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


chanically. but suddenly she broke of
with a quick sob. turned TO the win
dow, then turned again to Briscoe and
cried: Il don't believe IT, He knew
how to take care OF himself too well
He'd have got away from them"
Her father shook his head. "Then
why hasn't he turned upl He'd have
gone home after the storm IL something
bad wasn't the matter"
But nothing-nothing that bad
could have happened. They haven't
found-any-anything."
But why hasn't he come back,
child:"
We'll. he's lying hurt somewhere,
that's ALL"
Then why haven't they found him?"
Il don't care" she cried and choked
with the words and tossed her disney
eled hair from her temples, "it isn't
truel Helen won't believe II. Why
should l? It's only a few hours since
he was right here in our yard talking
to us all. l won't believe il till they've
searched every stick and stone of Six
Crossroads and found him"
1T wasn't the Crossroads" said
the old gentleman, pushing the table
away and relaxing his limbs on the
sofa. They probably didn't have any
thing to do with II. We thought they
had at first. but everybody's about
come to believe It was those two fel-
lows that he had arrested yesterday"
1T wasn't the Crossroads echoed
Minnie. and she began to tremble vio-
lently. Haven't they been out there
yetT'
What use? They are out Of IT. and
they can thank God they are"
They are notr' she cried, very much
agitated. They did it. 1t was the
White Caps. We saw them, Helen
and l."
The judge got upon his feet with an
oath. He had not sworn for years un-
til that morning. What's thisT he
said sharply.
II ought to have told you before, but
we were so frightened, and-and you
went off In such rush after Mr.. Wiley
was here. / never dreamed everybody
wouldn't know II was the Crossroads;
And looked for the scarecrow as soon
as IL was light. and II was away of
from where we saw them and wasn't
blown down at all; and Helen saw
them in the field besides; saw all Of
them
He Interrupted her. What do you
meanf Try to tell me about it quietly
child" He laid his hand on her shoul
der.
She told him breathlessly what she
and Helen had seen. and he grew more
and more visibly perturbed and un
easy. biting his cigar to pieces and
groaning at intervals. When she had
finished he took a few quick turns
about the room. with his hands thrust
deep in his coat pockets, and then
charging her to repeat the story to NJ
J one. left the house and, forgetting his
fatigue, rapidly crossed the fields tt
, the point where the bizarre figures ol
the night had shown themselves to th'
/ two girls at the window.
The soft ground had been tramplet
| by many feet. The boot prints pointet
| 70 the northeast. He traced them back
ward TO the southwest through tn
> field and saw where they had com
! from near the road, going northeast
! then, returning, he climbed the fenc
and followed them northward through
! the next field. From there the next fiel'
to the north, lying beyond the road tina
was a continuation OF Main street
stretched TO the railroad embankmeni
The track. ruggedly defined In tram
pied loan and muddy furrow, bent Il
direction which indicated that Il
terminus might be the switch wher
the empty cars had stood last nigh
waiting for the o'clock freight. Thougl
the fields had been trampled In man
places by the searching parties, he fel
sure OF the direction taken by tn
Crossroads men, and he perceived tina
the searchers had mistaken the track
he followed for those of earlier partie
In the hunt. On the embankment
saw a number of men walking ives
and examining the ground on each sid
and a long line Of people followin
them out from town. He stopped. II
held the fate of Six Crossroads in hi
hand. and lie knew II.
The men ON the embankment wer
walking slowly, bending far over, the
eyes fixed on the ground. Suddenl
one of them stood erect and tossed h
arms In the air and shouted loudl,
Other men ran to him, and another Ia
down the track repeated the shout an
the gesture to another far In his rea
This man took il up and shouted an
. waved TO a fourth man, and so the
, passed the signal back TO town. Thel
. came almost Immediately three lon
loud whistles from d mill near the ST
ton. and the embankment grew blaC
with people pouring out from tow
while the searchers came running frol
the fields and woods and underbrus
on both sides Of the railway.
Briscoe began TO walk ON toward Il
embankment
The track lay level and straight, n
dimming in the middle distances. Il
rails converging 10 points both mort
west and southeast in the clean wash,
air like examples OF perspective In
child's drawing book. About seven
miles TO the west and north lay Rome
In the same direction. nearly six mil
from where the signal was given. Il
track was crossed by road leadii
directly south to Six Crossroads.
The embankment had been new
ballasted with sand. What had be-
discovered was broad brown stain
the sand on the south slope near 4
top. There were smaller stains abo
and below. none beyond il TO left
right, and there were many deep fo'
prints in the sand. Men were eNai
lining the place excitedly. talking a
gesticulating. IL was Lige Willet
had fnuna IIga hars.