Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-15

OF his very earnestness, speaking less
loudly now than he had been, and Selkirk
could not catch his words. All attention
was concentrated on the speaker, and no
one noticed him as he approached.
and then he run away!"
Those We're the first words which Selkirk
caught clearly, and he wondered IL Mus
ser really had done something at last which
had made it necessary for him to fly from
the town. He wondered what 1t could
have been.
Il won't say much against him-now,"
Bull continued. "for l have been his friend,
and 1t hurts me to even think about him.
But 1 will tell you this He had good
friends In this village. l wasn't the only
one that believed in him. One of 'em-I
won't say who she is-knew about his
trouble with Jake Musser."
Selkirk was puzzled. 1t evidently was not
Musser after all. whom Bull spoke Of He
edged nearer.
She raised that money" he heard the
speaker say next, while she supposed he
was in Philadelphia tryin hard to raise it
for himself She went to Musser and I
went with her, and Parson Frye went with
her. and We paid it to him, and we freed
SellSirk from all debt to him, thinkdn that
by so dom we had saved an honest man
from houndin' by that miserable skunk.
1T was while We was on our way back
from the payment of that money-done to
save him, mind youi-that got copies
of that paper and found how he'd sold out ;
got copies of that paper in which that in
ed by John Selkirk, liar, coward and mean
runaway!
Selkirk stopped short there on the edge of
the crowd IL Bull had reached long
arm out and slapped him in the face. The
crowd in front of him. not seeing him or
dreaming that he was among them jeered
and groaned, and then they threatened.
Selk1rks face paled and the sweat started
on his forehead.
Il knowed the Judge, his father" Bull
went on, after the hubbub had subsidized a
little, land I knowed him as as fine man
as ever breathed l thought 1 knowed the
son. thought he was the same. It's been
a shock to me, and l guess it's cost Cooper
his election. There amt nothing more that
can say. I've told all know about it."
He jumped down from the barrel and as
he did SO, the crowd murmured. At first It
was only angry comment, but this changed
the threats with which Selkirks name was
coupled with that of Musser. Indeed there
was apparently more resentment against
him than there was against the politician.
1t is probable that the crowd would have
broken up and he would have been discov-
cred then had not another speaker jumped
upon the barrel and began harangue. He
was very young man, and angry, and his
words were violent. He counseled them to
give to Jacob Musser then what they had
started to give him once before, and to
save enough hot tar to paint up Selkirk
when they caught him. There may have
been some of Dennison's whisky in his elo-
quence, but it was plainly having it's effect
on certain portion of the crowd when
Sam Bull reached up his long arms and
nfted him, bodily, from the barrel There
was moments struggle there in the CEN
ter of the crowd which Selkirk could not
see, but the young man rose no more.
Selkirk stood there in the shadow, startled
overwhelmed and crushed
Go be concluded next Saturday,