The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-07-03

of wood on the fire. Eye reckon yer.
plum shore, JEFF - he asked. "'Pears
like this yere feller's been mindin, his
own business tol'able clost seIice he
come to the settlement"
mo, Jed, he hain't; that's whats
a-ratriin' me. He was a-pryin' round
this yere very cove only day before Wis
tiddy; i seed him: an julie she took him
! up the mounting and p'inted him the
way back from the McNabb."
"Julei"
Yes, julie. I low she didn't know
who r what he was. She done left him
standin' afore the mouth of the tunnel
An that amt the mos curiousest part
O. hit; he scrambled into the hole over
| the broken rocks, an jest about a min
ute afterwards he come a-pilin' out o
| thar like he seed harnt, an the last !
seed o him he was a-makin' the longest
kind O. tracks to'rdst the valley"
What d. We reckon he seed in thar?''
''In new tell We; but that hain't the
question; hit looks mighty like he's 4
sneakin' round yere to fin out some
thin bout we-all. an reckon thar's
got TO De some thln done.
Bud glanced around into the gathes.
ing shadows in the room, and asked:
''Whar's Jule?"
Il dunno" replied Jeff; gone. to
bald, reckon"
Bud stood his rifle in the chimney
corner and went out, coming back in
moment to say: Il reckon she has;
fhar'S NO 1irhf
Another interval of oppressive ST.
lerce followed Buds assurance. The
three men sat around the hearth, each
knowing the others thought, and each
hoping that one of the others would
put the pitiless suggestion into words.
While they waited the first great drops
of rain battered on the roof, and the
soughing of the wind through the tree
tops and the louder growing of the
thunder, drowned the roar of "The
Chimney" The dusky interior of the
kitchen grew more shadowy as the
handful of fire on the hearth died down,
and the darkness was intensified by an
occasional flash of lightning contrast
ing its glare with the twilight of the
room. The red glow from the Goals fell
upon the faces of the three brothers
grouped about the fireplace and sitting
i'll silent judgment upon a man whose
only offense was his resemblance to
some other man. Each of the three felt
that there was terrible margin of
doubt, and yet each knew that it was
only doubt and not certainty If their
prisoner and the single witness of Jeffs
crime were identical, there could be no
safety for at least one of them while
the man lived; il motif jeff were mis-
taken, after all - the alternative was
sufficiently dreadful to make them hes
itate to give it shape in speech.
The suggestion came finally from the
one who was most deeply concerned.
Jeff rose slowly and took down his rifle
from its pegs over the mantel. 81 reck-
on hits got to be done. boys" he said,
huskily. Il hate hit mighty bad, but I
cayn't affo'd to take no chances"
Bud joined him at once, but Jed hes
itated. You don't have to come. Jed"
said the elder brother; "two of us is
enough, an 1 know We amt afeard''
I'm goin' long with you-all, only
hope we're pow'ful shore, JEFF; seem
like hits mighty tough to go an shoot
him like he's rat in a hole, less we're
p int-blank certain We got TO do hit"
They went out noiselessly, so as not
to awaken Ju.e, and Jeff led the way to
the trail up which the woman had pi-
leted Ringbrand two days before. The
wind had risen to a gale, and it was
wringing and twisting the trees above
their heads; but the rain delayed and
the storm seemed to be blowing over.
When they reached the base of the
cliiI, they left the path and turned
shortly to the right, following the
line of the rocky wall until they reached
a narrow ledge affording a precarious
passage up to the table-land Emery
ing, after a breathless scramble, upon
the unsheltered mountain-top, where
the wind had full sweep, they pushed on
g asping until they stood in the small
rayine under the lee of the powders
the entrance to Ringbrahd's
prison. jeff uncoiled the rope lie had
brought, and was preparing to descend
when Jed stopped him:
Don't We low that'll be sort o. resky?
If that thar feller's what We done tool,
him for, he's gwine fight, for shore. He
amt gwine stan still an 'lowye to shoot |
him in col Blood
The caution brought back with APP
palling distinctness the ghastly horror
Of the deed they were about to do. and
they paused in fearful hesitation. Then
Bud proposed that they go down into
The other cavern, using the narrow
,revice for loop-hcle, and few min
ties later he and jeff were standing in
The pitchy darkness of the subterranean
chamber, while Jed watched at the
aperture above. jeff felt his way along
'ne of the walls until he came to niche
where they kept a miners lamp, and,
lighting this they cautiously recon-
aoitered the adjoining chamber as well
Is they could by its inefficient help The
light from the lamp penetrated but
hort distance beyond the narrow
opening, but it answered the purpose,
ind they could see the shadowy outlines
If the figure of man stretched out
1pon the sandy floor of the cavern. jeff
handed the lamp to his brother and took
areful aim at the motionless form:
lis hand trembled so that he could not
iold the gun steady and he ont do..n