Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-01
KILLED FOR FIVE YEARS.

verv Ia 1T man TO cause It, Why this talk
is sheer nonsense. hope. As like as not
Dick is toasting his toes before the fire
even now awaiting our return
"Well. well hope so for Dunbar's sake.
This is not interesting work anyway for
men that have 10 work hard all day.
gere we are at the halfway post. and
0 signs OF Dick nor anybody else"
Yes" said Carruthers, they've fell in
With him no DOUBT before they got far,
md have gone back home again."
so 1t seemed; but alas. how soon their
,opes were dispeled and their worst fears
'ealIzed. Ere they had gone another 800
ards. drenched now In the thickly falling
now. they heard Toms voice In the path
around the bend in the road. and in an
other minute they realized the awful
truth. Tom held up his hand as they
approached and In amazement they
gazed i'm silence upon the dead body of
their friend lying upon the ground.
fallen tree by his side told the story.
Mates" said Tom, at length. this is
terrible. Poor Dick! What blessing we
started out when we did; in a few hours
he would have been covered up by the
snow"
Hawkins looked at Carruthers curiousy
ard asked. What could have brought
him away in this direction? l thought
he was seen at the other side this after
noon?'
Hadn't we better dispatch one Of us
to Ottawa and notify the authorities Of
this? IL wouldn't look well II We didn't"
said Carruthers. But TO leave the body
in that position to be covered by the
fast-falling srow Tor several days, even
IL the weather had permitted any Of
them to travel on foot distance Of over
forty miles. was not to be thought of.
mo. that's impossible" said Hood;
I'VE must carry poor Dick to the shanty.
Judges and juries are not needed here.
We can all. IL necessary swear that
death has resulted from this maple tree
falling on him; and il must have been
after O'Clock. when Geordie left him. 1t
occurred This Is the saddest thing I've
known In ten years Of bush-lIfe before.
Poor Dick, he was a good fellow"
well" said Hawkins meaningly. 'it
would be better IL we could all have our
hands washed OF this unfortunate affair
As ] just said 10 Jim here, il is rather
an awkward thing for us that Dunbar
should have been with him alone less
than three hours ago Wouldn't II be
better II he explained at Ottawa that he
was the last person with him? Should
any word of this get abroad IL would be
better for us / think.
'Dick was alone I'm the world, I've
often heard him say, but Hawkins's sug-
gestion is only reasonable" said Car
ruthers.
In an instant Geordie's calm dark eyes
flashed with all the intensity of a wronged
northern Briton, and. looking squarcly at
Hawkins, until that individual covered
beneath his gaze. he demanded: What
mean We, sir, that we lay stress on the
fact that was last seen wi lin? Dgur
ye max ony doot tae enter DOR minds as
regards hoo he has met WI his sad fate?
Would ye lay tae ma charge" continued
he. stepping nearer his accuser, 1.-THE muir
der o. yin o. ma best freens I'm the warld?
Yin o. the few left me? OH God help ME
now. as Thou savit me frae a like misery
before" And the strong lumberman,
overcome by the recollections of the past
and the shame Of being again placed IN a
similar predicament, sank upon his knees
or the fallen tree.
II only suggest what seemsbest to clear
us ALL" said Hawkins. IF any one can
throw any light on the subject as to why
Dick came hereabo0ts to-day. OF all
days. you ought to be able to do So"
And what more proof demanded
Hood. fierce$. "of Dicks end can we re-
quire? Has Geordle not told us how he
left him at o'clock. ard does not the
tree snapped by the winds lying by his
side here tell W all We want to know
without being put 10 all the needless
trouble and expense Of an investigation
that could reveal nothing more than we
know now. much less bring poor Dick
back to life? No. no: we will not trouble
with law and juries in this case. IL only
remains with us now to carry all that is
mortal Of DICK TO the shanty and bury him
on the morrow"
We'll" said Hawkins. in an injured
tone. II hope you may never regret II.
!, for one, know, would Ike TO be cleared
of all suspicion. Dunbar knows.
Hoo he cam here, ] Gamma tell" broke
i'm Geordie hastily. "He said naething
whatever ABBOTT It tae me, 1 ken" And
as Geordie looked into the faces
OF the lumbermen about him,
and imagined he read i'm every
feature that they all regarded his
declaration with suspicion. his face again
assumed its usual calm expression, as he
earnestly began his story in his broad,
convincing tongue:
MA freens. see we a'doot what say.
1t must be that 1 wis born tae be con-
demncd wi circumstantial evidence for
some crime or ither that l am no guilty
O.. It'll no TAX lang, let me tell We, "a
what | should haze telt ye when We took
me intae yer confidence. and frae the
warld ootside three years ago, what
brocht me here
tut. man." SAID Hood. feelingly, for
Geordie in his sad position, his own
faith in his innocence mistaken: I'VE
don't need any account or yourself before
you came here. We have been the bet
ter of your coming here; would that
We had a few more such in the val
ley better place 1t would be. Unless
Hawkins is blind, he can see for himself
how Dick has been killed; what more
proof do we need?'
Geordie looked gratefully at his friend
as he replied:
INA. ma, ] maun tell we a.. IF cen yin
o. us suspects me o. causing puir Dicks
death l maun tell a l ken; an God
help me tae speak in sic a way that ye
may a. say not proved tae the awful
charge against me-"
For some moments they stood in silence.
II was plain to be seen Geordes
thoughts were far distant. When, at last
ne spoke his sad voice was in itself
most convincing proof OF his innocence"
about five years ago." said he, II fell
In love wi a lass In ma native toon at
hame. an'-tae max a lang story short
she dldna dislike me, hut her father did,
and consequently mony time we met
at a trusting place on the sly, for he
wanted his dochter tae marry somebody
mair worthy o. her Il dinna wunner at
il noo). an he wouldna allow me ABBOTT
the hoose. She lived twa miles DOT O
toon. and yae NIGHT as | wis returning
hame by the road i heard her fathers
voice eAgaged in an angry quarrel wi
somebody else ! stopped a meenit tae
listen IL / could fin the cause OF. SuA-
denly the report O. pistol rang DOT, and
ane fell, tae the ground WI a cry.
FASTENED forward tae fin Mr.. Campbell