Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-04-26

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| Government, will swear a great
oath-and keep it, too-for my own
| interests demand ito become a
worthy citizen, and If you will
accept the prodigal son and kill fol
me the fatted calf OF pardon, all will
be well. L came here to ask you tc
intercede for me. Will you do so?"
Nutting hesitated moment This
man was veritable Robin Hood
Could he trust him?"
| The other spoke again
"Such assistance from an official i.
what l need, and l can pay well for
it If you will get free pardon for
me will give you five thousand
II cannot do it"
Aliens face paled, and his hand
| crept toward his hip; then restraining
himself with a scoffing laugh, he
said:
'Be it so. Then we are enemiea L,
to you and the law; you to me. Re
member my fifteen minutes, and be.
ware when next we meet"
He threw his cloak about him.
buckled his pistols at his waist, and
disappeared, but as he left the room
little piece of metal fell from his
person, and rolled unnoticed upon the
floor. A minute later the ring Of his
horses hoofS sounded through the
night as he rode toward the mount
aims
The morning following, as Nutting
entered his office, his aged servant
bowed low before him, extending his
brown and wrinkled hand, and said,
IN an awestricken voice:
''Foun' dis on de floor, massa.
S'pose him yOur'n, bad ting, massa,
bad-ef We low old nigger to say so?"
The Marshal leaned forward in sur,
prise. Lying in the outstretched
palm of the black was a silver pistol
bullet.
"Why, uncle" said he, taking 10.
"that is not mine"
Not your'n maSsa! Tank de Lordl
Use pleased, is, massa. Foun' it
yer, dough. Dat ar's a seweyside
bullet, massa," he continued, lower
ing his voice to whisper, while his
eyes rolled like ships in the midst of
white and seething pillows. 81 know
'em! My ole massa he had one cast,
an carried it many years. Dey neber
kill no one but de fellers dey's made
for. Massa John, dough, he didn't
get chance for to use his'n," and the
Did man chuckled.
"a suicide bullet" said Nutting
with smile, as he examined the
silver sphere. That's new idea to
me. Why make special bullet,
uncle? l should think one of those
deadly enough"
And he pointed toward some Of the
heavy cartridges belonging to his owp
pistols which lay on the table near.
''Dey mought miss, massa. You
know de deDil cares for his own, an
dis bullet is made by his help, at
night, in de grabeyard, an can't miss.
l knows 'enJ, massa. Use seen 'em
afore." Then, drawing nearer, he
whispered, Use made 'em!"
"And did they do their work?" said
Nutting, laughing lightly.
''Dey did, massa."
The officer now opened a drawer In
his desk, and took from it an old
fashioned dueling pistol, which he
had picked up somewhere, and fitted
the bullet into its rusty muzzle.
Its just the thing, uncle. Bring
me my flask, and I'll load it with the
suicide bullet It's best to have it
handy by If get the blues And he
laughed again.
The servant Obeyed.
mo use to fix i'm, massa. 'Twon't
only kill de one who it's made for,
shuah, an ye couldn't shoot yourself
wid it, nohow."
"Well, uncle, I'll load the smooth
bore, any way" said the Marshal,
suIting the action to the word, and
this afternoon We'll try it at mark.
If miss half dollar a dozen PAGES,
I'll give up that you're right If l
hit, your suicide bullet is no better
or worse than leaden one"
GAR right, masSa, but yon won't
hit" replied the old darky.
Just as Nutting completed the
charging OF the weapon a visitor
called, and it was thrust hurriedly
into a pigeon hole in the desk. His
visitors business detained him from
the Office until night, and the plan Of
the morning was forgotten. The
dueling pistol with its silver missile
,sy unnotil,d for months in the desk.
The days and weeks passed, sum-
mer came and went, and fall ripened
the year. A dozen times had the
Marshal organized expeditions and
secured the country, seeking the no
torious Allen, but each time he had
returned unsuccessful. One final eff
fort, however. vas to be made. Ger
tain information which he knew to he
reliable had at last, he felt sure, put
the outlaw ir his hand, and he looked
to his horses shoes and loaded his
pistols with unusual care.
At his orders mounted guards
men on whom he could depend-pa.
trollod all the roads. Upon the NOR
row at dawn, with posse Of seven
fearless NOUS taineers, he was q
stornI the stronghold Of the moon-
shineN. and tomorrow night would
find vacancy either in tbc Gov
ernment Office or in the ranks Of the
Illicit diStillers. The expedition had
thus far, Eutting believed, been kept
a secret. Because Of this he looxed
forward with strong hopes of success.
The officer sat at his desk writing.
He had but few pages to complete,
4 letter or two to prepare for them all.
and some memoranda to destroy.
He might never sit at that desk
again.
AS his eyes wandered over the mass
If papers, documents and duplicate
reports filed neatly before him, he
suddenly noticed the butt end Of his
old duelling pistol, half hidden in one
OF the compartments, and as the
memory of how 1t came there flashed
over him he was about to draw 1t
from its hiding place, when shuffling
step at the door arrested him, and an
instant later an aged and bent wo-
man entered the door and came to-