Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-11-21
ership was at an end"
"A good job too" cried Slipper. and
Wall-eye nodded q grave assent.

Wall-eye nodded a grave assent.
you see, the change is not unpopu-
lar" continued Hockey modestly,
though I'm bound to add that l don't
see how 1t could be-among English
men. What was he before they kicked
him out of his own country? The word
that described our friend Barabbas
was already applicable to the late
iamented. But what was / before cir.
cumstances compelled me to leave
mine? What do you suppose? Come.
give a guess" said Hockey Simpson.
"You talk like a parson," suggested
Tom to compliment the wretch.
And l was next door to onew cried
the little man, beaming benevolently.
"a schoolmaster! A pedagogue! A
pattern to the village and it's model
church warden until an accursed organ
fund brought trouble in its train! So
here l am, and here I was while our
late friend was cutting threats in It.
ally, yet he thinks I'm going to knuckle
under to him forever. Likely, wasn't
III No, no; he was a bold enough
man, but he'd met another, and 1 VEN
ture to say that tonight-my first in
commandments on a bigger job than
we ever should have tackled under
friend Francisco"
"Hear, heart" cried Slipper, while
Wall-eye nodded again, and Tom
caught an evil CLEAN between De
Gruchy's fingers. There followed a
pause, for the m%ellifiuous gray man
had taken off his spectacles and was
breathing on the lenses with as tram
quill a deliberation as though he We're
still in the village schoolroom, ruling
innocent children instead of grown
men as infamous as himself.
Tom watched him still. Indeed, his
eyes had scarcely left this venerable
villain from the moment it appeared
he was one, and now his fascination
was complete. He glanced at his own
legs, crossed in unconscious imitation
of the little b%ushranger, and his trou-
sers were all stained and his boots
still stiff from the blood hat had run
down and into them, drawn by the
lash. Then he looked at Hockey, so
wicked and strong and SLY, and his
heart leaped as he had never thought
to feel it leap again. Here was the
man for a whipped dog to follow! He
leaned eagerly forward and begged
: and craved admission to the band as
another might have pleaded for his
life.
Hockey Simpson surveyed him
strangely. well, WELL" said he, 81
was thinking it would never do to
leave you here"
"Why not?"
"You We're probably heading for the
sea-"
81 was"
swell, the ensign and his mel are,
without doubt, between the sea and
ourselves. You might have fallen in
with Them"
"That would have been my lookout
"Mine, too, perhaps"
"What do you mean?"
"You might have put them on my
scent"
Tom had seen it coming, yet he lost
his temper when it came.
$50 you think that of me?' he cried.
"You see how I've been treated, and
yet you think that"
81 did think it," was the reply. II
don't say l do now. No; it never oc-
CURED to me to trust you on the
grounds you suggest"
StTN1o,, what ia ~ ooo,,u 10 5000.
to do?"
Hockey Simpson shrugged his Shout
ders as one who would rather not say.
"To tie me to a tree perhaps and
leave me there to starve."
Hockey Simpson bit his thin lips to
avoid smiling, but bent his gray head
when that was impossible, and Tom,
bending his, saw that the cork was off
the polished steel hook and its point as
sharp as a needle. The little gray man
was feeling it with his thumb as he
still tried to swallow his smiles.
II see" said Tom in a low voice.
eyes, now l seer'
1--WE never do things by halves" OBJ
served Hockey, sucking a bead Of
blood, not without ostentation, from
the end of his thumb. 1--WE do them
with all our might" -as..
I $50 l see," repeated Tom. "Well,
and so do l. You stick at nothing.
I'll stick at less. I'll be with you in
what you please, from whist to whole
sale murder, only give me the chance!
Man alive, can't you see for yourself
I'm as desperate as any of you?
Haven't you told me the mounted po-
lice are between me and the sea?
Then what do you suppose / want with
my life except to sell it as dear as pos
sible and be done with it as quick?
| tell you," cried Tom, I'm the very
man for you! See here. You're one
short. Take me in his place and serve
me the same if l turn out worse than
my word!"
His sudden vehemence, his impas-
stoned manner, his fevered and infuri-
ated eyes all had their effect upon the
b~ushrangers, who now, with the ex-
ception of Peter Pindar and De Cru
chy, got up and held a whispered con-
Hl1lf0 ff0n soma fory poooc fro,, <r,o G..