The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-05-31
THE MAN IN TIE SWAMP
81 sors EDaEsros.

~n"N~ -
lziz hI(<rzsns
~ kz1 ESCAPED three kclrs 5eEer'
<<Dnz tie snrrerrfne rzzr. ~zeTs =
kz1 ta1ls1 three rnc1ths cot - Etfs
senrerce. Ee had been corznltset
there for nzEr1er. hzt & vas o.iy mlzz
flzzgAter. and Joe knew tzzt any
white nzn wzo k21 killed Under tEs
ElreVrz EEsreea woGld AxTe been &c
qrf-rec Il S2s fhss kaowIe1ge tkzi
raakles ard mzfe klm hate eTery
bc1y IL the camp
F1ogre6. eEzrTs1. treated "a 4 E5lf
beast. 51se creane1 ~ the Day q his
esezre. wze1 he eogld take reTezzs
aDc1 tie world He hafec his kAsD
erz. tks Hzn wko kzc betrayed hEzs,
tzt most n AZ. 5y y singular eAznee.
be hzted EertieY. the Ezite cp1vsct
EAo Nzs serrfng : FIVE yezrT sen-
terce for Ecsrg what he had done. ard
of szon Il wzs freely sid fhzt onsy
political znirnoeitses had got hira con
,setef ~ al
However, EeltieT. Eto wzE reEpecr
I'd - = Ylch nan. the hero of H.
rarnp. ne sut5ect o. Difference c-,-fIs
part ~ the enthusiastically xss y,
the camp ard Joe was .>ofgIes. T7sas
w&a The attration- -.s6e Rad made liz
s9czpe during n confuzscn folIozIng
"a Eae o'ass >eak n the FIRE The mood
IN etcc~e1e was threatened, the co0-
Fstf@ ~ere mustered into the yard,
I'd, rncer eover 81 TIE smoke. Joe
rnzde bis getaway.
He had run for three hours through
he palmetto ard pine; nov ne Fezted
nnrasily and planned. Re would make
bis vay y his home toEn. OF course
he unzt get eorle coke. That done. be
would perform hig various acts of re-
senge y<<5h dfvergs persons, and then
--ws-si, then the safety of The southern
<A5ffs and the society of his fellow
fcuztabouts
Suddenly he raised MS head and
Listened nBeagiIy. Far down the glade
there rang a faint and musical cry. II
was the call os a bloodhound Joe
knew its Significance. and The super
stifioas terror which the negro has
Tor tfIig hound awakened He sprang
% biz feet and plunged on through the
.hIcsetg.
Once he could make the water Of
he bayou be knew he was safe He
could throw be hounds of the scent.
The shallow bayou was about two
niles away With luck he would reach
I before the hounds caught up with
him. The gwarnpy ground would i'm
spsde their scent He struggled along.
Once at the bayou, he would swim
mt to ono Of the islands, lurk there
NTH the chase had passed, then dou-
bic on his tracks. skirt the bay, and
reach the negro settlement near
BeckgvIIle. He knew exactly what he
would DO He felt the hope Of free
9om strong in him
But presently the cry Of the hounds
uew louder-louder efsil, and the
scent cf the brackish water was only
beginning TO I'm his nostrils. Masly
aow Joe plunged into the scrub. Sud
ienly he emerged upon a little creek,
me Of the numerous tributaries that
led the bayou.
A woman was kneeIing on the bank,
1er back toward him, and occupied in
oailing out boat. Az Joe approached
she started and looked eagerly toward
him: then, seeing the negro, she
gprang 70 her feet with little cry.
where ig he?' she asked. "Mr
Bentley7"
Joe gapcd at her vacantly. Then,
seeing the boat, he made toward It.
The woman's figure barred his path.
You can't take IT." she cried. Its
,or--for Mr.. Bentley
Joe thrust her aside and made for
he boat. The cry OF the bloodhounds
grew louder, and suddenly ragged
Bgure crashed through the glade and,
stumbling, painting, collapsed at the
wonans feet She cried out and
threw her arms about him
Suddenly Joe remembered woman
wh0 had loved him She was black
woman. but she had meant all to him
that this girl meant to Bentley. And
IN fash he recognized the situation.
Bentley had escaped. too; the blood
hounds were after him, and II was
Bentley. not he, who occupied the
stage at that moment.
As the man rose. sobbing for breath,
and turned TO Joe. the negro, who had
already one foot In the boat, stopped
md indicated that Bentley should en-
ter He even assisted the girl in; he
watctc' her haul Bentley after her,
saw them pole off-and then the
hounds burst into the glade and gave
tongue among the paImcttos.
Joe turned and pushed into the pal
motto again. His feet stuck ia the
soft mud The hounds we're gain
ing on him. He stopped in despair,
and at that instant. with loud howls
of triumph, the beasts leaped from
among the palmetto and raced down
into the mangrove.
One instant Joe saw their 1.-THE
bodies and the forms OF the wardens
plunging through the scrub behind.
Tho next he heard the sound Of an