The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-06-21

you and the law; you to me. Remember
my fifteen minutes, and beware when next
we meet ?"
He threw his cloak about him, buckled
his pistols at his waist, and disappeared,
but as he left the room little piece of
metal fell from his person, and rolled un-
noticed upon the floor A minute later
the ring of his horses hoofs sounded
through the night as he rode towards the
mountains.
The morning following, as Nutting en-
tered his office, his aged servant bowed low
before him, extending his brown and wrink-
led hand, and said in an awe-stricken voice:
"Foun' dis on de floor, massa. S'pose
him your'n, bad ting, massa, bad-ef ye
low ole niger to say SOP"
The marshal leaned forward in surprise.
Lying in the out-stretched palm of the
black was a silver pistol bullet ~
aWhy, uncle said he,, taking it, 'this
isnot mine y
''Not your'n, massa Tank de lord
Use pleased, is, massa. Foun' it yer,
dough. Dat ar's seweyside bullet, massa,"
he continued, lowering his voice to whis-
per, while his eyes rolled liked ships in the
midst of white and seething pillows. 81
know EN- My ole massa he had one cast
an carried it many years. Dey neber kill
no one but de fellers dey' made for. Massa
John, dough, he didn't git chance for to
use his'n, and the old man chuckled.
ga suicide bullet, said Nutting, with
smile, as he examined the silver sphere.
''That' new idea to me. Why make
special bullet, uncle? should think one
of those deadly enough"
And he pointed toward some of the heavy
cartridges belonging to his own pistols
which lay on the table near.
"Dey mought miss, massa Ye know de
debbil cares for his own, an dis bullet is
made by his help, at night, in de grabe
yard, an can't miss. | knows 'em massa.
is seen EN- afore." Then, drawing nearer,
he whispered, "Ts made 'em!'
@And did they do their work ?" said
Nutting, laughing lightly.
"Dey did, massa.
The officer now opened a drawer in his
desk, and took from it an old-fashioned
duelling pistol, which he had picked up
somewhere, and fitted the bullet into its
rusty muzzle.
ats just the thing, uncle. Bring me
my flask, and I'll load it with the suicide
bullet It's best to have it handy by if
get the blues" He laughed again.
The servant obeyed.
''No use to fix i'm massa 'Twon't only
kill de one who it's made fer, shuah an ye
couldn't shoot yerself wild it, nohow."
"Well, uncle, I'll load the old smooth
bore, anyway said the marshal, suiting
the action to the word, "and this afternoon
we'll try it at a mark. If | miss a half
dollar at dozen PAGES, I'll give up that
you're right. If l hit, your suicide bullet
is no better or worse than leaden one
"All right, massa, but you won't hit, "
replied the old darkey.
Just as Nutting completed the charging
of the weapon, visitor called, and it was
thirst hurriedly into pigeon-hole in the
desk His visitors business detained him
from the office until night, and the plan of
the morning was forgotten. The dueling-
pistol with its silver missile lay unnoticed
for months in the desk.
The days and weeks passed, summer
came and went, and fall ripened the year.
A dozen times had the marshal organized
expeditions and secured the country, seek
ing the notorious Allen, but each time he
had returned unsuccessful Occasionally
still would be destroyed, or a quantity of
liquor seized, but the man himself remain
ed free, and the winter was approaching
rapidly. Soon these raids must be dropped
for the year. Nutting chafed under his i'll
success.
One final effort, however, was to be
made. Certain information which he knew
to be reliable had at last, he felt sure, put
the outlaw in his hands, and he looked to
his horses shoes and loaded his pistols
with unusual care.
At his orders mounted guards-men on
whom he could depend patrolled all the
roads. Upon the morrow at dawn, with a
posse of seven fearless mountaineers, he
was to storm the very stronghold of the
find vacancy either in the government
office or the ranks of the illicit distillers.
The expedition had thus far, Nutting be-
lieved, been kept secret. Because of this
he looked forward with strong hopes of
success.
The officer sat at his desk writing. He
had few pages to complete, letter or
two to prepare for the mail, and some
memoranda to destroy. He might never
sit at that desk again.
AS his eyes wandered over the mass of
papers, documents and duplicate reports,
filed neatly away before him, he suddenly
noticed the butt end of his old dueling pis-
tol, half hidden in one of the compart-
ments, and as the remembrance of how it
came there flashed over him, he was about
to draw it from its hiding place, when a
shuffiing step at the door arrested him, and
an instant later an aged and bent woman
entered the door.
The hour was late, and Nutting regarded
the new conner with surprise, as he arose
to offer her a chair She accepted it with
a whine of thanks, and sank painting into
it. The marshal resumed his seat at the
desk.
aye are the gov'ment man, l reckon p
said the woman, after pause, raising a
brown and wrinkled face, half hidden be-
meath an immense hood and pair of green
spectacles, toward Nutting.
''Yes, madam replied that worthy.
'I've come right smart piece to see ye,
for an old woman. I'm true grit, | am, but
a gittin' wore out. These yer mountains
are sight steeper'n they was forty year
ago." and she sighed. "But see here, I'm
on business, am. l want to talk to ye.
You don't know me, / reckon p
Il can't say that l do said Nutting,
slowly.
II reckon not-as ye never see me be-
fore. I'm Mrs Allen-Bethsheby Allen
an my boy he's Rulof Allen. Ye've heard
of him, mebbe p and she paused and gazed
cunningly into her listeners face.
ttYas I know him y and fhe mans brow