| Show about five years ago I 1 was staying in a little town on the pacific coast parti tor health and partly tor pleas ure and it was there I 1 first made the acquaintance of tom Chat lern tom was a great favorite in the neighbor hood a his face form and manners were irreproachable and we soon be came fast friends we were called the twins by the wits t the town tor we were inseparable ard many a lone ty night we spent together camped on tha hillside under the twinkling stars but tom had a buried past and no nattei how joreal he was he would never speak of his early life so I 1 concluded he had suffered some bitter and bad buried him self away from civilization in the rude but hospitable west he was like many others very susceptible to female charms and was or was reputed to be in love with eva listen the daughter of the sheriff of the colety one of the greatest of thief hunters known but his daughter was his opposite in every wa and was the fairest and sweetest girl on the shores of the pacific one morning I 1 shouldered my rifle ana sauntered down the principal street of the town on my way to seek Chat lern who was to accompany me on a day s shooting I 1 had cot pro ceedee far before I 1 met the object of my search who rushed up and said hurriedly I 1 can t go to day jim I 1 have received some news about family affairs that has staggered me completely I 1 m aw full sorry but I 1 really don t feel ft to go out good by and a pleasant da s sport I 1 watched his retreating form as he dashed up the street and then slowly paced along wondering what could disturb a man usually ec cool and confident but I 1 soon gave up sur and started for the hills intend ing to make the best of a bad mat ter and spend as good a day as pos sible it was a unlucky day for I 1 could not get within range of antong large so with a curse at my ill luck I 1 made tracks for the town early in the evening I 1 did not tell you that the town was situated on a rocky coast whose shores were pre and dangerous in the extreme espee ally near the town in fact no vessel save skiffs and small boats dare run the gauntlet into the little shel bay inside the breakers As I 1 approached the town I 1 felt a little sheepish at returning so early and empty handed to boot so I 1 determined to take a stroll by the shore until night fell when I 1 co lid slip unnoticed home I 1 struck down by the shore road but soon quid ened my pace for I 1 observed a crowd running in the direction of the black rocks the most dangerous point on the whole coast and I 1 immediately concluded that some wayfarer had fallen over the rocks and was dashed to pieces below I 1 rushed up breathless and saw them gazing into the roaring sea hundreds hurd reds of feet below straining their eyes to catch a glimpse of some object beneath he has escaped roared a big burly man whom I 1 recognized as the sl ariff but by heaven he shall never leave there alive would a revolver reach him I 1 wondern and throwing himself down he crept to the edge of the cliff and fired several shots to ward the sea missed he growled as he wiped the clay off his trousers and worse luck the tide is running out I 1 hope he 11 remain here until it comes in lf the sher ff s daughter again as it save us the e of finishing him hello mr hard ing addressing me are you herec I 1 asked the meaning of all the ex cit ement and as I 1 spoke the crowd gazed curiously at me ind some of them audibly remarked that I 1 had been fooled too ell it means that your twin brother as he was called is not mr cl but jake gaston the most bloodthirsty and relentless villain in le atea i t look alarmed don 11 lime 0 o i as 11 v vou never 1 ahli d f I 1 tor he has been hiding here tor years he dispatched a message down the coast this morning to send a vessel up tor he smelled a rat but we were too quick and made a raid on the houe confound the fellow he slipped through our fingers like an eel and made for the coast binding rinding himself irreproachable closely pressed he went down these rocks like a monkey and now sits below out of reach a balting the vessel dy heaven there she Is and he sig nals her and he pointed to a schoon er that swept abour d the point under sail and anchored halt a mile from the shore the excitement was now intense and bets were freely taken about the result they of the schooner saw that they dare not approach nearer to the shore and were evidently afraid to send a boat through such a erous reef the sheriff danced with glee at their discomfiture and turning to me said 1 would you oblige me wih your rifle mr II arding as my revolver can not reach hima I 1 have instructions to take his body alive or dead I 1 politely declined to part with my rifle for such a purpose much to his astonishment as Chat lern had never wronged me and I 1 had no wish to as at his death when matters were at a deadlock a skiff shot out arom the coast deserio ing a crescent spoke to the schoon er and skimmed in to the rescue of the prisoner AH eyes were turned on the fragile boat and as it drew near to the rocks below I 1 saw with that the occupant was the sheriff a pretty daughter nearer and nearer crept the little boat dodging through the network ot rocks till at last it was so near that I 1 could distinguish the golden locks and white set face of the rower poor gin she loved him despite his wicked career and I 1 could not but admire the unselfish devotion of the unfortunate girl the sheriff was beside himself with rage and vexation at being cheated by his own daughter and as the skiff hot out Chat lern or rather gaston stood up and waved him an ironic adieu eva stood by his side the tears streaming down her face but they were tears of joy we watched them till the boat was a mere speck on the bosom of the ocean that was the last I 1 have ever seen of my twin brother like bar kis he went out with the tide henry Q barreson Barr lson in chicago jour nal |
