The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-01-21

defence than his reckless hardihood seemed
to ask. The Judge appeared to be more
anxious than the prisoner, who, otherwise
unconcerned, evidently took a grim pleas,
ure in the responsibility he had created
g l don't take any hand in this yer game, -
had been his invariable, but good humored
reply to all questions. The Judge-who
was also his captor-for moment vaguely
regretted that he had not shot him "on
sight that morning, but presently dis
missed this human weakness as unworthy
of the human mind. Nevertheless, when
there was a tap at the door, and it was said
that Tennessee's partner was there on
behalf of the prisoner, he was admitted at
once without question. Perhaps the young
er members of the jury, to whom the pro-
ceedngs were becoming irksomely thought
full, hailed him as relief
/ For he was not, certainly, an imposing
figure. Short and stout, with square
face, sunburned into preternatural red
ness, clad in a loose duck "jumper," and
trousers streaked and splashed with red
soil, his aspect under any circumstances
would have been quaint, and was now even
ridiculous. AS he stopped to deposit at his
feet a heavy carpet-bag he was carrying,
it became obvious, from partially developed
legends and inscriptions, that the material
with which his trousers had been patched
had been originally intended for a less
81 Il |,
great gravity, and after having shaken the
hand of each person in the room with
labored cordially, he wiped his serious,
perplexed face on red bandanna handker-
chief, shade lighter than his complexion,
laid his powerful hand on the table to steady
himself, and thus addressed the Judge =
81 was passin' by" he began, by way
of apology, 'and thought I'd just step
in and see how things was gittin' on with
Tennessee thar,-my pardner. It's a hot
night. 1 disremember any SIGH weather
before on the Bar
He paused moment, but nobody volun-
teering any other meteorological recollec-
ton, he again had recourse to his pocket
handkerchief and for some moments mop
ped his face diligently.
"Have you anything to say in behalf of
the prisoner? said the Judge, finally.
"Thet's it," said Tennessee's Partner,
in a tone of relief. 81 come var as Ten
nessee's Notwithstanding him nigh on
four year, off and on, wet and dry, in luck
and out O. luck. His ways amt alters my
ways, but thar amt any p'ints in that
young man, thar amt any liveliness as he's
been up to, as I don't know. And you seq
to me, seq you,-contidential Like, and
between man and man,-sez you, DO you
know anything in his behalf?' and seq to
you, sez ], confidential like, as between
man and man. What should man know
of his pardner? 2"
"Is this all you have to saye" asked the
Judge, impatiently, feeling, perhaps, that
a dangerous sympathy of humor was begin
ming to humanize the Court.
Tibet so," continued Tennessee's Part
ner. "It amt for me to say anything
agin' him. And now, what's the case?-
Here's Tennessee wants money, wants it
bad, and doesn't like to ask it of his old
pardner. Well, what does Tennessee do?
He lays for a stranger, and he fetches that
stranger And you lays for him, and you
fetches lam: and the honors is easy. And
| put it to you, bein' a far minded man,
and to you, gentlemen, all, as far-minded
men, eff this isn't So
"Prisoner," said the Judge, interrupt
ing, shave you any questions to ask this
man.
Z" No no - continued Tennessee's Part
ner, hastily. 81 play this yer hand alone.
To come down to the bedrock, it's Just
this: Tennessee, thar, has played it pretty
rough and expensive-like on stranger, and
on this yer camp. And now, what's the
fair thing? Some would say more some
would say less. Here's seventeen hundred
dollars in coarse gold and watch,-it's
about all my pile,-and call it square ~
And before a hand could be raised to pre-
vent him, he had emptied the contents of
the carpet-bag upon the table.
For moment his life was i'll .jeopordy.
One or two men sprang to their feet, sew
eral hands CROPPED for hidden weapons, and
a suggestion to throw him from the win
dow was only over-ridden by gesture
from the Judge. And apparently oblivious
of the excitement, Tennessee's Partner
improved the opportunity to mop his face
again with his handkerchief
When order was restored, and the man
was made to understand, by the use of for
chile figures and rhetoric, that Tennessee's
offence could not be condoned by money,
his face took a more serious and sanguinary
hue, and those who were nearest to him
noticed that his rough hand trembled
slightly on the table. He hesitated a
moment as he slowly returned the gold to
the carpet-bag, as if he had not yet entirely
caught the elevated sense of justice which
swayed the tribunal, and was perplexed
with the relief that he had not offered
enough. Then he turned to the Judge,
and saying, "This yer is loan hand,
played alone, and without my partner" he
bowed to the jury and was about to with
draw, when the Judge called him back
IF you have anything to say to Tennessee
you had better say it now" For the first
time that evening the eyes of the prisoner
and his strange advocate met. Tennessee
smiled showed his white teeth, and, saying,
90 Euchred, old mani" held out his hand.
Tennessoe's Partner teok it in his own,
and saying, 81 just dropped in as I was
passin' to see how things was gettin' on
let the hand passively fall, and adding that
sit was warm night" again mopped his
face with his handkerchief, and without
another word withdrew.
The two men never again met each
other alive. For the unparalleled insult of
a bride offered to Judge Lynch-who
whether bigoted, weak, or narrow, was at
least uptble-irmly fixed in the
mind Of that mythical parsonage any way
ering determination of Tennessee's fate;
and at the break of day he was marched,
closely guarded, to meet it at the top of
Marley'S Hill