Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-07-18

to me of justice because | cannot bear
to feel that have paid this price only
that another may enjoy it! / WOULD
rather swing score OF times,
or have one of Tonga's darts in
my hide, than live in convicts cell
and feel that another man is at his ease
in a palace with the money that should
be mine" Small had dropped his mask
of stoicism, and all this came out in a
wild whiri of words. while his eyes
blazed, and the handouts clanked to-
gether with imprisoned movement OF
his hands / could understand, as /
saw the fury and the passion OF the
man, that it was no groundlesS or I'M
natural terror which had possessed
Mai. ShoIto when he first learned that
the injured convict was upon his track.
You forget that we know nothing of
all tj:is," said Holmes. quietly. I'VE
have rot heard your story, and we can
not tell how far justice may originally
have been on your side"
well, sir, you have been very fair
spoken to me, though l can see that I
have you to thank that ] have these
bracelets upon my wrists Still. bear
no grudge for that. It is all fair and
above-board. If you want to hear my
story have no wish to hold it back.
What say to you is Gods truth, every
word of it. Thank you; you can put
the glass beside me here, and I'll put
my lips to it if I am dry.
81 am Worcestershire man myself
born near Pershore. l dare say you
would find a heap of Smalls living
there now if you were to look. / have
often thought of taking a look round
there, but the truth is that was never
much of credit to the family, and
doubt if they would be so very glad to
see me. They were all steady, chapel
going folk, small farmers, well known
| and respected over the countryside,
while I was always a bit of a rover.
| At last, however, when I was about
eighteen, gave them no more trouble.
| for got into a mess over girl, and
| could only get out of it again by TAX
| ing the queens shilling and joining
| the Third Bluffs which was just starting
| for India.
ST wasn't destined to do much sol
diering, however. had just got past
| the goose-step and learned to handle
my muslzet, when / was fool enough to
| go swimming in the Gauges. Luckily
for me, my company sergeant, John
Holder, was in the water at the same
time, and he was one of the finest
swimmers in the service. A crocodile
| took me, just as was half way across,
and nipped off my right leg just as
clean as surgeon could have done it,
just above the knee. What with the
shock and the loss of blood I tainted
and l should have been drowned il
Holder had not caught hold of me and
padded for the bank. I was five
months in hospital over it, and when al
last was able to limp out of it with
this timber toe strapped to my stuml
1 found myself invalided out of the
army and untitled for any active occu
| patton.
81 was, as you can imagine, pretty
down on my luck at this time, for
was a useless cripple, though not We
in my twentieth year. However, my
misfortune soon proved to be a bless
ing in disguise. A man named Abel
white, who had come out there as al
indigo-planter, wanted an overseer t.
look after his coolies and keep them VI
to their work. He happened to be
friend of our colonefs, who had takel