The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-11

the Plattville pike despairingly cackled one
old hen, with her wabbling sailor run, smit
with superstitous horror of nothing, In
the stiffness; she hid herself in the shadow
underneath a rickety barn, and her shriek-
ing ceased. -. -+!,''.. -: : > -
Only on the Windy farm were there signs
Of life The old lady who had sent Hark-
less roses sat by the window all morning and
wiped her eyes. watching the horsemen ride
by; sometimes they would hail her and tell
her there was nothing yet. About o'clock
her husband ratified up in blackboard. and
got out the late, and more authentic, Mr..
Wtmbys shotgun, which he carefully
cleaned and oiled, in spite Of its hammerless
and quite useless condition, sitting. mean
while. by the window opposite his wife, and
often looking up from his work, tc
| shack his weak fist at his neighbors' domi-
Giles and creak decrepit curses and denunc1a
tions.
But the Cross Roads was ready. It knew
| what was coming now. Frightened, desperate,
| sullen, it was ready
The afternoon wore on. and lengthening
shadows fell upon a peaceful-one would
have said, a sleeping-country. The sun
dried pike, already dusty, stretched its serene
| length between green borders hecked with
purple and yellow and white weed flowers;
and the tree shadows were not shade, but
warm blue and lavender glows In the general
pervaslon Of still. bright light. the sky curv-
| ing it's deep, unburnished, 'penetrable blue
over all, with no single drift of fleece upon 1t
to be reflected in the creek that wound along
past willow and sycamore "A woodpecker's
| telegraphy broke the quiet like volley of
pistol shots.
But far eastward on the pike there slowly
| developed a soft, white haze. It grew denser
and larger. Gradually it rolled nearer. Dim
| ly behind it could 'oe discerned a darker,
moving nucleus that extended far back upon
the road heavy tremor began to stir the
air-faint manifold sounds. a waxing, in
creasing, multitudinous rumor.
The pike ascended long, slight slope lead
| ing west up to the Cross -Roads. From a
thicket Of ironweed at the foot of this slope
was thrust the hard, lean visage Of an under
sized girl of ii. Her fierce eyes examined
the approaching cloud Of dust intently.
redness rose under the burnt yellow skin and
| colored the wizened cheeks.
They were coming
She stepped quickly out Of the tangle, and
darted up the road, running with the speed OF
a feet little terrier, not opening her lips, not
calling out but holding her two thin hands
| high above her head That was all. But
Birnam wood was come to Dunsinane at last.
and the messenger sped. Out OF the weeds in
the corners of the snake fence, In the upper
part Of the rise silently lifted the heads OF
men whose sallowness became q sickish white
as the child flew by.
The mob was carefully organized. They had
taken their time and had prepared everything
deliberately knowing that nothing could stop
them No had any thought OF conceal
ment; it was all as open the light Of day,
all done in the broad sunshine. Nothing had
been determined as to what was to be done al
the Crossroads more definite than that the
place was to be wiped out That was compre-
hensive enough; the details were quite certain
to occur They were all on foot, marching In
fairly regular ranks. In front walked MT
Watts, the man Harkless had abhorred in
public spirit and befriended in private-to- day
he was a hero and a leader, marching te
agenge his professional oppressor and per
sonal brother Cool, unruff1ed and, to out
ward vision, unarmed, marching the miles
in his brown frock coat and generous linen
his carefully creased trousers neatly turned
up out of the dust, he led the way. on oh< %
side of, him were the two Boulders, on the
other was Lige Willetts, Mr.. Watts preserv'
ing peace between the two young men witt
perfect tact and sang-foid.
They kept good orders and a similitude o
quiet for so many, except far to the rear
where old Wilkerson was bringing up ,th'
: tail of the procession, dragging wretchee
yellow dog by slip moose fastened arounf
: the poor ours protesting neck, the knot care
, fully arranged under his right ear. In spit'
) of every command and protest, Wilkersor
had marched the whole way uproarlousl!
singing "John Browns Body"
The sun was in the west when they came II
sight of the Cross Roads, and the cabins OF
the low slope stood out angularly against tn
radiance beyond. AS they beheld the hate
t settlemen, the heretofore orderly rank
0 showed a disposition to depart from tn
steady advance and rush the shantles. VII
let's, the Bowlders, Parker, Ross schohel
and fifty others did, in fact, break away an
i, set a sharp pace up the SLOPE
. Watts tried to call them back. "Whats IN
: use your gettin' klled?' he shouted -.
i ..Why not?" answered Lige, who like tn
s others was increasing his speed when OF
e 'Winby' rose up suddenly from the roadsid
ahead of them, and motioned them fran1lcall
e to 90 back "They're laid out along the fenc
d waitin' fer ye," he warned them Git ou
e the road. Come by the fields. Fer the Lord
sake spread," Then, as suddenly as he ha
t appeared, he dropped down into the weeo
again. -Lige and those with him paused an
the whole body came to a halt' "nlie u
leaders consulted. There was sound OF mt
tallic licking and thin rattle OF stee
= From far to the rear came the voice OF o.
70 Wikerson , ,
d .John Browns body lies a-mouldering IN tt
l. ground, .~ l,,.t,L l.. ~
=, A few near him, as they stood waiting, b.
gan to take up the burden of the song, sint
+ ing in slow time like dirge; then those fu
,e they away took it up; it spread, reached tt
in leaders; they, too. began to sing, taking 9
ID their hats as they Joined in; and soon u
t. whole concourse, solemn earnest and unco
Is cred, was singing-a thunderous requiem Il
N John Harkess
le The sun was swinging lower and the edg
of the world were embroidered with go
ly while that deep volume Of sound shook II
is air. the song Of a stern; savage, just cause
ir sung, perhaps, as some of the ancestors
It. these men sang with Hampden before Il
)" bristling walls of hostile city. 1t hao lr'
to and steel in it. The men lying on the
II guns in the ambuscade along the fence nea
er the dirge rise and grow to its mighty ~
ness, and they shivered. One OF them' post
nearest the advance, had his rifle caretul
leveled at Lige Willets, fair target
the road When he heard the singing
turned to the man next behind him al
IS laughed harshly: II reckon we'll see b
y, iamboree in hell tonight, huh!'
st The huge murmur Of the chorus expand
be and gathered in rhythmic strength al
6, swelled to power and rolled and thunder
re across the plain. 49,
u "John Browns body lies a-moulderng IN t
ne ground, -
Id John Browns body lies a-mouldering in Il
Up ground, . .7~s
t..... e--n,r &. : .-.,., =. ~s- ? .