Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-24

the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF age narped on the
vocal strings, 1t was rigidly controlled.
''Kin some kline gelmun." he asked,
'please t. be SO good ez t show de ole
main whuh de Wife Caips is done
shoot Marse Hawkliss?"
Here was where 1t happened, Uncle
Zen," answered Wiley, leading him for
ward. Here is the stain"
Xenophon bent over the spot on the
sand, making little odd noises in his
throat. Then he painfully resumed
his former position. "Dass his blood, +"
he said in the same gentle, quavering
tone. "Dass my bes' frien' whut lay
on de groun' whay yo' stand, gelmun.
Dass whuh dey laid i'm, an dass whuh
he lie," the old negro continued. "Dey
shot i'm in de fiels. Dey amt shot i'm
heah. Yondeh dey druggen i'm, but
dis whull he lie." He bent over again,
then knelt groaningly and placed his
hand on the stain, one would have
said, as q man might place his hand
over heart to see If it still beat. He
was motionless, with the air Of heark-
ening.
"Marse, honey, is you gone" He
raised his voice as IL calling. us yo'
gone suh--marseY'
He looked up at the circle about him,
and then, still kneeling, not taking his
hand from the sand, seeming to wait
for sign to listen for voice, he said:
"Whafo' yo' gelmun think de good
Lawd summon Marse HAWKES.? Kase
he de mos fittes'? You know, dat man
he ketch me in de cole night, wintuh
10 lais,' stealth is wood. You know
whut he done t de ole theft TEX an
buir up big fab cen ole Zen shainty.
Say: Hep yo'se'f, an welcome. Reck-
on you hongry, too, ain you. Keno
phon?' TEX an feed me, TEX an tex
keer O. me ev' since. All pump de bath
full in de mawn', mex Is bed, pull de
weeds outn de front walk; dass all.
He tex me In. When All ask i'm aim
he 'fraid keep ole thief he say, jesse:
'Dass all my fault, Xenophon; ought
look you up long go; ought know long
go you be cole desc bald nights. Reck-
on Ah'm de thievenest one 'us two,
Xenophon, keepin' all dis wood stock
up when you got none he say, jesse.
TEX me in: say he lahk thief; pay me
sala'y; feed me. Dass de main whut
de Caps gone shot lais' night" He
raised his herd sharply, and the mys-
terry in his gloomy eyes intensified as
they opened wide and stared at the
sky unseeingly.
"Ah's bawn wild cawl!' he exclaim-
ed loudly. His twisted frame was
braced to an extreme tension. "Ah's
bawn wild cawl! De blood anssuh!''
ut wasn't the White Caps, Uncle
Xenophon," said Warren Smith, laying
his hand on the old mans shoulder.
Xenophon rose to his feet. He
stretched long, bony arm straight to
the west where the Crossroads lay;
stood rigid and silent, like a seer; then
spoke:
"De men whut shot Marse Hawk
liss lies yondeh, hidin' FUN de light O.
day. An him"-he swerved his whole
rigid body till the arm pointed north
west-"he lies yondeh. You won fine
i'm heah. Dey fought i'm in de fiers,
an dey druggen I'm heah. Dis whuh
dey lay i'm down. Abs bawn wild q
cawIw
There were ordinations from the
listeners, for Xenophon spoke as one
having authority. Suddenly he turned
and pointed his outstretched hand full
at Judge Briscoe.
can dass de MAN." he cried; '.dass
de main kin tell yo' All speak de
trufeg'
Before Briscoe answered, Eph Watts
looked at him keenly and then turned
to Lge Wflletts and whispered: Get
on your horse, ride In and ring the
bell like fury. Do as l
say"
Tears stood in the Judges eyes, ut
is So" he said solemnly. "He speaks
the truth. l didn't mean to tell 1t to-
day, but somehow He paused.
1.-The hounds" he cried. ''They de-
serve it My daughter saw them cross
Ing the fields In the night-saw them
climb the fence, big crowd Of them.
She and the lady who is visiting us
saw them-saw them plainly. The
lady saw them several times clear as
day by the flashes Of lightning. The
were coming this way. They |
must have been dragging him with