The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-11-17
CHAPTER XVII.
| POSTPONED HANGING,

tCHAPIER Afh.
A POSTPONED HANGING.
Morning broke.
With the first streak of red in the
east. the men who had been on guard
were stirring.
One of them came to the door OF the
milk-house and listened.
ct reckon he's asleep" he reported.
stAnyway he hain't a-movin' round. "
ssWall, let him have his snooze
out" said Bill Green. "It's prob'ly
the last one he'll enjoy fer right
smart SPELL"
As soon as it was fully light men be-
gan to arrive.
They came from all parts of the set
tlement, and before eight o'clock the
entire male portion of the neighbor-
hood was on hand.
It was evident from the stern and
resolute look on the faces of most of
them and the determined air which
characterized them that they felt that
something of grave and weighty i'm
port was about to be done.
"Wall, it's eight O'clock" an
nounced Bill. "Sh'll we proceed to
business?"
"How're we goin' to git at it?"
asked some one.
'eWhy, go at it an du it, same's ye
would any job ye'd got on hand" an
swered Bill. fThere hain't no sense
in standin' round an askin' how a
thing 8 got to be did. That'll never
du it. Git right down tn bisness an
it won't take long"
'sWell, then, fetch out the pris'ner
an le' s hear what he's got to say fer
himself" said Deacon Snyder.
"That's the talk" said Mr.. Bal
comb. "Let's hear his story, fust.of
all"
. eyes, trot him out" chuckled Sa-
manthy, who was an interested specta-
tor and listener. ''Trot him right out.
I'm jest achin' to see ye do it."
Bill Green, as master of ceremonies,
unlocked the door of the milk-house.
"Come out O. that!' he called out,
in "a tone that was meant to convey
terror to the occupant of the milk
house.
Hearing it and watching the way in
which Bill swelled up like turkey
gobbler as he delivered his order, Sa-
manthy chuckled all over.
No reply came from the milk-house
and no person emerged therefrom.
"P'r'aps he's asleep yet," some one
in the crowd suggested. "Holler an
wake him up, Bill"
Samanthy's amusement increased.
Bill put his head in at the door very
cautiously and looked around the
room.
"He amt here!' he cried in dismay.
"He's gin us the slip, fellers, as sure g
ye live!"
"I could ha' told ye that a'consider-
able spell ago eff I'd felt like it, "
chuckled Samanthy from her post OF
observation by the pantry window.
''He's gone, sure enough, Bill Green,
an reckon ye won't git yer clutches
on him right away, nuther."
The excited and increduious crowd
made rush for the door to see for
themselves if Bill Green's statement
was true. It hardly seemed possible
that their prisoner could have eluded
them after getting out of the milk
house, to say nothing of getting out OF
it.
But an inspection of the room salts
fed them that it was empty. The bird
had flown.
"Who could have helped the critter
to git away?" cried Bill, black with
rage and disappointment. 81 tell ye
what, there's been some underhand
doin's summers, an nobody needn't
tell me there hain't. Eff we cd only
find out who It was, I reckon we'd
make it mighty interestin' fer him.
do SOP
"But the trouble is, how're ye goin'
to find out?" chuckled the delighted
Samanthy, to whom the sight of Bills
wrath was pleasure too intense for
description.
Investigation succeeded in eliciting
nothing satisfactory, beyond knowl-
edge of the manner in which escape
had been made.
Mr.. Porter was accused Of having
: aided the prisoner in getting away.
This he stoutly denied, and being q
man in whom his neighbors had i'm
plicit confidence, his assertion of in.
nocence was generally believed. Mrs.
Porter, as everybody knew who knew
anything apout her, was too timid q
woman to attempt anything requiring
cool and steady nerve. Wayne. as