Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-05-31

ard the house, giving a peculiar call
which Killian had told him the
Houchins invariably used. Conner in.
stantly appeared in the doorway and.
after moments hesitation, strolled
down to meet the stranger. He was
heavily armed, and regarded Hobbs
win some uncertainty.
Who are your" he demanded.
why, Tom, don't you remember
me? I'm Jack Houchin; | was down
with Jess last year."
conner wasn't at all sure that he
ulu remember, and fingered a big re-
NolVer unpleasantly as he looked the
young man over.
Seems to me you've changed a
good deal sense | seen YOU" he finally
observed suspiciously.
Hobbs laughed easily. PERHAPS
us my mustache," said he. The
Iolks say 1t makes me look different.
but you must remember how | came
mere with Jess-it was the day you
went TO get some cider; you remem-
uer you tripped and fell and durn near
broke your neck"
The suspicion faded from Corners
eyes, grim smile lighted up his rug
ged race and his hand left his revol-
YER Deed | do remember that. but
uog me II you amt changed a heap
sense then. Come up to the house.
Laura, addressing his wife, who
stood in the doorway, this is Jack
Houchin. You wasn't home when
MIN and Jess was over last fall.
Make y'self to home, Jack, and tell
us about the folks. How's biz"
Bad" said HOBBS, and he gave
Conner a graphic description of the
RAID at Pikeville. He told him how
Jess and the old man had been shot,
and how one of the governments
devils had got it good; how he
had escaped by jumping through a
rear window and hiding in the woods
until daylight, and how he had come
twenty miles by rail on freight train
and walked the rest of the way. Not
a soul, he assured Conner, knew the
source from which they had obtained
their coin.
The counterfeiter sympathized with
him, and assured him that he could
not have sought a safer place. They
won't never get you here" he said.
I'VE could clean out whole regiment
of EN-"
Hobbs retired, but not to sleep. He
had been under a nervous strain all
day and needed rest, but while he felt
fairly certain that Corners suspicious
had been lulled, he dared not close his
eyes. All through the night he lay
with straining ears to catch any sound
form below that might suggest a hos
tile move on the part of his host.
The hours dragged on uneventfully,
and daylight came to partially re-
lieVc his anxiety. Breakfast over,
Conner took him into the room where
he made his counterfeit coin and
started in to finish up a batch for
some customers in Tennessee. Mrs.
Conner dropped in once or twice, and
Incidentally kept a sharp lookout
down the road.
"Laura's good as a man" said Conner
admiringly, as he worked away at
his coin. "Dogged if she amt a
match for any of 'em when it comes to
scrappin or shootin'."
Laura bridled consciously as Tom
sang her praises. Cit out, Tom" she
simpered.
We'll, you know it's so. Look at
her, Jack"
Lauras physique quite justified the
enthusiastic praise of her spouse.
boned, with arms as hard as barrel
slaves, and a masculine way of going
about her work that partly suggested
her ability to give a good account of
herself in any sort of rough-and-tum-
BILE scraps"
Hobbs indorsed Corners opinion of
Lis better half, and vaguely wondered
what would happen to him if Laura
knew the truth and should get her
hands on him. He joined her in the
Kitchen where she was bustling about,
and moved over to where the gun
hung on the wall. He took it down,
balanced it, examined it critically and
commented to Laura on the fact that
| it was a muzzle-loader. Laura opined
that Tom would get one of the new
tangled breech-loaders some day, but
that they were too expensive at that
time. AS she stepped to the door for
a look up the road, Hobbs removed
the caps, spat on the nipples, replaced
| the bits of copper without being OBJ
served and hung the weapon in its
accustomed place. A little later he
suggested to Conner that he would
like to see a paper, and read the &C
count of the raid upon the Pikevllle
home. Tom said that at about three
o'clock he would go to Frenchtown
and get one. Hobbs waited until
Conner was about to start, and then
inquired if he thought there would
be any danger if he went, too.
NO" said Conner, come on" And
off they started together
Before they had gone far Hobbs
stopped. Say, Tom" he remarked,
I've got a bottle of whiskey over here