Owingsville outlook., 1896-09-03

gloom.
Bud was the first TO speak. W. all
does We low to do bout hit, Je.- he
inquired.
The elder brother dropped into n
chair and thrust his hands deep into his
pockets. Il low | don't Jest rightly
know, buddy don't, for fact; thar
cayn't be no mistake; l amt nowisr
likely to forget that thar face; hits
been n harnt to me more'n one night
scncc | seed hit; hit has, for shore"
Jed got up and threw another stick
of wood on the fire. aye reckon yc'rc
plum shore, Jcff?" he asked. "'Pears
like this ycre feller's been mindin' his
own business tol'able clost scnce he
come to the settlement"
mo, Jed, he hain't; that's what's
a-rattlin' me. He was a-pryin' round
this yere very cove only day before yis-
tihdy; seed him; an julie she took him
up the mounting and p'intcd him the
way back from the McNabb."
JULIE"
"Ncs, julie. | low she didn't know
who r what he was. She done left him
standin' aforc the mouth of the tunnel.
An that amt the mos curiouscst part
q hit; he scrambled into the hole over
the broken rocks, an Jest about a min
ute afterwards he come a-pilin' out a.
thar like he seed a harnt. an the last |
seed - him he was a-niakin' the longest
kind ~ tracks to'rlst the valley"
What d. We reckon he seed in thar
III new tell We; hut that hain't the
question; hit looks mighty like he's a
sneakin' round we're to fin ont some
thin 'hout wc-all, an | reckon thar's
got to he somcthin' done"
Bud glanced around into the gather
ing shadows in the room, and asked:
"Whar's Julr?"
Il dunno" replied Jclr; gone TO
bald, ! reckon"
IIud stood his rifle in the chimney
corner and went out, coming back in
"A moment To say: Il reckon she has;
leastways, thar'S no light"
Another interval of oppressive si-
lrnce 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 pattered 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 10y 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
in silent Judgment upon man whose
only offense was his resemblance tp
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 Jeif' 5
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
itqte 10 give il 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. Il reck-
on hits got To be done. boys" he said,
huskily. IL hate hit mighty bad, but I
cnyn't affo'd to take no chances"
Bud Joined him at once, but jed hes
itated. "Iou don't have to come. Jed, {"
said the elder brother; "two of ms is
enough, an know ye Gin't nfeard."
I'm goin' long with you-all, only
/ hope yere pOw'ful shore, JEFF; seem
like hits mighty tough to go an shoot
him like he's rat in hole, less ye're
p'int-blank certain We got TO do hit"
They went out noiselessly, so as not
10 awaken julie, and JEFF led the way TO
the trail up which the woman had pi,
loted Ringbrand two days before. The
wind had risen to n gale, and il 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
cliff, 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. Enere-
ing, after a breathless scramble, upon
the unsheltered mountain-top, where
the wind had full sweep, they pushed on
gasping until they stood in the small
ravine under the lee of the powders
marking the entrance to Ringbrand's S
prison. Jef uncoiled the rope he 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 took
him for. he's gwine fight. for shore. He
amt gwine stan stillan' 'lowye to shoot
him in col blood"
The caution brought back with ap-
palling distinctness the CHASTITY 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
creyice for a loop-hole. and few min
utes 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
one of the walls until he came to a niche
where they kept a miners lamp, and,
lighting this they cautiously recon
noitered the adjoining chamber as well
as they could by its inefficient help. The
light from the lamp penetrated but a
short distance beyond the narrow
opening, but it answered the purpose
and they could see the shadowy outlines
of the figure of a man stretched out
upon the sandy floor of the cavern. JEFF
handed the lamp to his brother and took
careful aim at the motionless form;
his hand trembled so that he could not
hold the gun steady, and he got down
upon his knees and rested il against the
side of the crevice. Even then he was
SO long about it that Buds nerve col
lapsed and the lamp fell from his shak-
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