The National tribune., 1901-12-05

boys who nau wandered talJnef lnto the
woods than usual returned 10 report that
he had met 4 strange hunter When the
days work was over, the school l-master
fingered longer than usual, waiting for
one whom he knew would come.
He was not in the least surprised when
he heard the sound of footsteps coming
from the woods, and before he looked up
knew it was George standing at his side.
What did father say was the hrst
word he asked.
HE was glad to hear from you."
And you told mother?'
Yes"
But no other?"
NO
II hat was right"
Your father thinks it may be COM
promised with the Sheriff
George shook his head, and said:
'No, no; La Boone is a bitter enemy,
and will let no compromise be made"
Your case is not with La Boone. but
the Sheriff. He and La Boone are not
the best of friends"
Yet. the Sheriff belongs to him, and
would do his bidding. La Boone has
money, and can hire men,"
That | grant you. No one knows La
Boone better than |, but the Sheriff, it
seems, has some resolution of his own
and is unwilling to be longer his tool"
George had little confidence, however,
in the Sheriff's independence, and to
change the SUBJECT asked:
Has La Boone been there tOdayT
NO. The matter will have to go
through the courts, and the laws delays
are proverbial."
Does father think he will VIM
He does not. He fears La Boone
may hire witnesses tn swear fn'selv
That's what he will try. to do, and if
he can find 'em, will use EN-"
Your father is going to St. Louis"
''To consult his lawyerT'
'Yes."
"Nho is his lawyer?"
lie has decided on Judge Lucas"
The father of his former Attorney?
"Yes."
u hope he will win. Had the other
man lived, there would have been no
doubt of it"
why are you so assured?'
"He told father before he was killed
he had evidence that would defeat La
Boone"
Then Van Loon fell into brown study.
He wondered what that evidence could be.
La Boone is a great rascal, and was
not beyond corrupting witnesses. On one
occasion he offered to bribe me to swear
that some entries had not been changed.
but l told him l would not do So" said
Van Loon.
DO you know whose land it was7"
mo, l never asked him, nor do l sup
pose he would tell"
why did he think he could use your
evidence more'n any other personsg'
Il have assisted the clerks in the Land
Office, two or three. times"
Yes; | see now."
IF he would try to bribe me to swear
falsely, he would bribe others. no doubt"
Il wish l could go to father. but l
dare not"
Your father said he wanted to see
you
why can't he? He could come here
and no suspicion be aroused
Yes; he would come, too, if you would |
watt
AT what timer
Midnight"
Il viii wait"
'You might sleep in the school-house."
And you will tell no one?'
No, no; no one but your father"
Il will be glad to see him. / wish |
could see mother and the others, but the |
Sheriff, or some of his deputies, may be |
in the neighborhood yet, and l won't dare |
go there"
Not now. Your father may get the |
Sheriff to dismiss the case against you" |
Il hope he will, but don't believe he |
Now, | am going to your father and |
will tell him. He will come here at mid |
night. You can sleep in the school-room, |
and there wait for him" Then Van Loon
took his departure, leaving him in the
school-hOuse.
1t was not until the shades of night be-
gan to gather over the frowning forest
that it occurred to the mind of the youth |
that possibly some wanderer had spied |
him in the forest and reported him to the |
Sheriff. Even at that moment, for aught |
he knew, strong posse might be NOV |
Ing through the woods to surround him. |
George had resisted the law, and in his |
own eyes he was a heinous outlaw. Not |
knowing what the penalty of resistance |
would be, he thought it could not be less
than capital offense. He gaZed from /
the wide gap in the end of the house |
called the window, and tried to pierce the |
gathering darkness, but in vain. Some
times he imagined the wavering shadows |
were men or moving objects
He stretched his form out on one of |
the long benches and tried to sleep, but |
q strange emotion had possessed him. 1t |
was the instructive feeling of awe, which |
impresses every one in the presence of the |
supposed supernatural.
Half closing his eyes, half asleep and |
half awake, he saw crescent-iike shadows |
glide before his mental vision, ever shift /
ing from left TO right. Sometimes these |
took form and he saw q hideous monster
standing near pointing the finger of de-
lection at him. 1t had nose something |
like the original Punch, of which he had |
once seen an engraving. He seemed TO
hold him under some spell, while he sig
nailed to some one without TO come and |
arrest the lawbreaker.
At last, with an effort he started nm
and opening his eyes found the dreadful |
thing only the creation of his light slum-
Der and troubled mind.
Again he lag upon the hard bench, tried |
TO Keep his eyes open and retain his ra-
tionality. But days of toll, anxiety, and
the great mental strain through which |
he had gone overcame him, and he half
asleep and half awake, saw q small figure
apparently created out OF tie shadows.
II was soldier carrying a musket and
fixed bayonet. He leveed the gun AT
him; but George was powerless to move.
He wondered why he did not fire. brf
the creation simply retained his position,
until by another effort, he dispelled the
VISION. and sat up, rubbing his eyes.
lie dozed again, and visions of strange
faces haunted him. and in an effort 10
speak TO him he awoke, the SMELL was
broken, and the face had disappeared.
He started up with a disagreeable chill
liness and feeling of superstitious awe
There was no moon. but the stars In the
sky dimly lighted the wood and interior
OF the school-houSe.
He could see family traced in the dark |
ness the long writing desk and the back
less benches, the teachers chair and |
square desk. He walked around the room. |
Keeping close to the wall to avoid com
ing in contact with and upsetting the |
seats. Somehow he felt an instructive |
dread or some one or something.
At last he heard voices talking In low
tones without, and the sound Of footsteps
came from the forest He ran TO the
ygragr lwr4