The Red Cloud chief., 1905-03-31

strikin' for 1t. They run right into
each other. That's what happened.
They recognized him and raised up
on him and let him have 1t. What they
done 1t with I don't know. We took
everything in that line Off OF 'em.
Prob'ly used railroad iron, and what
they done with him afterward we don't
know. but we will by night. They'll
sweat 1t out Of 'em up at Roucn when
they get EN-"
81 reckon maybe some OF us might
help" remarked Mr.. watts rcflectively.
Jim Bardlock swore n violent oath.
"That's the talk" he shouted. "Ef I
amt the first man of this crowd to set
my foot i'm Roowun and first TO beat in
that Jail door I'm not town marshal
Of Plattvillc, county of Carlow, state
Of Indiana, and the Lord have mercy
on our souls!"
Tom Martin looked at the brown
stain and quickly turned away. Then
he went back slowly to the village.
On the way he passed Warren Smith.
as it so?" asked the lawyer.
Martin answered with n dry throat.
He looked out over the sunlit fields
and swallowed once or twice. Eyes,
It's so. There's a good deal of 1t there.
Little more than a boy he was" The
old fellow passed his seamy hand over
his eyes without concealmcnt. "Peter
amt very bright sometimes, 1t seems
Bodeffer and Fisbce and me. and all
Of us old husks. and-and'-he gulp-
ed suddenly, then fin~ished-"and act
the fool and take Il boy that's the best
we had. | wish the Almighty would
take Peter Off the gate. lie amt fit
fer It,"
When the attorney reached the spot
where the crowd was thickcst, way
was made for him. The old colored
man, Nenophon, approached at the
same time, leaning on n hickory stick
and ben very far over, one hand rest
ing on his hip as ir to ease a rusty
joint. The ncgrO's age was an incentive
to fable. From his appearance he
might have known the prophets, and he
wore that hoary look of unearthly wis.
dom which many decades of super
0tltlOlS tNItlltutc SOllltllllltS SlNt W
members of his race. His face, so tor
tured with wrinkles that it might have
been made of innumerable black
threads woven together, was a living
mask of the mystery Of his blood.
Harkless had once said that Uncle
XenOphOn had visited heaven before
Swedenborg and hell before Dante. To
day as he slowly limped over the ties
his eyes were bright and dry under
the solemn lids, and. though his heavy
nostrils were unusually distended in
the effort for regular breathing. the
deeply puckered lips beneath them
were set firmly. He stopped and look
ed at the faces before him. When he
spoke his voice was gentle, and, though
the trcmulousncss of age harpcd on the
vocal strings. II was rigidly controlled.
"Kin some kline gelmun," he asked.
@please t. be so good ez t show de ole
main whuh de wife Caips is done
shoot Marse Hawkliss?"
"Here was where it happened, Uncle
Zen," answered Wiley, leading him for
ward. "IIere is the stain"
Xenophon bent over the spot on the |
sand, making little odd noises in his
throat. Then he painfully resumed
his former position. "Dass his blood,"
he said in the same gentle, quavering
tone. "Dass my bes' frien' whit lay
Oh de groun' wnay yO' Stand, gelmun.
Dass whuh dGy laid i'm, an dass whuh
he lie" the old negro continued. "Dey
khot i'm in de fiel's. Dey amt shot i'm
heah. Yondeh dey druggen i'm, but
dis whuh he lie." lie bent over again. |
then knelt grOaningly and placed his
hand en- the stain, one would have
said. ~ a man might place his hand
over a heart to see If 1t still beat. He
was mOtionless, with the air Of heark- |
ening.
"Marse, honey, Is you gone?' He
raised his voice as If calling. as yO'
gone, suh-marse?'
He looked up at the circle about him, |
and then, still kneeling, not taking his
hand from the sand. seeming to wait
for a sign to listen for a voice. he said. |
"Whafo' yo' gelmun think de good
Lawd summon Marse Hawkliss? Kase
he de mos fttes'? You know, dat man
he ketch me In de cole night, wintuh
TO lais,' stealin' lis wood. You know
whut he lone t de ole thief? TEX an
bull up big fab cen ole Zen shainty.
Say: Hep yo'se'f, an welcome. Reck,
on you hongry, too, ain you, Keno
phon| TEX an feed me, tex an tex
keer O. me ev' since. All pump de bath
full In de mawn', mex is bed, Dull dc