Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-05-21
otes only too anxious to get at you,
you're taking this plenty cool"
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otes only too anxious to get at you.
you're taking this plenty cool"
| I'm not q murderer"
THAT shot goes as it lays" returned
the incredulous marshal, "bnt It won't
help you" He brought out barrels
revolver, pulled down the barrel ard
examined the cartridges. "Ona empty
cartridge and five full ones" he added,
briefly; "45-caliber."
| II fired that one shot good many
miles from Sandy Bar said Darrell
stick TO it." grinned the marshal:
Its your only hope and it's slim
enough"
when viii you hold the inquest2"
Tomorrow morning And here's
something you can spread your blank
cts and so TO sleep on, my friend.
Escape amt to be thought Of. When
leave here draw Gordon OF trusty
men around this jail. and the guard III
be kept up until come to take you TO
Anacondy with coroner's verdict
holdin' you for the murder of Jack
Sturgis stuffed in my pocket,
The marshal walked TO the door,
Darrell watching him silently.
Garry another gun beside this un?"
asked the officer, his hand on the latch.
"No."
well, the rest of your belongings you
can keep, for the present. 1t win be
morning before come for you ag.in."
| He went out and Darrell heard him
rafting the paddock that secured the
door For some time afterward there
were sounds suggesting that sentries
were being posted about the building,
and after that silence.
barrels thoughts were not Of the
brightest and he cleared his mind Of
them and surveyed the interior of his
prison. Every opening that had once
served as window was covered with
stout planking, the chinks between the
! logs were solidly filled and the place
was as tight as drum
Even had there been no guards on
the outside escape from the Jail would
have bafIled the most resourcefuI pris-
oner. Darrell yawned, laid the stump
of his cigar on the candIestick and
crossed the creaking boards of the
floor to cot on the opposite side Of
the room.
1t had been his intention to lie down,
but his fastidiousness rebe1led at the
blankets on the cot. The dirt and the
vermin disguised him and he returned
to his chair.
Drowsiiy he leaned back and through
his half closed eyes he saw the shad-
ows OF the room taking vague shapes.
Etealtbily they glided to and fro, now
forward, now back and now surround
ing him, their gaunt hands clasped
and their dance dance of death.
Out Of. the spectral ranks came final
ly the soothsayer who had crossed his
path at the Half Way house--a hideous
bag who tossed her skeleton-like arms.
Knocked. him with jeering face and
pointed towards him b6ny and threat
ening finger.
"You may be honest. but you can
never be honofable!''
The words pierced him like pointed
javelins and he writhed under the
smart. Ronsing, he brushed hand
across his eyes. laughed at the folly
into which the perilous hour had be-
guiled him and dropped back to be q
further prey of his disagreeable rev.
cries.
The queen of hearts tripped through
the semi-gloom, but between her smil-
ing countenance and his came the
dead face of Sturgis; and when this
faded it left the gruesome hand Of
Death raising five cards for his inspec-
tion-three knaves and two sevens.
dripping red.
With sudden movement he threw
himself forward in the chair and raised
his clenched fist There was nothing
before him. however. except the dull
CLEAN of the candlea
What was wrong with his nervesf
This mood was foreign to him and he
could not understand 1t.
Springing up. he tramped the creaK-
ing boards for an hour. When he
again seated himself he bowed his head
on the table In his folded arms The
restless stirring Of the guards outside
died away In his ears; he slept, and
the candle burned to its socket, sput-
tered and went out.
Some time later-just how long he
had no means of Knowing peculiar
sound aroused him. He started up,
his eyes peering into the blank dark
ness.
He still heard the guards; but the
noise that had awakened him came
from within, not from without.
A labored breath, carefully stiied;'
the sweep OF hand over rough sur
face; creaking lift Of one Of the floor
boards; fall of wood. muffied with
painstaking care. Then silence again,
broken only by the tramp of the armed
sentries.
In the Opaque gloom, Darrell strained
his ears to follow the sounds and
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