The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-04-14

. densely instarred sky; the moon was
| only crescent, and dipping low in the
west, but he could see the somber out
line of the opposite mountain, and the
white mists that shifted in q ghostly
and elusive fashion along its summit.
The night was still, save for a late katy
did, spared by the frost and piping
shrilly.
He experienced q terrible shock Of
surprise when sudden voice-a voice
he had never heard before-cried out
sharply:
.Hello there! Help! helpw And as
he pressed TREMENDOUSLY forward he be-
held sight which made him ask him.
self if it were possible that ALT Coggin
had sent for him to join in some nefari-
Gus work which had ended in leaving =
man stranger-bound to the old light
ning-scathed tree.
Even in the uncertain light, Tom
could see that he was pallid and pant
ing, evidently exhausted in some des-
perate struggle; there was blood on his
face. his clothes were torn, and by all
| odds he was the angriest man that was
ever waylaid and robbed.
"Ter- morrer he'll be ies' a-swOopinr'
thought Tom, TREMENDOUSLY untying the
complicated knots and listening to his
threats of vengeance on the unknown
tn'eVes' an every critter on the
mounting will git a clutch from his
claws"
And in fact it was hardly daybreak
before the Constable of the district,
who, lived hard by in the valley, was
informed of all the details of the affair,
50 far as known to Tom or the .sTrav-
eler," for thus the mountaineers desig-
mated him. as if he were the only one
in the world.
BY reason of the message which Jim
hao delivered. and its strange result,
they suspected the Coggins, aud as they
rode together to the Justices house fol
a warrant, this suspicion received un-
expected confirmation in q rumor that
they found atloat. Every man they
met stopped them to repeat the story
that Coggin's boy had told somebody
it was his father who had robbed the
traveller, and hid the empty pocket
book in the chinking of the church
wall. No one knew who had set this
report in circulation, but a blacksmith
said he heard it first from man named
Brierwood. who had stopped at his
shop to have his horse shod.
1t was still early when they reached
Jim Coggin's nome; the windows and
doors were open TO let out the dust, for
his mother was just beginning to sweep.
She had pushed aside the trundle-bed
when her eyes suddenly distended with
surprise as they fell upon an object
lying on the floor beside it. The mo-
ment that she stopped and picked it up,
the strange gentleman stepped upon the
porch, and through the open door, he
saw it dangling from her hands.
He tapped the constable ON the
shoulder.
That's my property" he said,
The officer stepped in instantly.
Good-mornin', Mrs. Coggin," he said,
politely. "'Twould pleasure me some
ter git glimpse o that Handkerchief. -
'sAir it yourn?" asked the woman
wonderingly. II jes' now fund it, an
war tried ter know who had drapped
it hyar."
The officer. without a word, united
the knot which Amos Brierwood had
made in one corner, while the Coggins
looked on in open-mouthed amaze. 1t
contained a ve-dollar- Dill and bit OF
paper on which some careless memo
randa had been jotted down in hand
writing which the traveller claimed was
his own.
1t seemed a very plain case. Still,
he got out of the woman's sobs and
cries as soon as he conveniently could,
and sauntered down the road, where
the officer presently overlook him with
ALT and his father in custody.
"Whar be We a-takin' of us now?''
cried the elder, gaunt and haggard,
and with his long hair blowing in the
breeze.
Ter the meet n house, whar yer boy
says We hev hid the travellers money
purse" said the officer.
"My boy" exclaimed John Coggin,
casting an astounded glance upon his
son.
Poor ALI was almost stunned. When
they reached the church, and the men,
after searching for time without re-
suit, appealed to him to save trouble by
pointing out the spot where the pocket
book was concealed, he could only STAN
mer and falter unintelligibly and finally
he burst into tears.
LAX the t'other one-the leetle
boy" suggested an old man in tho
crowd.
| Alf's heart sank-ssmk like lead
when Jim, suddenly remembering the
promised "good word'' to the witches,
piped out, 81 war tole not ter tell who
teched it-kase my dad didn't want no
body ter know 'twar hid thar
John Coggin's face was rigid and
gray.
sThe Lord hev forsook metz he
cried. can all my chillen hev turned
liars tergether.''
Then he made q great effort to con-
troll himself.
"Look a-hyar, Jim, eff ye hev got
the truth in ye-speak it! Ell We know
whar hev hid any thing-find itr'
Jim, infinitely important, and really
understanding little of what was going
on, except that all of these big men
were looking At him, crossed the room
with as much stateliness as is compat.
ible with pair of baggy brown jeans
trousers, q plaid comforter tied between
the shoulder-blades in a big knot. q
tow-head, and tattered black hat; he
slipped his grimy paw into the chink-
ing where Amos Brierwood had hid the
pocket-book, and drew it hence, with
tho prideful exclamation;
- B'longs ter my dad!'
The officer held it up empty before
the traveler-he held up, too, the bit OF
comforter in which it was folded. and
pointed to the small boys shoulders.
The gentleman turned away, convinced
at last. ALI and his father looked from
one to the other, in mute despair.
They foresaw many years imprison-
ment for a crime which they had moi
committed.
The constable was hurrying his
prisoners towards the door, when there
was a sudden stir in the outskirts of the
crowd. Old Parson Payne was push
ing his way in, followed by a tall
young man, who, in comparison with
the uncouth mountaineers, seemed
wonderfully prosperous and well-clad,
| and very fresh and breezy.