The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-07-11

walk down to the road toward which
Walter directed his ste,s and in very
short time the boys s..S eoups of men
Going fraS' tilss ssp The aecliy5
hasafy, two a11r q stsher, and
soon a dozen or more were gathered
around the three boys who had watched,
and were gazing st the body.
AftoBet&fes firS5 loosss the meu made
characteristic reharks.
"This is a rough piece of business -
said Dan.
" Fearful p said Pete.
"That's dun queer work for horse,
now, amt it 2 said Levy, tall, keen
/ fellow, INTENDED by nature for a lawyer.
" It don't lock like a boss to me, 3"
said another.
And so they vent on to comment and
! examine.
1t appeared tiat the rail und + which
! Willie was janmed was dented and
marked, as if hammered by many
/ blows. The three innocent boys who
| had originated The "hoss the ory," as
/ the men called it, accounted for the
marks on the raj by saying that the
horse paved at Willie after he was I'M
/ der the fence.
The men said they knew better they
began to question the boys as if they
! entertained suspicious in regard TO
them, and the boys became very un-
comfortable. The men asked repeat
edly just how tie body was lyiug when
the boys had bund it, and inquired
again whether they had moved it at all.
The lads felt these ipsiDuations very
keenly.
Men continued to come, and at length
women came IL groups, until quite an
! assembly was gathered there in the open
field. Finally Walter returned slowly
mp the hill with few friends, as if he
were reluctant to come again to the
place. Just IS he reached the spot,
good old Father Mosely, and his wife,
a sharp, managing woman, came from
the opposite direction and met Walter.
Father and Mother Mosely lived down
by the school-touse, at the other side
of the settlement.
Mother Mos.ly at once seized hold of
Walter, and while she wrung his hand,
exc aimed, in l high voice, that seemed
to the boys not becoming or natural
voice in which to express grief
Oh, Walter, we cant give him up
no, no, no, oh, dear "
The gesticulation which accompanied
this was tragic anG STACEY, and it was by
far the most theatrical thing done upon
that occasion.
Sfosely spokea very few wofc
Hen s5sGsd tttsssi5 ln,!5Gs ,e,,s' q, a, = & e
"hoss Tne>ry, ne said
"The little boy down at the school
says it was a sheep that did it. "
And then it came out that Willie's
playmate, Charlie Sanders, was "the
- % ~ eoka1I -
that Charlie had cried all the forenoon,
and dared not tell the teacher what the
matter was but finally, at the noon
spell, he told little girl that Willie did
not come to school because a sheep in
the lot had chased them and knocked
Willie down, and he could not get mp.
Here was light, indeed, especially for
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
feeding. A young farmer stepped out
of the crowd and called, Nan, nan,
nan, >" and the flock, raising their heads,
responded with a multitude of ba-a-as,
aud came galloping over the grassy
field. at their head was the cold ram,
fine chuck, with great horns curling
in spirals around his ears.
The young farmer held Wi lies
basket in one hand, and, making a
brGwny fist of the other, struck out to-
ward the ram, offering him battle. The
buck at once brought his head down in
line of attack, squared himself for a
big butt, and came on with a lite run,
and charge that, in an artistic point
of view, was quite beautiful. The far
mer stepped aside, caught him by his
horns as he came, and that magnificent
charge was his last.
There was blood-thirsty feeling per-
vading the crowd, undoubtedly, but
Buck had a fair trial. There, on his
white, bold face and horns, were the
bright carmine drops of fresh blood,
No other witnesses were needed. In
nom INT a glittering, keen knife flashed
from somebody's keeping into the bright
sunshine, and in moment more pur
pie stream dyed the white wool around
Bucks throat, and there was red pool
upon the grass; and little later, as Dan
remarked, "some tough mutton"
The excitement abated; for the mys-
terry was cleared up, and justice had its
due. Kind-hearted Joe, who superin
tended the Sabbath-school and led the
religious element of the neighborhood,
stepped forward and said to the crowd:
Well, boys, it,. .s.I,.s.sight here, and
mo rrrsT,ioic11,. -rls1l
mony; let us take him home
And then Joe took Willie in his arms,
and held him closely, with the little
face against his own, as if he we're still
living. and started for the cottage.
Some of the people followed, in pict-
uresaue procession, through the pasture
lot and down the bank, and along the
shore of the pond. When Walters
house was reached, few of the women
went in to soothe Mary; and Joe and
the doctor went in also, and the people
clustered about the door.
Tn tbe course of an hour il seemed
that all had been done that could be
done for Walter and Mary, and tn.
peopIe. except few, who remained as
watchers and helpers, dispersed to their
homes.
The three days that followed were
bright. sunny days. A strange stiffness
and unusual hush reigned in the neigh
borbood of the cottage. The harsh.
grating sound of the saw mill was stop
ned in token of respect for the real sor-
row. Only the softly flowing stream
was heard, mingling sthsurrus with the
hum of the bees in the garden.
Now and then groups of children,
dressed in their Sunday attire. would
come down the bank, and with hushed
voices and fearful looks steal up toward
the cottage door. Then kind Joe would
see them, and would come out and take
them in to see Willie and after few
moments they would issue forth again
and walk sadly homeward, and as they
went the sunlight dried Their tears.
And farmers and hunters came from
many miles away "to see the little boy
that was killed by sheep" Some Of
tba ronob men manifested their sympa-
tbv bv exhibiting vindictive feelinos
toward the ram. After going in and
viewing the bruised corpse, they would
out with hsl; dark 3ba dste1i9sd 1e5 looks
and g5aS5Pbng gra5 with them n9S an9 ne6 Sh,o6
M by the door, they would inquire of any
by standcr, with fierce emphasis, vheth-
er the ram that "did that" was dead.