The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-05-25

and Il report and Bruce collapsed, the
Duke still gripping him. When they
lifted him up he was found to have an
ugly wound in his arm, the bullet hav-
Ing passed through the fieshy part. I
bound 1T up as best L could and tried
to persuade him to go to bed. But he
would go home. Nothing could stop
him. Finally the Duke agreed to go
with him, and off they set, Bruce loudly
protesting that he could get home alone
and did not want any one.
1t was a dismal break up to the meet,
and we all went home feeling rather
sick, SO that 1t gave me no pleasure
to find Moore waiting In my shack for
my report Of Bruce. 1t was quite vain
for me to make light of the accident
to him. His eyes were wide open with
anxious fear when I had done.
"You needn't tell me not to be anx-
ious," he said. you are anxious
self. 1 see 1t, 1 feel it."
"Well, there is no use trying to keep
things from YOU" 1 replied. "But I am
only n little anxious. Don't you no
beyond me and work yourself up into
a fever over It,"
NO" he answered quietly, 'but I
wish his mother were nearer"
"Oh, boshl 1t isn't coming TO that.
But 1 wish be were In better shape.
He is broken up badly without this
hole in him."
He would not leave till I had prom
ised to take him up the next day,
though l was doubtful enough Of his
reception. But next day the Duke
came down, his black bronco JtnRo
wet with hard riding.
Better come UP, Connor," he sstd
gravely, "and bring your bromt&eu
along. He has had a bad night and
morning and fell asleep only before I
came away. I expect he'll wake In g.
lrium. It's the whisky more than tie
bullet. Snakes, you know"
In ten minutes we three were on tho
trail, for Moore. though not invited.
quietly announced his intention to 10
with us.
"Oh. all right" said the Duke indae-
ferently. HE probably won't secog-
nize you anyway"
We rode hard for half an hour I'LL
we came within sight Of BSpee's
shack, which was set back into n lastle
poplar bluff.
Hold upl' said the Duke. "Was
that n shotf' We stood listening. A
rlhe shot rang out, and we rode hard.
Again the Duke halted u.s., and there
came from the shack the sound OF
singing. 1t was an old Scotch tune.
1.-THE Tw%enty-third Psalm" said
Moore in a low voice.
We rode. into the bluff, tied up our
horses and crept to the back OF the
snack. Looking through q crack be-
tween the logs, 1 saw a grewsome
thing. Bruce was sitting up In bed
with n Winchester ride across his
knees and a belt Of cartridges HANGING
over the post. His bandages were
torn off, the blood from his wound
was smeared over his bare arms and
his pale, CHASTITY face, his eyes were
Wild with mad terror, and he was
shouting at the top Of his voice ths
words:
"The Lords my Shepherd. I'll not want;
He makes mo down to lie
In pastures green; he leadeth me
The quiet waters by"
Now and then he would stop To saw
In an awesome whisper, "Come out
here, O little deylls!' And bang
would go his rifle at the stoyepipe.
which was riddled with holes. Thep
ance more in n loud voice he would
hurry to begin the psalm:
"Pho Lords my Shepherd"
Nothing that my memory brings to
me makes me chill like that picture
the low log shack. now In cheeriess
disorder; the CHASTITY object upon the
bed In the corner, with blood smeared
face and arms and mad terror in the
eyes; the awful curslngs and moro
awful psalm singing, punctuatpd BY
the quick report of the deadly rife.
For some moments we stood casing
ut y another. Then the Duke said
2 a low, fierce tone, more TO himself
than to rs.
.sThis n the last. Thefeu be no