The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-16

! |
I'd be highly privileged eff you'd jes only
shake.
AN hyer's mine, the ether committee
man put in. Sheriff. shake!'' And they
shook.
"Tkar's no two electors I'm gladder to
earn the respect OF" said Push, in his best
F. F. V mcnner. 'Mebbe it's nv own
fault I'm not easy understood / low my
modesty won't let me spread myself out
and parade my virtues No, faint my
natur' But you kin take 1t from me, With
out boastin' that I'll be a dull day with
Joshua x. Push when he hasn't something
up his sleeve to recommend him."
In this case. as he explained, the article
up his sleeve had been second re-
4 volver.
After they'd quit eomplimenting the
sheriff and one another-wonderful evil
and polite all around-all, that is. except
Hans Drecht who stood to one side. chew
ing his finger nails--they began to debate
what they'd best do with the prisoner.
at the end Of their eopfab I was faced
in the direction of Probity Springs and
told to step out briskly, Jude Willis walk
ing on my right with a loaded pistol, and
the second committeeman riding along
side on the screw that had thrown me-
| With these two as escort was marched
along the road until we came to the pla-e
where the buggy had been overturned.
Meanwhile, the driver had managed to
tinker and FIX up the wheel, so that the
ramshaekle conveyance could be again
used. / was hoisted into ii, and Jude
Topped into seat a opposite me; but the
committeeman. concluding there be enough
keepers to take care of me without him.
wheeled his horse round and galloped back
to catch up with the sheriff II Il could
be helped. he said, he wouldn't miss the
meeting at Louisville that afternoon not
4 for a million dollars.
| III.
! An hour later was carted into the pris-
on yard at Probity Springs untrussed, and
locked in one OF the cells. couldn't
grumble at the quarters they'd given me.
the room being tolerably big. furnished
with deal table. chair and bench
bed; fair-sized IRON barred window
looked out on the exercise yard. But
what did surprise me more than trife was
the sfnoking-hot dinner of pie, veg tables,
and fried doughnuts which the warder af-
terward brought in and set on the table
Something to be goin' On with matey."
said be, cackling and grinning as il he'd
patched a side-splitting joke. "Jes' you
holler eff you've a hankerin' for anything
else an I'll be sure to tend to 1t sick |
away. We always make a point CT hui /
NORM mans appetite fore we turns him |
off final. See? Cr-r-rk!"
Still nodding and blinking like a china |
ornament. he locked the door on me again
and went shutting off down the corridor. I
His playful hint at what was in store for |
me didn't put me of my feed. however. |
and after I'd had a capital tuck-in I sat
back in the chair to think over my posi-
ton.
No mistake. It was deuced tight corner /
l was in. tramped up and down the floor
for hours trying TO hit on some plan to
save my neck; but it was all 10 use. What I
could / do? Later on, when it came to /
being judged and jurled. might make
shift to prove wasn't really Black Jack
at all; still, with the book oaths of four
independent witnesses against me-leaving
the sheriff out of count altogstber-it
would be impossible to convince any sane
man that | had not been doing a little
road-agenting on my own hook. II l at
tempted to show that Mr.. Push was In
the swim with me from the beginning,
everybody would simply choke with smil-
ing. Tho queer tale. as l now quite saw,
would not hold water for a minute In a
courthouse. Whichever way you looked at
1t mine was precious thin case.
The afternoon had gone. and darkness
was settling down, when my attention was
drawn to dull, htimming noise outside.
faint and far-eff at first. but growing
nearer and louder every second. | crossed
over to the window, to listen. Although the
prison walls kept me from prying an inch
beyond them. 1t was not long before 1
tumbled to what the whole thing meant
The rumb'ing din broke up into separate 4
sounds-the clatter of scores of feet. the !
yells OF angry men, the clashing of sticks
and slaves against wood and metal Now
and again I caught a word or two that
made my blood run cold.
Swing him up, Plugged my brother,
Lyneh-iynch the ALFRED scoundrel,"
1t was wild mob of ioggers and roust-
abouts mad with liquor and rage, come to
hammer down the prison gates and bangle
me up to the nearest tree! Each fresh
whack on the big gates brought my heart
humping uD into my mouth, and made
every muscle in me go limp and fiabby as
a wet string. don't deny it'll had ter
rible fit of creeps just then.
All of a sudden the savage roar changed
to tremendous cheer. l wondered, and
half-dreaded, what was coming next. But,
no. the gate held firm a rock. and the
yard below still lay bare and empty.
When the cheering had calmed down bit
one mans voice began to speak AS be-
fore, 1 overheard here scrap and there a
scrap of what was asaid.
My duty ez Sheriff of thishyer county
stiekler for justice an order my
self fair trial ef he is dolgarn
villain then you kin sling him
up with clean hands public con-
science is fearful teehy nowadays
but, fellow-citiZens wagonload of law
gers chopin logic won't save him them"
Another round of applause followed the
sheriff's remarks, which must have led the !
-ioters to alter their minds and go home in 7
peace. At any rate, | heard no more of
hem, and there were no further attacks ,
IN the prison gates. | breathed more ,
Freely again--bet your life, l did, :
Something like an hour afterward a :
ootstep echoed down the outer passage !
he key squeaked in the lock, and Sheriff
Push himself staggered into the cell. :
''Jes' now. out thari' said he jerking his
humb toward the street. You heard a
en-? Great Hockey. but ef hadn't nipped |
Jack from Louisville soon's ever the con- '
erenee broke up they'd have had you out I
n 'swayed up before now. Durn fortnit' V
or you I'm so poplar an persuasive with u
he boys, sence this mornin, anyway" I
But it's another things troubling me C
iow.' ! cut in. losing patience with the v
nan. First and foremost, I'd ask you to y
ell me- q
:" Bout the meetin' Ell? Course, | might d
ave known you'd be Interested in theti" Y
e answered. quickly. wal, dunno how
twas. but less'n half an hour after we r
ot inter Louisville seemed like ez every b
nan, woman, an chick thar had heard all I
oott the road agent business, A to z. The o
aeetir' hall was crammed out with ex- q
tied electors, jam fun. The way they y
'hooped an cheered me when l got onter n
AZ hind legs-Aw, thar, you'd say l was s.
at up with coneeitness eff | was to tell I
q