Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-07-10

rifie-shot tell upon ID rabbit or partridge
The woman passed through a kind OF
Autter or shudder for moment and ther
sank straight down in little heap upon
the floor Then followed series OF
quick gasps and catching for breath, and
short exclamations of 90 dear! @
| dear!" and then the stified shrieking be
| gan.
Walter took his wife up in his strong
| arms, and tried to undo in part the sad
work which had been accomplished upon
| her by the few words he had so suddenly
and imprudently uttered. He said that
Willie might not be dead after all, but
only hurt And so he placed her upon q
| bed, and he and Phil left her there and
| started to 60 and see Willie.
Not many words were said as the man
and boy climbed the bank and strobe
hastily along to the fatal spot. As they
| neared it there sat the two watchers,
| faithful to their post and as still as
| statues.
| Phil and Walter turned the angle of
| the fence, and the father came up to the
| body of his little son. He had not
seemed stricken with grief until now, but
only excited. AS he looked steadily upon
the chubby little form, all battered and
brought him there felt that some word
| must be- said.
"It's kick, amt it ?" said he.
That was hardly the right thing to say
at such a moment, perhaps. The poor
father choked and trembled and replied
| "a kick or bite or something's
dearr And then he turned his head and
| looked away, and there was the sound OF
his sobbing, and a strange, moaning cry
Walter would not stay by the body
but directed the boys to remain and
| watch while he himself went and brought
his friend the doctor. And then he
| turned away and went off over the fields
toward the settlement, uttering load sobs
and that same strange cry.
1t was hardly more than ten minutes
walk down to the road toward which
Walter directed his steps, and in very
short time the boys saw groups of men
coming from the houses up the activity
toward the fatal spot. They came hastily
| two and three together, and soon dozen
or more were gathered around the three
| BOYS who had watched, and were gazing
at the body.
After the first look the men made
| characteristic remarks.
"That is rough piece of business!
said Dan.
Fearful" said Pete.
"That's mighty queer work for hoss
now, amt it," said Levi, tall, keen fel
low intended by nature for lawyer.
at don't look like hoss to me-" said
another.
And so they went Oh to comment and
examine. 1t appeared that the rail under
which Willie was jammed was dented
| and marked as if hammered by many
blows. The three innocent boys who
had originated the "hoss theory" as the
men called it, accounted for the marks
on the rail by saying that the horse
paved Willie after he was under the
| fence.
The men said they knew better; they
began to question the boys as if they en-
tertained suspicious in regard to them
and the boys became very uncomforta
BILE. The men asked repeatedly just
how the body was lying when the boys
had found it, and inquired again and again
whether they had moved it at all. The
lads felt these insinuations very keenly
Men continued to come, and at length
women came in groups, until quite an
assembly was gathered there in the Oper
field. Finally Walter returned slowly ul
the hill with few friends, as if he were
reluctant to come again to the place
Just as he reached the spot good ole
Father Mosely and his wife, sharp
managing woman, came from the oppo
site direction and met Walter. Father
and Mother Mosely lived down by the
schoOl-house, at the other side of the
settlement.
Mother Mosely at once seized hold OF
Walter, and while she wrung his hand
exclaimed in high voice that seemed te
the boys not becoming or natural voice
in which to express grief:
cob, Walter! we can't give him up
no, no, no oh, dear"
The gesticulation which accompanied
this was tragic and STACEY. and it was by
far the most theatrical thing done on thai
occasion.
Father Mosely spoke a few words
which interested the people very much
Hearing some allusion made to the hoss
theory" he said:
"The little boy down at the school,
says it was sheep that did it,"
And then it came out that Willie's
playmate, Charlie Sanders, was /" the lit
| tie boy down at the school," and thai
Charlie had cried all the forenoon and
dared not tell the teacher what the mat
| ter was; but finally at the noon-spell he
| told little girl that Willie did not come
| to school because sheep in the lot had
chased them and knocked Willie down
and he could not get up.
Here was light indeed, especially fol
the three lads, who had begun to feel
since the horse theory was criticised, as
| if they themselves were culprits unless
they accounted for the murder"
Across the lot the sheep were still feed
| ing. A young farmer stepped out of the
crowd and called "Nan, nan, nan" an6
the flock, raising their heads, responded
with a multitude of ba-a-as, and came
galloping over the grassy field. At theil
| head was I" the old RAM" fine "buck'
with great horns curling in spirals around
| his ears.
The young farmer held Willie's baske'
in one hand, and making brawny fist OF
the other struck out toward the ram, OF
| fering him battle. The buck at once
broug his head down in line of attack
/ squared himself for big butt and came
on with little run, and a charge that il
an artistic point of view was quite beau
tiful. The farmer, stepping aside, caugh
him by his horns as he came, and tha
magnificent charge was his last.
There was blood-thirsty feeling per
yading the crowd, undoubtedly, but Bucl
had fair trial There on his white, bolt
face and horns were the bright carmint
drops of fresh blood. No other witnesse
were needed. In moment glittering
keen knife flashed from somebody's keep
ing in the bright sunshine, and in ;
moment more purple stream dyed th'
white wool around Bucks throat, ant
there was red pool upon the grass; ant
little later, as Dan remarked, some
tough mutton.
The excitement abated; for the mystery
was cleared up and Justice had It's due