The Ravalli Republican., 1898-11-16
tainted, and for a moment Bob
glanced tenderly down at the white

tainted, and for a moment Bot
glanced tenderly down at the white
| face on his shoulder Then he look
ed at the circle Of unrclenting faces
and said quietly: II am innocent.
I'll go back and prove it.
OF course Colonel Ike Stebbins,
as the handspring of the social ma
chirery Of Lone Star, presided at
| the trial 1t was always he who
stood at the head Of the new made
grave, with revercnt face and up.
raised hand, while the clods fell dul
~ on the pine coffin, he it was who
sat with ease and dignity in the
chairman S place at public meetings
ia baile without the colonel to lead
WAS like tho play OF Hamlet with
that gentleman represented only by
his regrets, and it was admitted
without discussion that no one but
Colonel Stebbins could properly i'm
| personate the austerity of Judge
Lynch,
From the beginning there seemed
no doubt Of Atkinson $ guilt Ed.
gcrton testified to tho quarrel of tho
morning, and Bill Simpson loqua.
ciously related how> ho thought
something was up when Bob sold
his claim to him at half it's value
explaining that he was in d hurry
to leave Then Jerry and johnson
told ct the meeting on the hillside,
and each of the posse sWore, with
due appreciation Of his own impor
tance, to Atkinson guilty actions
when they came upon him in the
fog Hezekiah Smith OF the hilltop
clinched the evidence by testifyiny
that he saw tho prisoner standing
before Scroggins door at noon
Tho jurors had ceased whiting
toothpicl1s and exchanging jokes
Their growing solemnity foreshad-
owed the verdict Colonel Stebbins
had with a sigh dismissed the last
witness when Ezekiel stroled calm
ly in through the open door. He
nodded familiarly to two OF three
quaintanceS and then addressed
the judge.
"Colonel, he said easily, guess
ia better straighten this thing out
littlo. Where dye plant the wit
nesscs?''
Colonel Ike, surprised, looked at
him Let the witness be sworn.
he said Well. what do you know
about this?'
II know all about it, y
"Who killed Scroygins?''
Il did, said Ezekiel calmly,
For ten seconds there was silence,
and then smile that broke into
ripple Of laughter ran around the
room Ezekiel was maintaining his
reputation The colonel raped an
grily for order with the muzzle Of
his revolver upon the head Of the
sugar barrel. IF you are tlif1ing -
II amt triflin, protested Ezekiel
earnestly Il never told a lie in my
life. 1t WAS jest after dinner, an I
was lookin for jeremiah. AS went
by Scroggins' door he came out,
lookin ez smilin eZ an undertaken
with the toothache Seed my gal
late1y?' sez he, foolin with his gun.
| didn't want to hurt his feelin's by
tellin him I'd seen her ten minutes
before with Bob, SO sez, politelike:
'Sartinly saw her last week Look
In we'll, amt shei' Std of bein
pleased the old man was riled an
used language that would have
shocked wheat in a harvest field
But | didn't care until he said he
could git more music out'n wealth
erboarded house with a club n |
could out'n my fiddle an bow Then
| was mad an talked back. After as
surin me that I'd disfig9ered the
Ian scape long enough, only addin
to them plain words some onneces-
sary trilnmin 8, he shot at me an l
shot back, an this is what | killed
him with.
Ezekiel drew out an old horse pis-
tol and handed it to the foreman of
the jury A murmur Of interest ran
through the crowd, and the jurors
whispered among themselves
just then little red faced man
pushed his way through the crowd
at the door. There he is!' he
shouted excitcdly. There's the
man that stolo my mule!'
We followed his finger with ou1
eyes He vas pointing at Ezekiel,
who regarded him philosophically.
well, didn say didn't, did r.
he asked mildly
The newcomer threw his hat IL
the corner and danced with excite
ment. 1T vas this way, iedge
T'other day tied my mule down q.
Ransome's Ferry while | went inter
Pixies place to git some refresh
ments When come out, I, littl,
later, the mule WuZ gone, an | nev
er seed him again ontil today, Whel
I stumbled on him, accidental like
at this feller's place up the trail
want him rested, quivk!'
We were all too much astonishet
to say ANYTHING. but finally EZekie