Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-08-15

And What about tho brutal ottoel
"!t ~: shslr fault Colonel. The,
Colonel Trsits held up bis hand
impatiently.
"We've heard enough Of that, =
said he. angrily. "You fellows won't
make your case any the better by
pretending you've been i'll treated
You are q set of lawless ruffians, who
take advantage Of temporary clos
ing of the pits to rob other people,
and, when caught in the act, would
not hesitate ct numbering the mer
who detect you. While am on the
bench property shall be protected
and the laws of the country rigorous
ly upheld. You come into oul
grounds. and. IL you are not stopped,
will soon be entering our houses. ]
shall pass upon all OF you the severesi
sentence it Is in my power to in
| fiict."
Colonel Traite looked round at the
other magistrates. and no one VEN
tured to oppose him. But, as the
men were being led away. Jim
Hawel stepped back, and, in desper-
alton, played his last card.
Colonel" said he, may ! say
another word?"
"WellY
"Your Honor, my sister is very
i'll. When she hears of this the
shock may kill her. You yourself
have q daughter about her age !.
Think"
Take him away" said the Colonel,
coldly.
Then, as they hustled him from
the court, Jim Hawel, his face white
and set, turned his head again, and
through the hall the fierce words
rang:
Pm going, Colonel Traite; but so
sure as live to get my liberty again,
I'll be even with your
And for that speech Jim got an
extra week.
Jim Hawel lived to regain his lib
erty, and, when again he was free, q
dark hatred ranked in his heart.
Sister Bess had had bad time OF
it, but buoyed up by the hope Of see
ing Jim again. she struggled bravely
with her illness, and though she had
to give up the cottage. managed to
live on somehow on the charity of her
lowly neighbors till the happy day
came when Jim was out"
The pits were working again, and
Jim easily found work, and to Bess
the trouble seemed t, be over. The
doctor, too, said that with plenty Of
nourishment she might possibly, in
time, get quite well again.
Had she known the desperate
scheme that had been Matched in the
brains of her brother and his three
comrades her recovery would have
been even slower. For brooding over
their wrongs, those four men, their
hatred of Col. Traite burning in their
hearts, had vowed upon revenge And
the man who had been shot had sug-
gested a means of which all approved.
Hopsley Grange was to be set on fire.
1.-The house is an old one," said
he, gleefully. "Once fairly started
nothing can stop the flames. I've
done odd jobs about the place, and
there is stable chock full of hay
and straw close to the new wing that
will, when the wind blows from the
west, burn the house to the ground
with the striking of single match. :"
For week or so the conspirators
made no move, but when they could
do so with safety one or another Of
them was continually spying around
The Grange, observing the surround
ings of the house, so that in the dark
ness no mistake might be made.
Then one evening, as the crowd Of
them came trudging home from the
pit, four of them exchanged mean
ing glances, for strong wind was
blowing, and the weathercock on the
roof of the Town Hall showed that it
came from the west. At 8 o'clock
under tree in lonely lane the same
four met, and surprise was in store
for them.
Mates" said Jim Hawel. hoarse-
ly, "you know that I'm no coward.
The white feather amt much in my
line. but I tell you, l can't do this
job"
WHAT" they gasped, in chorus.
II can't do it," repeated Jim. 'I'll
tell you why. You know my sister,
Bess? I've got but her in the world
to care for; and il l come to grief
it'll finish her. The poaching busi-
ness she's only just managed to get
over. and / tell you, for her sake, l
can It risk this. Alone I'd fire the
Coloneps place and tell him as how
it was me as did it; but with her
alive it amt no good. B'lieve me or
b'lieve me not, the hate of Col. Traite
sticks as deep in me as ever it did,
and, as Iswore. I'll be even with
him yet; but just now my hand
amt free, and must wait"
The three men, muttering to
themselves, stared at him. The man
who had been shot shook angrily q
pint tin of parrafin that he carried