Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-05-30
NUMBER %.

L loved hlm mighty sight bCtter'n L
loved myself, and yet, if Ezry was alive
and here and in your boots, and expect
in to be called for just rs soon, Id do
what I'm adoin' now I'd exhort him,
and plead with him, but I'd keep a close
eye on him and eft he was guilty. how
could |, who am a pledged hater of sin,
keep from condemnin' him ?"
The prisoner changed his position,
stared doggedly in the fire, and after
moment, exclaimed :
"Condemn away, then I'm Ezry."
The squire dropped his revolver, and,
leaning forward, raised the prisoners hat
and looked for the first time at his white
face. Then he hurriedly glanced at Hox-
ford the Englishman was snoring. The
squire opened the door Of the hut and
looked out into the starlight, but he saw
no one. Then he put his hands into his
pocket, drew out his knife, and COM
menced to cut the prisoners bands with
such energy that the prisoner WINGED.
" Hurt ye, boy ?" said the squire, has
tily Withdrawing he knife, and sharpen
ing it on the bottom of his boot, then
III take it out easy, Shawn at a time"
" l was picked up by a whaler," said
Ezra, in an apologetio undertone, AN
we never spoke anything going East that
'ud take man without money. l stayed
on her for year or two. Then we got
news of the gold"
That's off," interrupted the squire
" Hungry, boy ?"
Thirsty, more'n anything else" re-
piled Ezra.
The squire dashed into the bundle from
which he had taken the pistol, and bro't
out very small flask labeled For Med
icine," which Ezra empticd almost ut
single draught,
" We heard of tho gold boin' found"
resumed Ezra, as the old man stopped
and cut thong which had been put on
the prisoners ancles to prevent his TAX
ing very long steps, "an' the captain
made for Frisco, an wo all came ashore
an went for the mines"
"Wrists sore, Ezry ?" asked the old
man, lighting splinter of wood and ex-
amining his sons hands. "Should think
they were," he continued, getting out
bottle Of linimont, and tendery rubbing
some Of it into tho hard ridges Of the
prisoners wrists.
"l've had tho worst Of luck lost faith
in luck and ev'rything else. I've been
knocked around and abused, lint he'd no
friends-got to hatin' ey'rybody-went to
tho devil"
" Yen so yet, Ezry," suggested tho
old man, "ef wo don't get away from
here pretty lively. Cold, boy ?"
"Shivery, like" replied Ezry, putting
his hands into his pockets and drawing
his head down between his shoulders. |
hain't he'd much to cat for n good while"
The squire threw u blanket around his
boy, picked up small canvass bag, filled
1t with crackers and pork, looked eau
tiously out of the door once more, and
whispered
" Now let's leave"
Tho fire sputtered aud flashed in tho
faces Of the two men, as for nm instant
Ezra looked into his fathers face aud
whispered:
" Amt you got too religious, dad ?"
The squire looked sheepish and started
for the door. Just then lluNford yawued,
slowly opened his eyes and sat up. Ezra
stopped quickly and picked up the squi-
res pistol, but the old man snatchcd it
from his hand oxcaiming
" You amt one Of the elect, Ezry, but
| be. It's safer for me to do any shoot
in that's got to be done"
lIoxford hastily dropped again, and
waved his hand deprecatingly, us no
stammered out
Aw-now-I sNy-none Of that sort
of thing you know but like as u father
pitieth his children, you know, squire
eh ?"
The squire glared at the Englishman
moment, and then he stood aud pressed
his hand. A moment later Moonlight
and his father were lost in the darkness.
There was considerable Indignation an
hour or two afterwards, when deputa-
ton of citizens called to conduct the pris-
oner before the tribunal which had been
extemporized. But when Hoxford, who
had not been asleep any Of tho time, de-
tailed the whole scene, the entire camp
came as near as possible to compounding
felony by drinking good luck to the pair.