The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-11-10
Copyright by Robert Bonner's Sons.
CHAPTER XIV.
CONTINUED.

Copyright by Robert Bonners Sons.
CHAPTER XIV.
CONTINUED.
"Wait, an yell hev it explained to
ye soon enough" said Bill. "You
needn't try to soft-sodder US. Step
off, now, an don't try to git away, or
it'll 90 hard with ye."
At Mr.. Porter's he might be able to
secure an explanation of the matter.
He walked on in advance of the men
silently. In short time they reached
their destination.
"Good Lord!" cried Mr.. Porter,
when he fully comprehended the state
of affairs. 'sI'm sorry to see you in
this fix, Dick, I be So"
"For PHYS sake, tell me what it
means" said Dick. 'These men re-
fuse to do 80. I get the idea, from
what they have said, that I am be-
ieved to be horse-thief. Tell me
the truth, Mr.. Porter. Is it so?"
"I'm afraid it is" answered Mr..
Porter.
He sat down and told Dick all that
had happened since he went away. .
$50 help me God, I'm innocent, "
said Dick, solemnly, looking unhinch-
ingly in Mr.. Porter's face as he made
the assertion. ''I'm as innocent as you
are. Inever made mark on the cot
tonwood-nee, and Bill Green lied
when he said 30. I went there that
night, and I read what there was to
read-what Bill Green probably read
after I came away; but I made not one
mark there, and that's the truth. AS
to the knife, lost it over week ago
where, I haven't any idea. That's
the truth about that, Mr.. Porter. 1
hope you don't believe that I'm guilty
of the crime I'm charged with?"
sNo, DON'T" answered Mr.. Por-
ter, stoutly. "But there's them as
does, Dick, an',plenty on 'em, too, I'm
sorry to say. T tell ye, ye're in a
tight place, Dick, an there's no use in
denyin' it. I wish I could git ye out
of it."
Dick had it on his tongue to give
vent to his suspicious of Wayne, but
Mr.. Porter was called away just then,
and he made up his mind, on second
thought, that it was better to say moth
ing about them at present. He could
prove nothing. That was the diff
Guilty. With the opinion of nearly
every one against him, it might dam
age his case to attempt to excite sus-
picion against any one else. The
question would be asked, at once,
very likely: 'sWhy had he not said
something about these suspicious be-
fore?"
Why, indeed?
If he had only taken Mr.. Boone in
TO his confidence! If he had only told
MIR. Porter! II But the ''ifs" in
The way were not to be got rid of now.
The trap he had hoped another might
be caught in was sprung upon himself.
The only consoling thought about
It was that he was innocent. There
was q good deal of personal satisfaction
n that, but it did not help him to see
bis way out of the very unpleasant and
dangerous position he was in.
A crowd began to assemble within
ihort time after his arrival.
The excitement was intense. His
presence seemed to increase it.
he could hear muttered threats from
hose whom he had considered warm
friends. He met stern and pitiless
aces when he looked about in search
If sympathy.
At length feeling of anger, arising
from a sense of the cruel injustice
.hown him by refusal to listen to
.nything he attempted to say in vindi-
ation of himself led him to ignore the
rowd as much as possible. He shut
mis- eyes upon it and tried to think
Hhat the result was to be, and think
ing of that made him sick at heart.
For he knew enough of the frontier
md its ways to know that it was easily
swayed by impulse, but not by cool
headed reason and Judgment. It was
dangerous thing to face when
wrought up to such pitch of excite
ment as had possession of it now.
"See here, neighbors," he heard a
familiar voice saying presently, 'it's
late. We can't do anything tonight.
We're all beat out and need rest. Be-
sides, we're excited, an amt fit to
give him an onprejudiced trial. I take
It, neighbors, that we're all willin' to
give him fair chance. 1t would be
an oniustice to 60 rash. Let's wait
till mornin'. What d. ye say?"
Some agreed readily to the proposal
while others objected, saying that
horse thieves didn't need trial.
Hanging was what they needed.
It was finally decided that he should
be put in some safe place and kept
there till morning.
At eight o'clock he was to be tried
on the charge of stealing horses.
Could it be true, or was he in the
midst of horrible dream?
Then the question arose of where he
should be put overnight.
''In the milk-house," whispered Sa-
manthy to Mr.. Porter, with meaning
wink. ""There amt but one winder
to the place, an you en- show 'em
that he can't git out of it; an they en-
set men to watch outside eff they're
afeard O. his gittin' out O. the door.
No hoss-thief en- git out O. that place
'thout somebody's KNOWN it."
Mr.. Porter understood Samanthy
without asking an explanation, and
acted on her advice.
.I reckon the milk house is the