Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-10-04

TO me, q disgraced man, and as sure
that was thankful for his silence, not
particularly liking him, and having
enough to think about.
1t was past two o'clock whom We
reached Baskingridge and ceme be-
fore Msieur Ledaie's house. There
was no light in any direction, and It
appeared strange that there came no
answer to Struther's repeated thumps
on the door. - Both the Frenchman
and his servant are sound sleepersi"
he srowled, hamm,sring on the panel
with the hilt of his sword.
NAY, them" said I, there's some.
thing wrong in this" And laid my
hand on the latch. when to my sur.
prise the door yielded easily enough.
/ entereo che dark hall, and the frst
thing l did was to stumble over the
body Of man lying on the floor. At
that ! raised shout. A minute later
Ledare's old servant, Penton, came
down the stairs with light, he being
but half dressed, and then I saw that
the body vas that of Ledare himself.
He was stone dead, his skull having
been split by blow of the heavy fire.
tongs lying near him. g
/ knew the rest intuitively, and ii
was soon fairly proved. Ledare had
teen killed b. the prisoner, who had
gone; and gone, too, were my old
masters shoes, for he lay there I'm
shod and weltering in his own blood,
murderer by the man who had 1t in
his heart to murder me.
cannot express the shock felt at
this discovery; 81, fer the time 1t un.
manned me, and made me forget tho
importance of my own erIand; but ]
did not forget for long.
HOW tho little village was aroused,
how confusion and speculation ran
wild, becomes no part Of my story, for
i marked but the beginning of 1t. In
the running to and fro OF the people,
and the many questions hurled at
Struthers, saw nay chance, and quiet.
ly slipping a leg over my saddle as
quietly made off while it was yet dark,
and / was not missed until some two
hours thereafter, and then not a soul
knew in what direction had gone.
l could have laughed at the ease of
my getting away, only between what
was before me and the fact that poor
Ledare was a corpse, l was in no
mood for mirth. Moreover, Lysander
Melton IL that was his name, was
free. That fact bothered me but lit.
tie, however, as l did not see how he
could finally escape. AS for myself, |
knew l would be at once branded as a
traitor and searched for, and that in
the circumstances, any man knowing
he might shoot me at sight. Few are
ever leset as | was then.
AS the crow flies, EliZabetliport,
then containing hardly dozen houses
lies about twenty miles due east
from Baskingridge. and for the most
part the road is good. But it was hope
less for me to attempt to get there
that night, so, after going nearly half
the distance, hearing no pursuit, and
not meeting soul. put up in piece
all that day lay at a distance from the
OF thick woods Just as dawn came, and
roadside with on'' water for my stom.
ach, so that at evening / was in bad
way for lack of food. | marked a
number OF troopers passing, some rid.
ing in haste, and farmers with their
loads, but none came nigh me, and
when the sun was well down | took
to the highway once more.
1t was black night when / passed
through the hamlet OF Elizabethtown
and went on over the boggy meadow
that stretched away like vast plain.
until | at last reached Elizabethport;
and by then / was tagged out and de.
pressed.
With a feeling of desperation born
| Of emptiness, l stopped at the first
house came to, it lying on little
| rise of ground by the water, and be
| Ing apart from any other dwelling.
| And here / met with man who was
| a mighty good patriot, MS soon learn.
| ed, and he received me civilly enough
| He took me in after eyeing me sharp
| ly. and gave me food enough to have
satisfied giant, he sitting by and
cycling me as il in wonder at my ap
| petite. When l had finished eating
and felt like a man again, turned to
my host.
Sir" said /, ~ have reason to be
lieve that you are waterman"
Il am" he said, putting on his pipe.
"Then there is one more favor you
can do me; but first, are there any
British on Bergen Point?"
| II think not" he answered.; but
their devil patrols prowl around the
bay at times"
II must risk them. wish to go to
Bergen Point. will pay You well to
take me across"
For what?" he asked. and I
thought his expression peculiar. ~
like not the idea. I've been caught
and looted once by the British patrol
boats. II | go. II will be by daylight,
when | can see sail. What can a
+ gentleman want at Bergen Point"