Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-07-16
The Trial, Execu-
ton. and Burial
of Homer Phelps
By STEPHEN CRANE.
Avthes Of The Red BADGE Of cess.
ads." Etc.
copmloas 1900. by wasam Ho,Os Crane.

Avthee Of The Red BADGE Of cess. \
| = ade." Etc. {
p CopwfoAt 1900. bp William HosOe Crane. I
D-O-O-O-O-O-OO-O-O-
TROM time to time an enwearied
pine bough let fall to the earth
its load of melting snow, and
= the branch swung back, glisten
ing in the faint wintry sunlight. Down
the gulch a brook clattered amid Its
Ice with the sound Of perpetual
breaking Of glass. All the forest look.
cd drenched and forlorn.
The skyline was ragged inclosure
Of gray cliffs and hemlocks and pines,
If one had been miraculously set down
In this gulch one could have imagined
easily that the nearest human habita-
ton was hundreds Of miles away IL II
were not for an old half discernible
wood road that led toward the brook.
"Halt! Who's there?'
This low and gruR cry suddenly dis
PEELED the stiffness which lay upon the
lonely gulch, but the hush which fol-
lowed 1t seemed even more profound.
The hush endured for some seconds.
and then the voice of the challenger
was again raised. this time with II dis
tinctly Querulous note In it.
Halt! Who's there? Why don't
you answer when l holler? Don't yoii
know you're likely to get shOt?"
A second voice answered, "Oh, you
knew who was easy enough"
THAT don't make no difference"
One Of the Margate twins stepped
from thicket and confronted Homer
Phelps on the old wood road. The
majestic scowl Of official wrath was
upon the brow Of Reeves Margate, n
long stick was held In the hollow Of
his arm as one would hold rifle, and
he strobe grlmly to the other boy.
THAT don't make no difference. You've
got to answer when I holler anyhow.
Willie says So"
At the mention Of the dread chief
tains name the Phelps boy daunted u
trihe, but he still sulkily murmured.
"Well. you knew 1t was me-"
He started on his way through the
snow. but the twin sturdily blocked the
path. You can't pass less'n you give
the countersign.'
Huh" said the Phelps boy. "Coun-
tersign?'
"Yes-countersign," sneered the twin,
strong in his sense Of virtue.
But the Phelps boy became very an
cry. Cant |, hey? Can't /, hey? III
show you whether I can or not. I'll
show you. Reeves Margate!'
There WAS a short scufile, and then
arose the anguished clamOr Of the sen-
try: "IIey. fellers! Here's IL man tryin'
to run a-past the guard! Hey. fellers:
Hey"
There vas great noise in the adja-
cent underbrush. The vnice of Willie
could lie heard exhorting his followers
to charge swiftly and bravcly. Then
they appeared-Willie DalZel, Jimmie
Trescott, the other Margate twin and
Dan Earl. The chieftain's face was
dark with wrath. Whats the matter.
Can't you play 1t right? Amt you got
any sense?' he asked the Phelps bay.
The sentry was yelling Out his griev-
ance. "NOw--he came along, an | hol'
lered ut i'm. au' he didn't pay 10 ten
tion, an when l asst i'm for the coun-
tersigu he wouldn't say nothln'. That
amt no way"
Cant you play it right!' asked the
chief again, with gloomy scorn.
"He knew it was me easy enough"
said the Phelps boy.
''rhat amt got nOthin' to do with
it" cried the chief furiously. "That
amt got nothin' to do with 1t. If
you're goin' to play. you've got to play
it right. 1t amt no fun If you 20 spoil
in the whole thing this way. Can't you
play it right?'
81 forgot the cOuntersign," lied the
culprit weakly.
WhereupOn the remainder Of the
band yelled out, with one triumphant
voice: "War to the knife! War to the
knife. / remember it, Willie. Don't /,
Willie?"
The leader was puzzled. Evidently
he was trying to develop in his mind
Il plan for dealing correctly with this
unusual incident. He felt, no doubt,
that he must proceed according to the
books, but unfortunately the books did
not cover the point precisely. How
ever, he finally said to Homer Phelps,
''You are under arrest" Then with a
stentorian voice he shouted, "Seize
HIM"
His loyal followers looked startled
for brief moment, but directly they
began to move upon the Phelps boy.
The latter clearly did not intend to be
seized. He backed away, eXpostulat-
ing wildly. He even seemed somewhat
frightened. "No, no! Don't you touch
me. tell you; don't you dare touch
mew
The others did not seem anxious 10
engage. They moved slowly. watching
the desperate light In his eyes. The
chieftain stood with folded arms. his
face growing darker and darker with
impatience. At length he burst out:
"Oh, seize him, l tell you! Why don't
you seize him? Grab him by the leg,
Dannie! Hurry up, all Of you! Seize
him, l keep a-sayin'"
Thus adjured, the Margate twins and
Dan Earl made another panied effort,
while Jimmie Trescott maneuvered to
cut of a retreat. But, to tell the truth,
there was a boylsh law which held
them back from laying hands Of vio-
lence upon little Phelps under these
conditions. Perhaps 1t was because
they were only playing, whereas he
was now undeniably serious. At any
rate, they looked very sick Of their oc-
cupation.
"Don't you darew snarled the Phelps
boy, facing first one and then the 9th
er. He was almost in tears. "Don't
you dare touch me!'
The ,chieftain was now hopping with
evaporation. "Oh, seize him, can't
you? You're no good at all" Then he
loosed his wrath upon the Phelps boy