The Red Cloud chief., 1905-04-14

the pale fingers I'm his own very gent
~ and then set them back. Smith
turned toward Meredith, but the latter
made a gesture which forbade the at
tOrncy to speak TO him and wen to a
corner and sat down, with his head in
his hands.
A sleepy young man had been
brought in. end he opened a notebook
and shook II photographic pen so that
the ink might flow freely. The law.
yer, briefly and with rnlegal agitation.
administered an oath, and then there
was silence.
Now. Mr.. Harkless, if you please"
said Barrett insinuatingly, "if you feel
like telling us as much as you can
about it,"
lie answered in a low, rather indis.
tnct voice very deliberately, pausing
before almost every word. 1t was
easy work for the sleepy stenographcr.
Il understand. l don't want to 20
off my head again before l finish. If
1t were only for myself l should tell
you nothing. because if l am to leave
l should like it better if no one were
punished. But that's a bad communi-
ty over there. They are everlastingly
worrying Il people. They've always
been II bother to us. and it's time it
was stopped for good. l don't believe
very much in punishment, but you
can do a great deal of reforming with
the CrOssroaders unless you catch them
young, before they're weaned. They
wcan them on whisky, you know. |
realize you needn't have sworn me for
me to tell you this"
Horner and Smith had started at the
mention of the Crossroads. but they
subdued their CALCULATIONS, while Mr..
Barrett looked as if he had known it.
of course. The room was still, save
for the dim voice and the soft tran
scribings of the stylographic pen.
81 left Judge Briscoe's and went west
on the pike to a big tree. 1t raincd.
and ! stepped under the tree for shell.
ter. There vas a man on the other
side of the fence-Bob Skillet. lie
was carrying his gown and hood
suppose it was that-on his arm. Then
l saw two Others a little farther east
In the middle of the road. | think
they had followed me from the Bris.
Goes or near there. They had their
foolish rcgalia on. Us all the Others
had. There was plenty of lightning
to see. The two in the road were sim,
ply standing there in the rain looking
at me through the eyeholes in their
masks. ] knew there were others
plcnty-but | thought they were com
Ing from behind me-thc west.
81 wanted to get home the court,
house yard was good enough for me
SO | started east toward town. | pass.
ed the two gentlemen. and one felI
down as went by him, but the other
fired II shot rs a signal, and | got his
hood off his face for il. | stopped
long enough, and 1t was Force John
son. | know him well. Then / ran
and they followed. A little ahead OF
me l saw six or eight of them spread
across the road. l knew I'd have
time getting through, so I jumped the
fence to cut across the fields. lit In
a swarm Of them. 1t had rained them
Just where ! jumped. l set my back
to the fence, but one of the fellows In
the road Leaned w and smashed my
head in, rather-with the butt of q
gun, | believe, I came out from the
fence. and they made n little circle
around me. No one said anything.
saw they had ropes and saplings, and
didn't want that exactly, so | went
In 70 them. | got a good many masks
off before it was over. and car swear
to quite a number besides those | TOLD
you"
lie named the men slowly and care
fully. Then he went on: ~ think they
gave up the notion of whipping. w,
all got into n bunch, and they couldn't