The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-04

finger.
The man at the window still held
his tongue Il suppose because those
in the room would hear him if he
spoke). and SO for a while the two
men studied one another in silence. as
if considering their next moves.
After a bit, however, the bully lifted
8 hand, and turning back into the
| lighted room, walks up to one Of the
players, speaks a word or two and
disappears.
l sat up On the window seat, where
till now I ha:. been crouchirg for fear
the shaft of light should beuay me,
and presently las was expecting)
heard the latch OF the back porch
gently lifted. and spied the heavy form
of the bully coming softly over the
grass.
The bully must have closed the door
| behind him but carelessly, for hardly
could be take dozen steps when 1t
opened again with scuffle. and the
large house dog belonging to th-
Grown" few at his heels with
vicious snarl and snap Of the teeth.
Twas enough to scare the coolest.
But the fellow turned as if shot, anu
before he could snap again had grippeu
him fairly by the throat. The struggle
that followed / could barely see. but
I heard the horrible sounds Of 1.-THE
hard. short breathing Of the man. the
hoarse rage working in the dogs
throat-and it turned ME sick. The
dog-a mastifr-was fighting now to
Dull loose. and the pair swayed this
way and that in the dusk, painting and
murderous.
Twas almost shouting aloud-feelins
IS though 'twere my own throat thus
gripped-when the end came. The man
had his legs planted well apart. l saw
his shoulders heave up and bend as ne
tiebtened the pressure of his fingers;
then came q moments dead silence,
then a hideous gurgle, and the mastlf
dropped back, his hind legs tra1ilng
limp.
The bully held him SO for full min
ute, peering close to make sure he was
dead, and then without loosening his
hold, dragged him across the grass
under my window. BY the sycamore
lie halted, but only to shift his hands
a little: and so, swaying on his hips,
sent the carcass with heaVe over
the wall. / heard it drop with a thud
on the far side.
During this fierce wrestle-wh!ch
must have lasted about two minutes
the clatter and shouting Of the com
| pany above had gone on without
break: and all this while the man with
the white hair rested quietly on cne
side. watching. But now he steps up
10 where the bully. stood mopping his
face flor all the GOODNESS of the even
ing) and. with a finger between the
leaves of his book, bows very po-
litely.
You handled that dog, sir. choicely
we'll" says he, in q thin voice that
seemed to have chucllle hidden in IT
somewhere.
The other ceased mopping to get q
| SOOU lOOh di u'ui.
But sure" he went on, "'twas hard
On the poor cur, that had never heard
of Captain Lucius Higgs-"
/ thought the bully would have had
him by the windpipe and pitched him
after the mastiff, so fercely be turned
at the sound of this name. But the
old gentleman skipped back quite nlm-
Ely and held up finger.
Pm a man Of peace. If another
title suits you better"
Where, by my troth, got you that
| name?' growled the bully. and hau
half mind to come on again, but the
other put in briskly:
I'm on q plain errand Of business.
No need. as you hint, to mention
names: and therefore let me present
myself as Mr.. z. The residue of the
alphabet is at your service to pick
and choose FROM
MY name is Luke Settle" said the
big man, hoarsely (but whether this
was his natural voice OF 10 I could
not tell.
LET US say Mr.. X prefer It,"
The old gentleman, as he said this,
popped his head on one side, laid the
forefnger Of his right hand across the
book. and seemed to be considering.
why did you throttle that dog
minute agoT he asked, sharply.
why, to save my skin,' answers
the fellow, bit puzzled.
Would you have done it for fifty
pounds?"
AYE, or half that"
"And how if it had been puppy,
Mr.. X?"
Now. all this from my hiding l heard
very clearly, for they stood right under
me in the dusk. But as the old gentle
man paused to let his question sink
in. and the bully to catch the drift Of
it before answering. one Of the dicers
above struck up to sing catch:
With hey, trolly-lolly! leg to the devil,
And answer him civil, and oil with your
| cap;
Sing = Hey, trolly-lolly! Good morrow,
Sir Evil.
We've finished the tap,
Ard. saving your worship, we care not a
rap!"
While this din continued. the stran-
ger held up one forefnger again, as if
beseeching silence, the other remaining
still between the pages of his book.
Pretty boys!' he said, as th2 noise
died away; pretty boys, "Tis easily
seen they have bird to pluck"
Hes none of my plucking.'
"Anl if he were, why not? Sure