Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-03


yo,i."
II he hoped for some allusion to that
fatal letter he was disappointed. There
was brief silence, and then Redfern
Churchill answered rather slowly:
You have done moro than any man
would have done already; you can do no
more. lam dead to them, 10 you and
all the old life II you have not yet told
her that you have seen rue, leg Of you
not to do so--it would only hurt her.
Don't think me ungrateful; would give
my life to prove to you what I think Of
the sacrifice you have made for my sake.
Heaven bless you both!"
He turned abruptly away, and walked
swiftly back in the direction of the
camp. Newenham. after short pause,
during which he watched the muscular
figure disappearing into the fast gather.
ing shadows, turned and walked on hur.
riedly too, with q sudden sense Of help
lessness in his heart.
The road was getting quite dark, and
the silence wa broken only by the dis
tant roar of the water as IL foamcd along
its rocky uneven bed at the foot Of the
Red Mactarvish camp and tho gentle
soughing of the breeze among the fra
grant pines.
Suddenly there was faint rustling
sound in the ditch which ran right across
the road. Then figure moving therein
cautiously raised itself up till there ap-
peared pale flabby face, still heavy
with the drunken sleep which had
caused the man to seek suddenly and in
voluntarily the bottom of that ditch, on
his way home to Deadman's Flat. The
face was surrounded by tangled yellow
locks, to which adhered clay and twigs
and various other trihes. gathered in
that unexpected and hasty plunge into
the ditch. After carefully reconnoitering
the dusk ON either side, he rested his
elbows upon the edge Of the bank and
propped up his still rather unsteady head
with his hands Poker Dick was cogitat-
ing, for even to his hazy and extremely
expansive views of propriety there seemed
a slight doubt as to the fairness of taking
advantage of private conversation to
tie halter round another mans neck.
He had not even any grudge against
Redfern Churchill; on the contrary. he
rather liked him.
On the other hand, however, Poker
Dicks affairs were in rather desperate
condition, and there was even some talk
of expelling him from the virtuous COM
munity of Deadman's Flat. An energetic
display Of virtue in the shape of captur-
ing wanted" murderer might soften
the hearts of his fellow townsmen. Then
there was that handsome reward which
it was decided should be given.
II guess I'll sleep on It'll" muttered tho
perplexed man to himself at last, letting
himself drop once more into the moist
clay at the bottom of the ditch. "Tm in
bit of buzzl''
In the early morning of the next day
small band of men came down the road
leading from Red Mactarvish. The tramp
of their feet was steady and regular, in
dicating that they were on some grave
business. A few persons lingering about
the doors Of tho "Red Unicorn" before
beginning the serious duties Of the day
caught sight of that small band as it
turned round bend in the road.
Jack Newenbam, talking to Quaker
Joe about shooting expedition that
would take up two or three days, turned
with the others to look at the advancing
group. Miss Snaresbrook also looked,
timing with a soft laugh from some ex-
travagant compliment just paid her by
the gentleman at her side, the proprietor
Of the grocery establishment of Dead
mans Flat, who, attracted by her ap-
pearance as she stood inside the small
inclosuro before the hotel, had run over
from his store at the opposite side of the
square to exchange ''good day" with
her. Mr.. Snaresbrook turned from his
ferocious contemplation of the adoring
grocer to gaze too at that rapidly APP
preaching band II began to attract the
attention of others too-children ran
down the road to find out what was
"up," for that solemn, steady procession
evidently meant something. Men. Ian
guidly strolling forward, caught the
meaning of their words as they shrilly
called out the discovery they had made.
Voices caught up the burden here and
there along the road, until quite grea;
wave Of sound reached the ears of those
standing about the ''Red Unicorn" from
which they could distinguish the words,
"Murderer"-"Go-for-him Tom"-"Red
Mactaryish"-"nabbed
There was variety Of expressions on
the eager faces of those assembled in the
square as the words reached theln-ex.
citement, interest, curiosity and satisfac-
ton. Even the grocer hastened forward,
though in doing so he had to leave Miss
Snaresbrook behind. Quaker Joe was
already hal way across the square So
was Jack Newenham, heavy sinking
feeling at his heart.
The procession, which was now silent
one, as If the stern resolution and gravity
of those men in its center had checked
even the excited curiosity and eager
qualification Of the townspeople who had
gathered about them, was more than
parted sufficiently to allow of the chief
actors in it being seen.
There were about twenty of them
the committeeman appointed to see into
the matter of the murder, a few miners
from Red Mactarvish who had come
along to see the end, and in the midst Of
them John Smith, or, as he was now
known to be, Redfern Churchill,
He was very pale, but otherwise quite
cool. When arrested at the camp, Just
as he was proceeding to bis days work,
he had come away quietly, without say
ing a word Newenham, forcing his
way through the crowd surrounding
him, reached his side.
Its lie," he cried, facing the lead
ing man of the arresting party-"an in
famous lie! If you do him any harm,
you shall swing for it!'
Hell have fair trial." answered the
man, with sullen civility. "Clear out,
boys, and let us pass!'
81 Lana - cniI Dnlfn..,