The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-12-24
begged to bo allowed to have speech
with his roptnin


on i'll answer to the officers summons
AT sound OF footsteps on tho crcakinl
stairway Graicc had apparently hiudcl
III the depths of the room and only slow
~ came forward at the sound of the
commanding roico ho knew. Hangdos
and drink &oddcn rs was his look, there
was some lingering, some revival per.
haps of tho old defiant, disdanful man.
ncr he had shown to almost every mnl
ut traync. Respect his captain rs even
such rs he was forced to DO look up &c
him now as possibly his only hope and
salvation, there was yet to his cloudcd
intellect some warrant for Vague sen
timcnt Of superiority.
OutcaSt, migrate, drunkard, murderer
though he WAS, he, Private Tom Graicc,
born Roylc Farrar, was legal owner of
all that his captain held faircst, dear.
est, most precious III all tho world.
LculC's love for iIolcn Taunton was
something the whole garrison had seen
and seen with hearty sympathy. 1t
would be something to teach this proud
and hOnOred officer that he, tho dcspiscd
and criminal tough, was, after all, a
man to be cnvicd rs the husband of tho
woman his captain could now only
vainly and hopclcssly love. 1t was his
plan to bargain with him, TO invoke his
aid, to tempt the honor of ii soldier and
u gentleman, but for Il moment, at sight
of that stern, sad face, he stood abashcd.
"You wished to sec me-" said Lcalc,
"and will hear you now"
Give got that to say | want no other
man to l1now,' was the reply after an
t,tn r1-.l p Il, I
your word Of honor that you will hold
1t sacred"
81 decline any promise whatever.
What 90 you wish to say?''
''Wcll, what have to tell you inter
ests you more than any man on Garth,
Captain Lcalo. I'm in hc!l here; I'm
at your mercy perhaps. My life is
threatened by these hounds, because by
accident that knife went into that blind
fools vitals 1t was only sclf defense. |
didn't mean to hurt him.
''No. l was the object, ! clearly un-
dcrstand, said Lcalc "Go on.
"Wcll, it's us man to man want to
speak. You know IncvCr meant TO harm
him. You car give me Il chance for JUS
! ticc, for life, and II can mako il
worth yuur wbilc.'
'"That will do" was tho stern re-
sponsc. "No moro on chat head. What
else have you to ask or say:'
"Listcn one minute" pleaded tho
prisoner. 'Thcy'd Kill me here if they
could get me, quick cnough--Indians or
troopers either. l must be helped away.
know your secret. You love my wife.
Help mo out of his-hCrc-this night
aud neither she nor you Will cv,r''-
'SlicncC, You hound! s;liuh back to
your blanket where you bcl,ne. thank
God my friend, your father, never
lived to know the depths Of your dis.
grace! Not Il word!' he forbade, with
uphfted hand, as tho miserable fellow
stlovc once moro to make himself heard
'I'or tho sake Of the namo to which
you have brought only shamo You shall
be protected against Indian vengeance,
but who shall defend you agains, your
self? L viii hear no more from YOU
| tomorrow yOr may see your colonel, if
that will do you amy good, but if you
have one atom of dcccncy left, tell 10
man living that you are Hoylc Earrar,"
and with that, raging * heart, yet cold
and stern, the officer, hccdicss nf further
frantic pleas, turned and left the spot
But at the porch tho captain turned
again. Wind and snow were driving
across his path. The Stntri,s at tho
| front and flank Of the guardhOIsc, muf-
fled to their very eyes, staggered against
the force OF the gale. 1t seemed cruelty
to keep honest men on post night so
| wild rs that for no Othc" reason than to
protect the lifc Of man so criminal.
| The members Of the guard, who had re-
sumcd their lounge around tho rcdhot
stove the mOIrcnt the captain (isappcar-
| cd, once more Spl'anS to attention as no
ro-cntcrcd and called tho sergeant TO
him.
1 am tempted to ask tho officer Of
| tho day to relieve those scntriCs and let
No. l como up into the hallway" said
he. 81 believe that, with the watch we
have on the Indians, there is no posi-
bility Of nn outbreak on their part"
| "I'hcro isn't. SIR" Was the scrgcant's
| prompt reply. "But every man in tho
| garrison knows by this time that it was
| the captain that hlackRuard aimed to
kill and it is no; the Indians alone that
would do him if they could. | find that
whenever ] have had to leave tho guard
house some OF the men have talkct
| loud for hiMi TO E""". SNT lIl;; that J.
| would be taken out and hanged at day
break. Others want to tempt him 70 try
to escape, 50 that they can pursue him
over to town and hammer him into a
! jelly there. The tower is the only place
V here he can be Nmn0lcStcd, sir. |
! couldn't guarantee his safety from some
kind Of assault, even if had him right
| here in the .rllurUrOOm -
And just thcn n corporal came from
| tho little Office.
"Scgc&nt, it's :25. Shall [ form
my rclict:'
! Tho sergeant nodded assent T'll in
spcct it in the guHrdroom," said he
and as Lcalc turned shortly away, in
| tending to go in search Of the officer Of
the day and the sergeant opened tho
door to Jet him out, Graicc could DO
heard on the upper floor, savagcly kick
ing again at his bars
''That man has moro gall than any
man | ever met, Sir,' said Grafton.
"Ic's kicking because we ref uacd TO
send to the barracks for his share Of tho
IE