The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-01
GABRIEL TOLLIVER
NOVEL OF RECONSTRUCTION
copyright, 1908, by Joel Chandler H.rrls.

| the people are asleep day and night. A
parcel of Yankees went over there the
other night, snatched four boys out of
their beds. and walked off with them"
That's so" Mr. Sanders assented.
Yes it's So cried the colonel holly.
| And it's a --' He caught the eye
of his wife and subsidized Excuse me.
honey; I'm rather wrought up over this
thing. Why, II it had happened here, the
whole town would have been wide awake
| In ten minutes and the boys would never
have been carried across the corporation
| line Tomlin Is mighty near wild about
| 1t. If / hadn't gone to Atlanta, he would
have gone; and you know how he is,
honey. Somebody would have got hurt"
! Yet, strange to say Major Tomlin Per-
| due was far cooler and more deliberate
than his brother-in-law, Colonel Blasen-
game.
you are correct in your statement
about the four boys bein took away"
said Mr.. Sanders, but you'll have to
remember that the woods amt so full
of Blasengames and Perdues as they used
to be; an you aint got in this town a
big, heavy balance-wheel the size an
shape Of Meriwether Clopton."
Yes, dear, you were about to be too
hasty in your remarks suggested Mrs.
Blasengame.
Besides my dear, didn't these young
| men, and the Yankees who arrested them,
take the train here?' She nodded to Mr..
Sanders, and a peculiar smile began to
play over that worthy's features.
by George! l believe they did, honey"
exclaimed the colonel.
And In broad daylight" persisted the
lady.
To this the colonel made no reply, and
| Mr.. Sanders became the complainant. II
| dHnner what n m ha Ia
clared when passed. of Yankees can
| jerk four of our best young men on a
| train in this town in broad daylight an
all the folks a-stanln' aroun' sapin' at
| en-"
Say no more, Mr. Sanders say no
more-the mule is yours
| Mrs. Basengame laughed, as she rose
/ from the table. She stood tiptoe to pin
| flower in her husbands buttonhole.
you've missed a good deal, Mr.. San
ders," said the colonel STOPPING to kiss
his wife. You don't know what a COM
fort 1t is to have little bit of wom-
an TO boss you, and cuss you out with
her eyes when you git on the wrong
track"
Yes" said Mr. Sanders. 1T alters feel
like widower when see a man REILLY
In love wi his wife. It's sight that amt
as common as 1t used to be. Well go
| amt got much time to larry"
"Oh, you want me to go tooY' said the
colonel eagerly. well, I'm your man,
you can just count on me, no matter what
scheme you've got on hand"
Mr.. Sanders was very much at home in
the majors mouse, consequently the greet
ing he received was as cordial as he could
have desired. Major" he said when he
found opportunity to state the nature of
h 10 laarcf do
Tolliver?"
Mighty wel-mighty we'll" responded
Major Perdue, land a fine boy he is
He'll make his mark some day."
Not onless we do somethn' to help
him out. They amt no way in the world
he can prove that he didn't kill that Teller
Hotchkss. Ike Warner done the KILN.
but he's gone, an l think his wife is flxin
to go to Atlanta. They've got the dead
wood on Gabriel. An to make 1t wus,
Hotchkiss called his name more'n once
before he died 1t looks black for Ga
briel"
Major Perdue leaned forward a little, a
, frown on his face. "rll tell you what,
Mr.. Sanders, ! have come to the point
where l can't hold in much longer, and
maybe you'll keep me from making n
fool of myself. I'll say beforehand,
don't care what your plan is; I don't care
to know 1t. just count on me-"
And where do I come inT Colonel
Blasengame inquired
Right by my side" responded Major
Perdue.
Without any further preliminares, Mr.
Sanders set forth the details of the pro-
gramme that had arranged itself in his
mind, and when he was through Major
Perdue leaned back In his chair, and
gazed with admiration at the bland and
childlke countenance of this Georgia
cracker. The innocence of childhood
shone in Mr.. Sanderss blue eyes.
II swear, Mr.. Sanders, I'm sorry I
didn't have the pleasure of serving with
you In Virginia You can count on us If
we are alive. l don't know how Bolivar
feels about 1t. but l feel that you have
done me great favor in thinking of me
in connection with this business"
'Tomlin expresses my views exactly"
said Colonel Blasengame yet feel that
one of us will be enough. 1t may be that
your scheme will fail. and that those who
are engaged In 1t will have to take the
consequences. Now. I'd rather take em
alone than to have Tomlin mixed up with
It,"
''Fiddlesticks, Bolivarl you couldn't
keep me out of 1t unless you had a bench
warrant served on me five minutes before
the train left. Now, don't forget to tell
Tidwell that I'll be glad to renew that
dispute. l bear no malice. but when it
comes to a row, l don't need malice to
keep my mind and my gun in working or
der l am going down to Malvern to-
morrow, and before l come away, I'll
have everything fixed There are some
details, you know, that never occurred
to you; the police, for instance. Well.
the chief of police is very good friend OF
mine, and the major was Bolivars adju-
tant"
WELL l thank the Lord for all his mer-
cies.' cried Mr.. Sanders; and he meant
what he said.
CHAPTER XVII.
Nan and Margaret.