Evening star., 1902-08-02

as deserted as the silent street had been
before this eruption of angry men. Dave
Ford moved forward from the little group
and knocked upon the door. A window in
the office upstairs was flung open so quickly
that Ford stumbled back in alarm.
What do you want?' asked Hills, step
ping out to the open yeranda.
I'VE want the niger, and we want yeou.
We have an account to settle with yeou
both!' cried Wallace in a passion of rage.
An we want yeou both right away
tew learn youall a lesson fer interfering.
We air fixin' tew give the hickory both
tew youall an the niger" cried Ford.
He was conscious that he had not ac-
quilted himself with credit earlier in the
evening, and he was anxious to retrieve
himself with his companions.
The nigger isn't here, and if he was you
could not have him
'We'll mighty soon Sc abeaut thet."
Robert Hills faced them steadily, re-
voiVer in his right hand. His left arm hung
helpless by his side. There was neither
fear nor bravado in his face.
L warn you that the first man who
moves forward 1 shall shoot" he said
quietly
Brad Henderson lounged out from the
once carrying shotgun loaded with buck
shot.
Pears like youall air looking fer
trouble he suggested, mildly, without
trace of animosity.
"Yeou amt in this, Brad Henderson. We
air aimin tew settle hit fer ourselves.
Brad grinned down sheepishly Il hate
tew put in tew yeou gentemen's little diff
renee, but low youall better count me in"
There was a whispered consultation be-
low, which lasted for some minutes. Finally
Dave Ford essayed to explain the situation
to Brad. His evil upturned face showed two
livid bars of swollen flesh where the hickory
had cut.
Look a-hyer. Brad" he wheedled, with
an effort intended to convey frank amiabil-
Io1,~ L; -,
taken an oath tew give him the bud, an we
hahn t a-goin tew rue back. We amt afmln'
tew kill him, nor be noways mean, but jes'
tew give him taste of hit. Yeou don't
know how he has pestered we'uns. l give
yeou my word, from one gentleman tew
another, thet weall will be plumb kindly
tew him. Consarn hit, he amt nothin but
a Yank. nohOw. | caynt see what fer yeou
are froickin' areound with thet gun. Didn't
the 1anks burn yOualls cotton? Hit amt
reasonable fer yeou tew be acting so null
ish."
Dave Ford's face fairly worked with emo
ton. If he had not known the fellows
black record Brad might have judged him
to be suffering the perpleXity of an honest
man who is troubled at the departure of
lifelong friend from the paths of righteous
ness
Brad rasped his hand back and forth
along his fank, bristly chin. Il wan never
rightly sure whether the Yanks or the
**graybacks burnt my cotton. Hit were in
the night, an they forgot tew leave the
names But 'beout this hyer matter-caynt
youall fix it up somehow? Hit air onneigh-
borly tew be shootin' reound this away
Devil take you. We're not asking you
advice. If yeou are coming daown from
there be mighty quick abeout it," screamed
Wallace in impatient rage.
'Sence yeou put it thet way, low I'll
stay hyer."
Then stay, you blamed fool"
Wallace threw up his arm and fired. AT
the same time he swung his horse round
and gave it the spur. The graybacks fol-
lowed him through the rank dogfennel TO
the shelter of some piles of cordWood about
fifty yards away.
Mighty nigh got yeou. The amt bet
ter shot in the caounty than Emmet," COM
mented Henderson, admiringly.
A fuSlade from the WoodplleS drove the
two men hastily to cover. When Brad
ventured to peer out cautiously, he eX-
claimed: m
"Hyer comes the colonel licketty split.
Nav by gum, hit air a gyurl.
Hills was looking at her, too, an inde-
finable fear tugging at his heart Both OF
the men had forgotten that they stood ex,
posed within easy range as they "atcheu
the girl from the window.
"Jes' look at her ride. They all see her
meow. Dad burn, looks like Miss Julie. The
devils air firm at her. Oh, lordy she air
killed.
Brad turned to the doctor, but Hills was
time. He flung out into the street, reck-
less of the bullets which drove past him
into the soft wood. If he had been capable
of taking thought, he would have felt in
stinctively that he was bullet proof for the
present; but he was conscious only of the
overmastering impulsion to reach and pro-
tect the woman he loved.
Whether the graybacks had mistaken her
for Robert Hills escaping in the darkness,
whether they fired at the approaching
figure in mere wanton abandon will never
be known; in any case they were now ap-
palled at what they feared they had done.
Northern settlers were not so scarce that
the law would inquire rigidly concerning
the death of one in these unsettled times;
but If anything serious had happened to
Miss Julia Dascomb, the most popular
young lady in the settlement both on her
own and on her fathers account, 1t needed
no phophet to foretell the fate that would
fall on them surely and promptly without
the aid of the law.
When Lem Fisher reached the Dascomb
place 1t appeared that the colonel was
away at a neighbor's place farther up the
road. Lem rode on to get the colonel,
while Uncle Ben poured out his story to his
young mistress. The old negro was a
trusted friend Of the family. During the
war he had run the plantation in the alb
sence of his master and supported the
family by his labor. Julia and Emmet had
been children on the place at the time, and
it made her blood boil to think that Wal
lace had forgotten the love they owed the
old man. She had believed In her cousin
despite appearances, but now his degrada-
tion was marked clearly to her eyes.
She did not deceive herself into believing
that Wallace would spare the young north
erner. On the contrary, she knew that his
vengeance would be swift and sure, and,
with the headlong patience of the south
concerning the danger of one she cared for,
set out at once, without waiting for her
father, to avert the catastrophe.
Her father and Lem Fisher were a scant
300 yards behind her when she reached
Richmond They heard the sound of firing
as they came through the woods, and urged
their horses recklessly over the rotten cor
duroy road. But when they reached the
scene Of action the battle had ended for the
present.
Robert Hills was lifting Julia from the
ground, where she had been thrown, half
stunned, but otherwise uninjured, when her
horse was shot under her. and, from differ
ent directions Wallace and Henderson were
running forward with a wary eye on each
other. Brad had a smoking gun in his
hand. He had remained at the window to
take a shot at Ford, and the grayback lay
cursing in the road with a scattering charge
of buckshot In his leg.
After he had ascertaned that his daugh-
ter was uninjured, Colonel Dascomb turned
grimly on his nephew.
s'Wel1 yOunp man 7 hone Won all are