The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-08

Wiley. the deputy sheriff. was talking
| to group near the stain, explaining.
You see, them two must have
knowed about the o'clock freight and
that IL was TO stop here to take on the
empty lumber cars. / don't know how
they knowed It, but they did. 1t was
this way: When they got out the win
dow they beat through the storm
straight for this side track At the
same time Mr.. Harkless leaves Bris-
GOES, goin' west 1t begins to rain
He cuts across TO the railroad TO have
a sure footin' and strikin' for the
deepo for shelter-near place as any,
except Briscoe's, where he's said good
night already, and prob'ly don't wish
| to go back, fear Of givin' trouble or
keepin' 'em up. Anybody can under
stand that. He comes along and gets
| TO where we are precisely at the time
they do. them comm from town, him
strikin' for 1t. They run right into
each other. That's what happened.
They re-cog -nized him and raised up
on him and let him have 1t. What they
done IL with l don't know. We took
everything in that line on Of 'em.
Prob'ly used railroad iron, and what
they done with him afterward we don't
know, but we will by night. They'll
sweat it out of 'em up at Rouen when
they get EN-"
81 reckon maybe some Of us might
help" remarked Mr. Watts renectively.
Jim Bardlock swore a violent oath.
That's the talkr' he shouted "Ef i
amt the first man of this crowd to set
my foot in Roowun and first to beat in
that Jail door I'm not town marshal
Of Plattville, county Of Carlow, state
Of Indiana, and the Lord have mercy
on our soulsr'
Tom Martin looked at the brown
stain and quickly turned away. Then
be went back slowly to the village.
On the way he passed Warren Smith.
rs it soy' asked the lawyer.
Martin answered with dry throat.
He looked out over the sunlit fields
and swallowed once or twice. Yes,
it's SO. There's a good deal Of 1t there.
Little more than a boy he was" The
old fellow passed his seamy hand over
his eyes without concealment. Peter
amt very bright sometimes. it seems
to me-" he added brokenly; Overlook
Bodefrer and Fisbee and me. and all
| of us old husks. and-and"-he gulp-
ed suddenly, then finished-"and act
the fool and take boy that's the best
we had. ! wish the Almighty would
take Peter OF the gate. He amt nI
fer it."
When the attorney reached the spot
where the crowd was thickest, way
was made for him. The old eoiored
man. Xenophon, approached at the
. same time, leaning on a hickory stick
. and bent very far over. one hand rest
ing on his hip as II to ease a rusty
joint. The negro's age was an incentive
to fable. From his appearance he
might have known the prophets, and be
: wore that hoary look OF unearthly wis
dom which many decades of super
, ttitious experience sometimes give te
. members of his race. His face. so tor
, tured with wrinkles that it might have
: been made OF innumersble blaci
. threads woven together, was a living
mask OF the mystery of his blood
I Harkless had once said that Uncle
4 Xenophon had visited heaven before
| Swedenborg and hell before Dante. To
q day as he slowly limped over the tie.
o his eyes were bright and dry undel
D. the solemn lids. and, though his heavy
q nostrils were unusually distended IL
!, the effort for regular breathing. thu
a deeply puckered lips beneath then
I were set firmly. He stopped and look
Il a of hafnra him When M
! spoke his voice was gentle, and, though
i the tremulousness Of age harped on tn
n vocal strings, II was rigidly controlled
. kin some kline gelmun." he asked
e please Z be so good es t show de oil
= main whuh de W'ite Caips il don,
h shoot Marse HawklissY
v Here was where 1t happened, Uncl
Il Zen," answered Wiley, leading him for
q ward. Here Is the STAIN"
4 Xenophon bent over the spot on tn,
q sand, making little odd noises in hi
8 throat. Then he painfully resumes
q his former position. "Dass his blood,
Il he said in the same gentle. quaverinl
q tone. "Dass my bes frien' whut la.
O on de groun' whay yo' Stand, gelmun
e Dass whuh dey laid i'm, an dass whul
Is he lie." the old negro continued DE.
shot i'm in de fiers. Dey amt shot in
q heah. Yondeh dey druggen i'm, bu
Ir dis whuh he lie" He bent over agaiI
v then knelt groaningly and placed hi
Is hand on the stain. one would hav
' said, as q man might place his han
,r over heart to see IL IL still beat. 81
a was motionless, with the air OF hearl
r enlng.
a "Marse. honey. is you goner II
" raised his voice as IL calling. 'Is "
% lgone, suh-marsef-
q He looked up at the circle about hin
a. and then. still kneeling. not taking hi
X hand from the sand. seeming to wa
n for q sign 10 listen for a voice. he said
m "whafo' yo' gelmun think de goo
IN Lawd summon Marse Hawklissf Kas
he de mos fttes'f You know, dat ma
IA he ketch me in de cole night. wintu
TO lais.' stealin' is wood. You kno'
nj whut he done L de ole thief? TEX al
ne buir up big fab cen ole Zen shaint.
h. Say: Hep yo'se'f. an welcome. Reel
"a on you hongry. too. ain you, Ken
a phonY TEX an feed me, tex an te
~ keer o. me ev' since. All pump de bait
n full In de mawn'. mex is bed. pull q
% weeds outn de front walk; dass al
ha He TEX me in. When All ask i'm ali
Nc he 'fraid keep ole thief he say, jess
'Dass all my fault, Xenophon; ougi
ly look you up long go; ought know Ion
en go you be cole desc bald nights. Rec
I'm on Ah'm de thievenest one us tw
he Xenophon. keepln' all dis wood stoc
We up when you got none he say, jess