Middletown transcript., 1892-01-28
WITH GOD FOR WITNESS.
ny MRS. LOUISE II. HALL.

~
in the timber and the more oppressive
breathing of his partner. He had
been awake for hours, and not being
thinking man, he had absolutely
nothing to do. The fire.tree over the
shack dripped slow moisture on the
roof, and through the warped glass Of
the window one star was blurred and
half smeared out. The heavy cotton
comfortable lay unyielding, like a
mattress, upon him, and he grew cold.
He got up, crept across the gritty
floor, slid on his boots, and went to
the door. Outside, the dripping
forest Of gigantic evergreens pressed
against the one-roomed shack /; two
freshly felled trees supported them.
selves half up, like a man on his
elbow faint trail from the door
lost itself in the darkness of the UNDER
growth. Frick picked up the double
bitted axe by the door, and went out
for frewood. AS he moved in the
underbrush he heard slight sound
behind him, and stopped to listen.
There was a blaze, zip, and he fell
forward. He felt himself being drag
ged over uneven ground. He opened
his eyes when he heard a swapping
and cracking near him; he was ly-
ing on comfortable beside the stove,
which burned freshly. Tom was pull
ing off his boots, and sobbing and
moaning over him, like man in
nightmare. He got breath to say
"Tom."
"Frick, boy, | didn't 60 to, | was
asleep I heard somethin'; I vas
dreamin' of bars. Lord Lord He
don't hear"
The little fimsy stove was red hot,
and the blood soaked into the comfort
able from the mans side. Tom tore
strips from the mattress on the bunk,
and tried to tie them around the great
hairy chest. Frick moaned.
"Tom," he said, "we're friends,
amt we?" His hand groped feebly.
Tom laid his unshayed cheek on
Frick's side, above the Jagged hole.
"We're friends ?" he asked again.
Yes, yes, Frick. I'd a sight
ruther done it to myself" He sat on
the floor holding the chill hand and
pressing the coarse cloth against the
pumping wound. The fierce fire died
out from the stove, the iron creaking
as it cooled.
Frick lay with hiseyes staring open.
" They'll say you killed me a-pur- !
pose," he breathed. YOU'D ought !
to get witness, Tom"
81 amt kerin' what they say. !
amt goin to leave you here dyin
while I'm off lookin' up witnesses"
After long pause Frick said, !
You tell 'em I was loadin' ketriges f
when you went out, and when you 7
KEN back l was like this" d
Tom shook his head. "I amt a
kerin' what they say" !
Gimme pencil, Tom don't be t
fool !" j
Tom lit tallow candle stuck in +
the neck Of bottle, and lifted Frick a
against his knee, while he held a piece J
of paper against the sole of one of the I
boots he had dragged off. The stiff +
greenish hand closed over the pencil, :
and Frick traced the word T riends"; e
but the point was gone, and the pen-
Gil left no mark. Then he drew a
hard quick breath, and slid out Of
Tom s arms. Tom laid him down and d
drew him out straight, and gathering t'
up the blood-stained rags, threw them y
into the cold stove, and sat waiting g
for morning. When the light came,
he took the dead man over his back,
and shntting the door of the shack, 81
started down the trail from the claim g.
toward the river. The trail was very
slight; the partners had only been
holding down the claim for a few
weeks, and it was all that Tom could
10 to keep his feet with the swinging
tagging weight on his back. He reach
ID the river, mere winding stream,
md laying Frick in the stern of his
ouat, and covering him with coat,
le took the oars. It was early morn
ng, and sheet of white mist steamed
up from the water, and was torn and
1ung in great shreds among the far
Of the evergreens. Through
he white stiffness they passed slowly
lown the winding stream. 1t was a ds
ong journey for the rover, with the M
ilence Of the woods about him and ar
he silence of the dead bedside him al
,ut as evening came, he saw the light
if the town below it was the clear
electric star above the first saw-mill. =
When he brought up at the wharf, a - -
ew idlers were standing about. .. a.
What have you got there ?" asked Il
me, out Of the fulness of bis laziness. -
Tom lifted his eyes from the ex- | ,|
,ressionless heap in the boat and said, " "
Tell your coroner to come down
lere." ="
They put him into the little strong "
louse with bars across the windows.