The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-28
CHAPTER Nv.


The Briscoe blackboard ratified along the
plastic country road, the roans setting a sharp
pace as they turned eastward on the pike
howard home and supper. --.-.s. ...
They'll make the eight miles in three
quarters Of an hour" said the Judge. proud
ly He pointed ahead with his whip. "Just
beyond that bend we pass through Six-Cross
Roads.
Miss Sherwood leaned forward eagerly
Can we see Mr.. Wimby's' house; from
here?" ~
mo, it's on the other side, nearer town;
we pass it later It's the only respectable
looking house in this township" They
reached the turn Of the road, and the Judge
touched UP his colts to a sharper gait. No
need of dallying," he observed quietly. III
always makes me little sick just to see
the place. I'd hate to have breakdown
here"
They came in sight Of squalid settlement,
built raggedly about blacksmith's shop ana
q saloon Half-a-do shanties clustered
near the FORGE a few roofs scattered through
the shiftlessly cultivated fields, four or hve
barns propped by fence rails, some sheds
with gaping apertures through which the
light glanced from side to side, squad Oh
thin ..razor-back'' hogs-now and then wor-
ried by gaunt hounds-and some apusea-
looking hens, cropping about dtsconsoiately
In the mire, a broken topped buggy Win
twisted wheel settling into the mud OF the
middle of the road (there was always abun-
dant mud, here, in the dryest summer)
lowering face sneering from broken win
dow-six-Cross- Roads was forbiddtng and for-
lorn enough by day. The thought OF "nat
might issue from 1t by night was unpleasant
and the legends of the Cross Roads, tosethei
with an unshapen threat, easily fanciea III
kha rlo
Sherwood shiver as though a cold draugnt
had crossed her.
''It is so snister!' she exclaimed. ana
10 unspeakably mean! This is where theS
live, the people who hate him. is IT: Inc
White Caps'?"
They are Just lot Of rowdies,' replleo
Briscoe. "You have your rougn corheis III
big cities, and expect there are mlghty le"
parts of any country that don't have tnelr
tough neishborhoods only Six-Cross- Roads
happens to be worse than most. They choose
to call themselves White Caps, but guess
it's just a. name they like to give themselves
Usually White-Caps are vigilance commit
tee going after rascalities the law ooesh
reach. or won't reach, but these fellows are
not that kind. They got together 10 Mlpe
out their grudges-and sometimes tney uluh
need any grudge and let loose their deylltries
lust for pure orneriness setting haystachs
afre and such like; or, where farmer hau
offended them, they would put On thelr s'iiy
toegery and take him out at midnight ana
whip him and plunder his house and chase
the horses and cattle into his corn mayoe'
They say the women went with 1ns" on 'no''
raids ..
And he was the first to try to stop them?'
"well YOU see, our folks pretty long
sufferine." Briscoe replied, apologeticaliy
WED sort of got used to the meanness VI
the CROSSROADS. 1t took a stranger 10 SUI
things up-and he did He sent elsht Oh eln
10 the penitentiary, some for twenty years.
AS they passed the saloon man steppeo
into the doorway and looked at them. ne
.u,ae coat1ess and clad in garments worn tc
the color of dust; his bare head was curious
lv malformed higher one side than on
the other and though the blackboard passeo
RAPIDLY, and at distance, the singular lop
sidedness was plainly visible to the occupants
lending an ugly significance to MS measei
yellow face He was tall, lean, nara, pow
erfuIly< built He eyed the strangers with
affected languor, and then, when they mao
gone by, broke into sudden, loud laughter.
..That was Bob Skillet, the worst OF the
lot" said the Judge. "Harkless sent his sol
and one brother to prison, and II nearly
broke his heart that he couldn't swear tt
Bob"
When they, were beyond the village and il
the open road again, Miss Sherwood took
deep. DTealQ. ! tuiuk DIedIue Luoio Aioo
ly," she said. That hideous laugf
he sent after u.s. l had heard Of places lik
this beforehand l don't think l care to Sc,
many of them. AS l understand it, Six
Cross Roads is entirely vicious, isn't 1t, ant
bears the same relation to the country tina
the slums do to a city?'
That's about it. They make their owl
whisky, presume and they have their OWL
fights amongst themselves, but they settl
'em themyeves, too, and keep their owl
counsel and hush 1t up. Lige Wiletts, Min
MES friend-I guess she's told you abou
Lige?-well, Lige Willetts will go anywher
when he's following a covy, though mostl
the boys leave this part Of the country alon
when they're hunting; but Lige got into
thicket back Of the forge one morning, an
he came on crowd of buzzards quarrellin
over heap the. ground, and he got ou
In a hurry. He said he was sure it
dog: but he ran almost all the way to Plat
Vile"
Father" exclaimed his daughter, leanin
to Helen; she'll think we're horrible. an
you'll frighten her, too
well, it isn't exactly a ladys story sal
the Judge. He glanced at his guests fac
and chuckled. II guess we won't frighten he
much he went on. Young lady, 1 don
believe you'd be afraid of many things, woul
you? You don't look like it. Besides. tn
CROSSROADS isn't Plattville and the white
caps have been too scared to do anythin
much except try to get even with the HERALD
for the last two years; ever since 1t went fe
them. They're laying for Harkless partly fe