The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-08
Tricks side, above the jagged hole.

FLICK Sue, ABOVE Jne JaRBeu nOle.
Were friends ?'' he asked again.
Eyes, yes, Prick. I'd 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 creal1ing as it cooled.
Prick lay with his eyes staring open.
They'll say you killed me a-purpOse,"
he breathed. You'd ought to get a
witness, Tom"
81 amt KERN what they say. amt
goin' to leave you here dyin' while I'm
off lookin' up witnesses"
After a long pause Prick said, You
tell 'em was loadin' ketriges when you
went out, and when you KEN back l was
like this"
Tom shook his head. 81 amt what
they say"
"Gimme pencil, Tom; don't be a
fool"
Tom lit tallow candle stuck in the
neck of bottle, and lifted Prick against
his knee, while he held piece of paper
against the sole of one of the boots he
had dragged off. The stiff greenish
hand closed over the pencil, and Prick
traced the word Friends" ;but the point
was gone, and the pencil left no mark.
Then he drew hard quick breath, and
slid out of Toms arms. Tom laid him
down and drew him out straight, and
gathered up the blood-stained rags,
threw them into the cold stove, and sat
waiting for morning. When the light
came, he took the dead man over his
back, and shutting the door of the shack,
started down the trail from the claim
toward the river. The trail was very
slight; the partners had only been hold
ing down the claim for few weeks, and
it was all that Tom could do to keep his
feet with the swinging, sagging weight
on his back. He Preached the river, a
mere winding stream, and laying Prick
in the stern of his boat, and covering
him with a coat, he took the oars. 1t
was early morning, and a sheet of white
mist steamed up from the water, and
was torn and hung in great shreds among
the far branches of the evergreens.
Through the white stiffness they passed
slowly down the winding stream. 1t was
"a long journey for the rover, with the
silence of the woods about him and the
silence of the dead beside him; but as
evening came, he saw the light of the
town below; it was the clear electric star
above the first saw-mill. When he
brought up at the wharf, few idlers
were standing about.
"What have you got there ?" asked
one, out of the fulness of his laziness.
Tom lifted his eyes from the express
sionless heap in the boat and said, Tell
youl coroner to come down here"
They put him into the little ST. ong
house with bars across the windows, and
questioned him. Then the local press
sent representative editor and
proprietor-to interview him; and the
little innocent children came and looked
in at him, standing upon boxes for the
purpose. He made one clear statement
at the inquest; after that he would not
talk. Three days later they came to
him with the news. He got up slowly.
"You don't understand" said the doc
tor. YOU'RE free man."
Eyes, understand well enough" he
answered, turning down toward the
river.
"What are you going to do ?" asked
the doctor, suspiciously.
Pm goin' up the claim" he said.
The doctor watched him get into his
boat and pull slowly up the river, and
still stood watching until man and boat
were lost in the solemn pines.-Mrs.
Louise II. Wal, in Hdrper's Weekly.