San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-06
ON THE SWAMP ROAD
he Story of an Adventurous Reporter the Trail of Murderer

|one corner the spring rains, pouring
down from broken eaves-trough, had
washed away the dirt embankment,
disclosing the rotten ends of the per-
pendicular siding boards. At the other
corner Of the north front was a
knarled honeysuckle vine, two-thirds
Head. Its spreading branches, leafless
pr bearing only scant and sickly YER
lure, chung to the warped sideboards
ike the gaunt arms of an old nag
Embracing the ruinous house. One
krimy pane was broken out Of the
Window in the west gable and the hole
lad been stuffed with rags.
For a long time debt and drink and
in had blasted this place and now
here was something else. Under the
OF morning sun, three women and
wo children stood in the bare door
ard. visibly budding together,
anched and agape. They stared now
the house, now at the two empty
Automobiles standing by the roadside
one of them long, gray, five-pas-
niger car, the other a red two-pas-
niger roadster. Sometimes, with an
[cess of horror, they looked over at
skinny old crone who hoped and
Pered about the two automobiles with
uncanny excitement. One Of the
ildren was red-headed and freckled
" Of 10, whose long legs protruded
om frayed breeches that failed By
me inches to reach his knobby
lees. His mouth was open as though
had been frozen that way.
Coming out Of the house, Skinner
ticed this gaping boy first of all.
his rapid walk toward the red au-
mobile be even looked around and
ticed bony horse standing with
head over the rickety barnyard
pee and looking on as though it, too.
re specializing upon what had hap
ped. Then he saw the skinny crone
lind his machine, watching him with
Pppy little eyes-as beady und
'vous AZ those Of 4 rat-and he
pretended at once that she burned
% . gruesome excitement. Her
ppy eyes watched his advance q
ment; then she darted at him.
Have y seen the tracks" she de-
hded. "I1l show 'em to v. This
J This way!' Her weazen hand
chcd at his coat sleeve and she
ded her old head at him. a
kinner thought of an pnclean old
As she bobbed along the roadside
eeping a little in advance of him
Der febrile eagerness. At the lilac
ket she halted, STOPPING and point
her lean arm and extended index
er in rigid line. The tracks of
automobile showed plainly on the
$ there. At a glance Skinner saw
machine had drawn up in the
Of the lilac thicket. then backed
y to turn around.
lie turned it around" said the
e, her beady eyes swapping at
ner. "See yere!" STOPPING, with
arm and forefinger extended, she
wed the curving track which the
iine had made in backing and
ing.
lacked plumb into that" she said,
hphantly, and even before she
ed to them, Skinner noticed that
and branches Of the young tree
broken. He reached up and
ID thread of black cloth from a
IN branch. Plainly the top of the
ad been up and the collision with
rec had torn it.
acked plumb around! Plumb
Id !" she said. and swung her
" old arms in a half circle, as
ID she were swinging the car
Id. "Plumb around" she repeat
lpeating the gesture also. Skinner
it peculiarly gruesome.
see," he murmured and started
lily across the road toward his
following the long gray car out
town he had taken most of the
on two wheels at risk of his
Even now, after ten minutes
in the farm house. the deed had
Just accomplished itself. 1t was
ent that it still oozed and quiv-
Under the bright morning sun.
Ii came to him as he drove away,
Z shuddered. Partly from a mere
1t of slight. he jammed his foot
lily agab.3t the accelerator. But
was a professional reason for
too; and as the little red car
away his shocked brain began.
Sing the story as it would ap-
In the extra. 1t would be the
Extra Allentown had ever ex-
eed and be wondered how much
il that metropolitan touch would
yiry and understood man was
II. tanned good leathery
There were few gray hairs
bristling. intractable mustachs.
s gray eyes studied the back
road through a pair of round.
wed spectacles. A faded cloth
IS jammed down on his solid
He wore limp shirt. with n
little tie under the limp turn
collar and an office-stained
jacket over that. Manifold ad-
s had enriched him little, ex-
experience: but as usual he
lite boyishly eager over this new
Ire of the Allentown Gazette.
eek side glance showed that the
meter was registering 30 miles
l. ii ~. Inn hn l.a.al..al halk IN