The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-11-30
THE TIMES NEW BLOOMFIELD PA, NOVEMBER go 1880

been heard to drop in any part Of the
house.
His scrutiny apparently gave an en-
couraglng result, to judge from the ex-
preston Of his face
Now, boys, must have that bull
let"
"What bullet ?" queried Atkins.
"The bullet that is lodged in War
wlck's brain. / must have it,"
Would you have US split the mans
head open to get the ball"
Yes, I'll split it open myself If neces-
sary, but must have the bullet. Don't
talk of respecting the dead, when there's
a living man, and good one, too, rest
ing under foul suspicion. What say
you, lads shall have the bullet w
Yes, yes" burst from the throats of
all the Americans of the vessels. There
was a momentary attempt at resistance
by Atkins and portion Of the Hobart
Town crew, but they were brushed aside
without much ceremony.
II is unnecessary to describe the rude
surgery, which, however, quickly an
swered the purpose. The ball was soon
found, and eagerly handed over to Com
stock.
He placed it upon the muzzle of the
Vandal's gun. 1t would not enter the
bore.
"See, boysl" he cried, holding it up.
"Are you all satisfied 7"
An answering shout indicated the
state of feeling that prevailed among
those justice-loving seamen. Even the
English beach, header was converted to
the new faith, and began to look else
where for the murderer, feeling certain
that Dave Preston had not done the
deed. Meanwhile Preston himself, con-
scious of his own innocence, and feeling
his case safe enough in the hands of his
trusty friend, had been studying in
tently the conduct and facial expression
of others during all these proceedings,
with the view of finding clew to the
identity of the real murderer
stood close at his side, and although
neither of us spoke to the other, L was
quite sure, even from the moment that
Comstock sent Tom to bring the other
gun, that knew the man who was the
object of my friends suspicion. A
short, dark, evillooking fellow,-a Por-
tuguese evidently,-on of Warwick's
own men, whom 1 had met now and
then when L worked with others on the
haaal h,rt hot oII l., - l.
l now observed that this man had
gradually moved nearer to Comstock,
till he stood close behind his right
shoulder. He wore growth of beard,
so that little or no expression was appar-
ent on his countenance, but my atten-
ton had been mostly given to the move
ments of Comstock himself. The Por-
tuguese even took care to join in the
shout at the discovery that Warwick
must have been killed with the gun of
the larger calibre, though such a dis
covery must have been a terrible scare
to him. But he did not realize the full
imminence Of his peril, or feel the
glance of the keen eye which had been
steadily covering him for some minutes,
but the slightest movement of his feat
ures or his body had been noted. Pres
ton told us afterward that he could
observe slight, nervous twitching of
the fingers, and once the hands moved
as if involuntarily toward the gun in
Comstock's grasp. From that moment
he was more than ever confident that he
had found his man.
"Now, lads, said Comstock, tive all
are satisfied on one point, but that does
not tell us who did commit the crime,
although it is plain enough who didn't.
don't know that anything we can do
at this moment will clear up the rest of
this mystery, but murder will out sooner
or later, and time will bring the guilty
man to justice. 1t may be of no great
consequence, but as the Bellono'S gun is
still loaded, am going to draw the
charge in the presence of all hands. L
should say by the feeling that there is
paper wad over the ball, but we shall
soon see."
The worm presently took good hold,
and the wad began to rise slowly from
the gun-barrel. The little, heavy-beard-
ed man crept closer up to Ben Com
stock, and could hear the beating of
my friends heart at my side. The little
mass of paper was brought to the light
of day; but, as it was drawn forth, it
dropped from the worm, and fell to the
floor. A dark, grimy hand reached
eagerly to pick it up, but Dave Preston