The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-05-29
Brocncr's ears I apolosiacd for having

| looked grave. He added beside that some
secret was on Pratt's mind He inferred
there mus, have been quarrel and much
| III will bctwiXt Pratt and some one previous
| IN he-ahcm-accident Pratt raved con
tinuallv about the young un, who thought
he "ovncd the whole mountain He was
ever being "doygcd about the chapparal by
him ~ and so on.
Mr. William Setter drank in with his
cosSipv. greedy ears Prntt's utteranceS and
the doctors opinions He visited Pratts
cabin on his way to work in the morning,
dropped in nj noon and again ut night. lie
made himself an assistant nurse to Pratt,
brought him choice dishes and broths of his
own making, and he could make them well
He was really useful. Besides. he carried
from Pratt's house messes Of gossip, which
he distributed rs a labor of love all over Bull
Bar. Nj. Settlers forte as a suspicion
breeder lay in differences. He hal no direct
charge against any one. But he said it was a
queer piece of business" Pratt, poor man,
had been trying to get along and earn an
honest living He as good as supported Hill,
wear. who hadn't much gGnption anyway
young Holder, he added found Pratt with
those hurt, on his head. Pratt couldn't bear
min on about shootin' and rowin' Holder
was up the mountain that day He saw him
at least it looked like his shirt in the
bushes Wen, it was queer business
Such is a sample Of the applications made
by Mr. Setter for individuals singly and in
dividuals in groups for eight or ten days
He was in this work earnest and persevering,
in season and out Of season. He 'set people
10 thinking" He educated them, in fact, 10
think -uspiciousy of me in connection with
Pratt Ordinarily on Bull Bar a "shootin
srapc' between two men, even If one was
killed, might not get any farther than the
local Justices court; might not get even
there. The community tacltly ACKNOWLEDGED
the pistol a the main arbiter in all manner
of disputes Smith jumped Jon's' claim.
Jones shot Smith dead. Nobody had time to
inquire closely into the matter The affair
was a two days sensation. In week 1t was
quite forgotten
But in this case hefe was Mr. Scfters
"pOor sick man and his partner devotinS
his whole time to him, aud |, John Holder
in some mysterious way mixed up with them
Mr. Setter played several chords on the
various human hearts of thousand strings
he handled First sympathy, next mystery
and beyond that something dark-he would
not say what-only something resembling
myself or my red shirt on Scrub mountain
could in the many views presented by HIM to
his audiences be vaguely made out in the
general indistinctncSs
SO this busy man went on poisoning the
Bull Bar mind against me.
Broener left for MarysvilIe on the day
Pratt was pronounced worse. His interest
in the Bank seemed now secondary to
another elsewhere.
After his departure | went down to Ran
kins II was noon | arrived at the store
Just after the fifteen CT twenty boarderS had
finished their dinner and were now congre
gated for "A smoke ard talk, preparatory TO
the LONG afternoons work in their claims
along the river bank.
Just before entering heard Sefter's tongue
rafting on at livelier pace than ever The
gravity OF Pratt's case seemed to act as a
s,imulant upon him, exciting hi, Imagination
and touching up his suspicious differences re-
garding this queer business in more pro
nounccd colorings than ever
"And why don't he come out and tel the
whole story" said he.
As entered that hush ensued so peculiar
to the unexpected advent of the party talked
about
know they were talking of me in connec-
ton with Piatt-or rather | felt it, | had
felt it for some days-felt it in n certain cool
ness. in avertel looks, and hints and inuen-
does, whose full import and meaning now
burst upon me.
The silence was finally broken b5 one
long Macs asking me if | "knew how
Pratt was.
81 hear he Is worse" was my reply, and
felt mY face redden and burn as | spoke. Ac-
tunlly did feel then like Pratt's murderer,
aud on trial before "A jury prejudiced against
me, without a favorable witness OF eXtenult-
mg Circumstance in my behalf, So strong
seemed the effect OF the predominant thought
from the group in that store to make me Jeet
rs they teijcrcd.
There was another silence. A great deal
Of renewed aud possibly unnecessary pipe
filing and cleaning of stems with broom
straws went on; possibly as II mental relief
to the more sensitive, AMI consequently en-
Lama,sod, Of the party.
EVA, you coming down Scrub mountain
when You found Pratt" asked another
no " | roplicl II went up 10 him.
81 wonder hoN hH came by two bullet, in
his head, a.l,ad Long Mac.
81 don't know that he has any bullets in
his head, I rcpliaL
"lou don't was the reioinler from Lony
Mac The empha>i, on tn, pronouu wa,
peculiar did moi mistake its meaning, but
made no reply
Meantime Mr. Setter was silent Perhaps
for the first tmo sense of the response
tility Of hi, loTmcity hal come over him.
He did not like talking in face of the
accused. The matter was now in sterner
hands.
"Wel," said Long Mac, Il think for one
this thing needs looktng into, Its bout time
this robum' AMI murdcrin' was stopped
| Somebody need, etringin' up
| The mortality list for Bull Bar, and. say,
| a stretch Of river Tor two miles up and down,
averaged "A man killed by known or unknown
| par,e, about once in ten days. But the Bar
was NOW in the throcs of one of those spaSms
! of law aud order, peculiar TO all communi-
| ties. Woe to the wight, guilty or not guilty,
| caught during such Npasm. He would hang.
! II was worse than any direct trial this
! being accused 10y hint, inference and inuendo
| There was felt, but one thing to do. re
| solved 10 make the issue and meet it,
Look gereM | said What are You fel
| lows driving at ANYWAY. You talk rs if