St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-08-18
Selected Story
AN OUTLAW.


tie crib by the stove rose from its
#kneeling position with the hands
! raised above the head.
''All right, Harley, you've got me;
I'll be with you in a few moments.
Allies sick" The words fell sadly
from the mans lips; there was
wistful look in the deep-set eyes rest
ing upon the tiny creature in the
crib.
The group about the doorway fall
tered and failed to enter the rude
structure into which their leader had
i iutruded with drawn revolvers.
q 1t was curious scene, one perhaps
s which would not have been met out
4 side of the mountains of Georgia. 1t
q was the interior of moonshiner's
& lowly cabin. Eli Bargy had been
under suspicion for several months;
the little still had been located in a
ravine down the side Of the noun
tain, and the officers, after confscat-
ing the plant, had moved in a body
further up that mountain to arrest
. the owner, Bargy.
4 You'll have to come with US, Eli,
8 spoke the man who stood just inside
81 the doorway, revolver In each
q hand.
Eyes, know, Harley. I'll go with
you in moment There, good girl,
& she'll be all right in the morning."
8 Eli bent and patted the brown head
of the woman kneeling upon the
other side of the crib. Then recollect-
q ing himself, he said as he stood up
4 again with his hands raised:
II IL l. -.
sick, is sick now, and the little woman
is in trouble. It'll worry her to stay
here alone with little Allie"
eli, say goodbye and come"
''In a minute, just a minute. Yes,
I'll GO The baby is breathing easier
now. Little woman, rest easy
she'll get well. Now 1 am ready,
Harley"
The moonshiner came forward and
reached out his hands; but, oh there
was such sorrow in the depths OF
his eyes, such unspeakable misery in
q the tones of his voice, that the officer
said, as he concealed his weapons:
81 understand the case, Eli 1 am
human, hope. I'll go outside with
the men and give you five minutes
alone with your wife and child
Thank you, Harley; you need not
q fear, for you can trust me. You are
a square man."
q Harley closed the door as he went
out; he told his men the situation
A couple of them said that it was
foolish in him to trust a mOonshiner
but the rest agreed that their leader
had done right. They had wives and
children at home.
After the five minutes had passed
the door opened and Eli Bargy came
out with his hat upon his head
There was a trace of sadness about
his eyes and teardrop or two glis
tened upon his beard.
Put on the irons, Harley. 1 coult
have made fight for it but 1 didn't
feel like shedding blood-and Allie
my baby, so sick"
The irons were placed upon thu
mans wrist and he was led away
from all that he held dear in this life
Led away to prison, taken to a plac,
that was almost like death to thi
man, who though lawbreaker, lief
his heart in the little cabin on tn
mountain side.
All how long the days seemed t.
him, and how long the silent hour
of the night dragged on.
Ten days passed, and Eli Barg
4 had heard no word from his sicl
baby and distressed wife. How vivid
& " his home came up before him as h
tossed upon his prison bed. How
cruelty he had wronged his good lit
tie wife by placing her in such a try
ing situation. All! if he had onl,
stuck to what was lawful; but i
was too late nOw-too late.
In two days time he would b
tried. Two days only! What Nigh
they not bring forth
1t was night, the tenth night h
had spent behind the doors of tn
prison. 1t was to him like ten years
The rain fell upon the uplifted fac
of the moonshiner as he pressed hi
forehead against the bars and locke
out upon the night. There was no
thing without that was free Th
whippoorwill in the magnolia tire
was free, but its notes came to tn
moonshiner' ears like knells of d,
spair. The sobbing of the rustlin
leaves brought to him the sad mu
murs of woe. How his hands clencl
ed the bars, and from the depths
his bosom came his words:
allie, Allie, my little baby. Al
you better, worse, dying? ~
And the voices of the night came t
him out of the dark shadows witt
out and sobbed:
Dying, dying, dying!"
The man started as though struc
with bullet. He sank upon b
knees, bowed his head in his hanc
and wept like child.
allie, my baby-my baby!" can
from his lips.
Then he started to his feet; b
hands gripped the bars. They we