The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-10-18

1T wasn't the Crossroads said
-Eshe old gentleman, pushing the table
away and relaxing his limbs on the
sofa. They probably didn't have any
thing to do with it We thought they
Mad at first, but everybody's about
come to believe it was those two fel-
Eows that he had arrested yesterday
SIT wasn't the Crossroads echoed
Minnie, and she began to tremble vio-
aently. Haven't they been out there
yets
ssWhat use? They are out Of it, and
they can thank God they are"
seThey are notv' she cried, very much
agitated. .They did it It was the
White Caps. We saw them, Helen
and L"
The judge got upon his feet with an
cath. He had not sworn for years un-
Sl that morning. What's this" he
said sharply.
q ought to have told You before, but
Nc were so frightened, and-and you
went off in such rEsh after Mr.. Wiley
was here. never dreamed everybody
wouldn't know it was the Crossroads;
that they would think of any one else.
And looked for the ,scarecrow as soon
as it was light, and it was away off
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
mean? 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 tine room, with his hands thrust
deep in his coat pockets, and then,
charging her to repeat the story to no
one, left the house and, forgetting his
fatigue, rapidly crossed the. fields to
the point where the bizarre figures of
sAe night had shown themselves to the
Two girls at the window.
S Ehe soft ground had been trampled
many feet. The boot prints pointed
50 the northeast. he traced them back
ward to the southwest through the
field and saw where they had come
From near the road, going northeast;
then, returning, he climbed the fence
Ind followed them northward through
the next field. From there the next field
20 ssse north, lying beyond the road that
was a continuation of Main street.
stretched to the railroad embankment.
The track, ruggedly defined in tram
goled loan and muddy furrow, bent it
a direction which indicated that lts
terminus might be the switch where
The empty cars had stood last night
waiting for the o'clock freight. Though
the fields had been trampled in many
places by the searching parties, he felt
sure Of the direction taken by the
Crossroads men, and he perceived that
The searchers had mistaken the tracks
Me followed for those Of earlier parties
IN the hunt. On the embanknlent he
saw a number Of men walking west
and examining the ground on each SIDE
sand a long line CT people following
them out from town. He stopped. he
held the fate Of Six Crossroads in his
hand. and he knew it.
The men on the enbanhment We're
walking slowly, bending far over. their
eyes Gxed On the ground. Suddenly
one OF them stood erect and tossed his
arms in the air and shouted loudly.
Other men ran to him, and another far
down the track repeated the shout and
Che gesture to another far In his rear.
This nan took it up and shouted ana
waved to q fourth man, and so they
nassed tie signal back 10 tow-I. There
came almost Immediately three long,
aoud whistles from mill near the sta
aion, and the elnbankment grew black
with people pcGz.-'.:lg cat from town,
while the sear2he-s came running from
the fields and woods and underbrush
uon both sides of the railway.
Briscoe began to walk Oh toward tie
embank,nent
The track ley level and str .lSht. not
alimniHs in fle middle distances. il!e
rails c>nvergine-, to points BOTH north
swest ara southeast il the Clean Was;:e>.
AR ,:se exaI:5ies Of perspective ii !
rhlG's d.awia2 book. .A5out sevo,?. :. :.
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