The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-21

The Pearlhunters gorge rose at see
ing his mothers picture in such hanos'
and his breast burned to dash into the
cabin and settle his score with the
sacrilegious wretch once and for all.
Rut It was not his to do as he pleased
that night. His activities for the
moment were limited to keeping his
eve fast to the chink. 1t was like an
old fashioned mechanical panorama
in which one drops a penny ana
watches q, picture unfold inside. And
certainly no panoramic machine ever
staged drama more intense than the
Pearlhunter viewed through that mar
row slit between the cabin logs.
The man by the trunk Strengthened,
carried the picture to the candle and
stood looking long upon it. He laid II
~ his Inns. again and again. as if he
would drink up the beautiful face from
the card. He pressed the picture TO
his bosom: held it again to the candle
and whispered to it in tones that dld
not carry to the ear of the amazed
listener. He strobe up and down the
room. and there was on his face look
that no man had probably ever seen
there before, and probably would never
see again.
He grew calmer after a time; drew
chair up to the table, by the canuie
sat for a long time gazing at the face
that smiled up at him out OF long
buried past.
After long moments he reused MN
self. unbuttoned his vest, and put the
picture carefully away in an inner
pocket The watcher outside the wall
WINGED; his lips drew together in
tense line. But there was much 70
be seen just then. The man inside
had risen, crossed the floor, put the
things back in the trunk, closed the id
and picked up his hat Next moment
the candle was blown out. The Pearl
hunter barely had time to creep into
the fringe of weeds when the cabin
door opened and softly closed.
With a brisk step that indicated he
had flung off the spell OF the past, the
notorious renegade walked around the
west end of the cabin, past the spring
and straight to the tiny pool under the
waterfall, where the Pearlhunter, VINO
had stolen along the north wall of the
cabin, had his second astounding sur
prise since coming down the bluff
Jumping lightly from rock to rock in
the shallow water of the pool, the ban
dit approached the cataract, the third |
leap landing him upon the flat top of |
rock almost within the very wash |
of the falling water. Pausing an IN
slant to pull his hat tight and turn |
up the collar OF his coat, he sprang /
straight into the thin blade of the falls. /
His leap must have carried him COM |
pletely through to the other side. 1t
was the first the Pearlhunter knew. or
even suspected that there was an open /
space beyond. So completely did the
falling water hide everything back OF
it that probably the man who had just
leaned, and the man who watched him
were the only two who knew there
was anything back of it.
There could be no doubt of an open
ing OF some sort behind the veil of
water, some pocket of retreat,
for the man that had leaped was gone.
He wouldn't be all this time in the /
wash of the cataract
The Pearlhunter stretched himself
flat under cover OF clump of sprouts
growing about an old white oak stump.
and kept his eyes fixed on the water
fall
Time goes slowly to one who watches
and waits. Patience-the last trek
the hunter learns; still, a hunter must
have it, espceilly a hunter of men, It
was probably not more than ten min
ates. thought 1t seemed far longT.l