Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-04-01

to speak to you about and for your own
good, too"
"What's he done9"
"Heaps. He been fooliHg round
Liz, and he's Arid you'll find it out; so
yesterday when he went to the burgh, he
had confab with the committee, and l
recken they are coming to pay you a
visit"
"You're a liar, Tom Lickers."
81 don't generally take that from
everybody, but I'll let it pass by for
once. say they are coming to pay you
visit, aud coming this very night. 1
say, too, that Joe put them on to you"
''But about Liza"
"Ask her." was the surly reply.
"Tom Lickers, you're sneak and
coward, and I've just found it out,
cried Braddon. "Liz didn't want you,
and now l don't blame her. But if you
ever dare to whisper word against her,
and I find It out, that will be the death
of you. As for Joe and the vigilauts, l
reckon can take care of them. l never
want to speak to you again"
Braddon turned his horse around in
the path ard rode back the way he had
come.
Lickers locked after the rctreating
man, and well-satisfed smile played
around his lips.
81 reckon that'll settle both of them"
he muttered. "Joe Bronson will get
killed or have to skip, and the vigilants
will gobble Braddon, or I'll know the
reason why. That'll leave Liz to me-"
"You reckOnl"
The words came Unexpectedly, and
made Lickers spring to one side. There,
across the path, with her hand holding
firmly to the loose hide of the hound,
stood Liz BiaddOn facing him.
"You reckon?" she repeated.
"Reckon what, LizP'
"That I'll ever be left for you to take
care Of"
"How1 What do you mean, Liz2'
"By setting Joe and pap a-fghting,
aud then getting pap into trouble with
the vigilants."
81 haven't done anything, Liz, except
to warn your daddy to keep clear"
"And you didn't lie to himl'
"What do you mean?"
"l'n tell you, Tom Lickers. In the
first place, Joe and me are going to get
married tonight. Pap told Joe to wait,
but Joe wouldn't, and so he went and
got the papers anyway yesterday; and if
the vigilants are a-comiug, you got
them to come. Then again, pap didn't
kill that man in The bottom. 1t was you
that done it, Tom Lickers, and you
know it; but you got pap to shoot into
the cabin, aud when the man didn't
holler, you made him believe that he had
killed him, and that the best way to get
rid Of the whole thing was to set fire to
the shanty and burn it to the ground"
How do you know 2"
"There was one saw you kill him be-
fore pap came, and he will swear to it,"
Lickers jumped on his horse, and when
he was in the saddle he drew his pistol,
levelled it quickly at the head of the
hound, and fired. The dog made one
frantic leap forward and then fell to
the ground. The next moment Lick
ers leaned over in the saddle, and
clasping Liz around the waist with one
arm, while he placed his hand over her
mouth, ne lifted her bodily into the sad
die in front of him. Then giving his
horse touch with the spurs he dashed
away up the path.
The hoof-beats of Lickers's horse had
hardly died away, however, before LIS
dog with a growl staggered to his feet.
He seemed to be dazed for few mo-
ments, but presently, with his nose to the
ground, he followed in the path in the
direction in which Lickers had gone.