient ruts
were filled with sprouting heather,
and the short moor turf had covered
up the hoof-marks with q velvet sur
face.
had walked a good quarter Of q
mile, when, rounding curve OF the
hill, found the old road explained In
the ruins of 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-
NAMED indicated by 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 better name, which shell.
tered the farm from the north and
west
1t was rough walking, for the heath.
er was set thick with granite bould-
ers. At last l 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 cannon, and my foot
steps had been drowned in It's thun-
der. l crept back behind a heap of
tumbled rocks and dropped on my
hands and knees, watching him
through convenient crevice. He lay
fiat on his chest, while he covered
the gang at work in the new ground
below with small telescope.
1t might be curiosity, of course, for
many men regard convict as some
thing abnormal, something that is as
pleasant to stare at as If 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, l 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. l walked back to
the inn, and sat down to study OF
the district with maps l had brought
with me. There was only one rail-
road within many miles, and that was
the single track that ran up from Ply
mouth to Princetown village. At the
first signal that convict had ESCAPED
the station would be full Of warders:
so that outlet was barred. South OF
the moor, fifteen miles away, ran an
other branch line ending at Ashbur.
ton. But I was determined to leave
the railroad alone. The stations would
be the first places to be watched by
the police. Torquay, some thirty miles
away, might easily be reached by q
good horse and trap within the day.
/ could hire one for month through
the landlord, with the excuse that
wanted it for my exploring expedt
tons amongst the stone remains. Il
would surprise no one If 1t were seen
on the roads with luncheon-basket
prominently displayed. So 1 decided
| questioned the girl who brought
the meal to my sitting-room as to old
Hearne, but she could give me little
Information. He had arrived at thu