Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-20

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lubber'
So Tom was produced TO receive the
unsteady scrutiny of Il swimming blue
eye that told tale, and was informed
with an oath that he was a special"
and they wanted none Of that kidney
at Castle sullivan. /
Great was Toms relief, for a cOarser
face he had seldom seen, but at this
the officials remarked that it was
special or nothing. and the bleared
eyes were on him once more. /
"Come from the cOuntryV
"YeS"
"Saddle a horSeg"
yes"
"And ride him after"
"Better try me-
"Well, so l will. You be ready IN aD
hour, and horsell be ready for you.
I'll go back with a groom if with
nothing else"'
Watt said Tom.
''Whats up uOw:"
I'm supposed to have committed
murder" said Tom through his teeth.
I'm one family they wouldn't keep
me-
The other drowned his words with
believing laugh.
"You won't he the only one at Castle
| Sullivan cried he. I'VE don't mind
what you've done. bless YOU, so long
as you don't try it Oh again up there.
! If you do'-and he jerlicd Il great
| close cropped head in the direction of
| the barrack triangles, while a bOated
lower lip stuck out like tongue be-
| tween his short fair beard and mus
! tache. There never Yet was the lag
that bested Nat sullivan" he added.
! with another of his OathS. land yOu
don't look the fool to try it on. SO he
ready in an hour sharp, or you look
| OUT
us he Nat SULLIVAN" said Tom to
the officers as the stout young man
staggered off.
"Ay, ay," said they; that's the cele-
| DRAFTED Mr. Nat"
| celebrated z"
They're all that, you'll find. are the
Sullivans of Castle Sullivan. You wait
and see. | shan't say nothing to set
you agcn 'em. but | wish you joy Of
each other. don't you. Bill?'
| Bill laughed. and Tom troubled them
with no more questions.
Mr.. Nat did not come in an hour He
came in three Swaying in his saddle.
but still managing To lead a pack horse
and a horse for Tom. His blue eyes
Were now half closed. and Tom under
! stood him to curse the sun and 10 NUT
ter something about n fresh touch that
morning. They rode Oft. however. and
| We're near The outskirts OF Sydney
when Mr.. Nat rolled quietly out of his
saddl" and lay insenSible in the md
die of Rrickield hill
Tom was ut his side in an instant
No bones We're broken. He WAS sim
ply fast asleep. Tom shook him up
aud managed to get him to the nearest
inn. where he again fell asleep. anathe-
matiZing the SUM- and so never stirred
for hours.
And the convict servant stood over
the gruntiug carcass of his free mas.
ter, and now he marvelcd at the sys
TEN which sought TO acc )mpIish the
amclioration OF the felou by trusting
|
had not even the excuse of an irregu
larity. There was Il brand new gov
eminent document sticking out of g
pocket of the loud check coat within 6
few inches of the bloated face, anC
Tom guessed rightly that it referred t
himself Then there had been more
prelimnarieS than he had thought, bu
that only made matters worse, since
what was a scandal in itself was i'm
l measurably more scandaIous as par
2 and parcel of Il system.
Evening came, and Mr.. Nat still lay
snoring. with las swollen lips wid'
: apart. Tom had not left him yet. be
: ing partly occupied with his owl
thoughts and partly taken up with tn,
! various sounds OF the inn. Some o
these sounds We're sinister, as whci
stealthy steps came along the paSsag
= and an unseen hand tried the bedroom
door, which Tom had locked. He di,
!. not care to leave the room. not know
ing what the other might have in hi
pockets, but at last he did so afte
turning the key behind him and put
ting it in his pocket.
He went first to the stables, where h
was surprised to find the horses sad
died and bridled in their stalls. H.
had unsaddled them himself after en-
gaging the room for Mr.. Nat. Their
was nobody about. however. TO affor'
an explanation, and it occurred to Ton
that the sooner they did get away III
better. So he left the horses as the
were, but looked into the taproom Of
his way upstairs. when all he hear
= and saw confirmed his impression no
:. only of that particular inn, but of tn
;; widespread corruption of the convic
a town. \ cattle stealer was drinkin
5 with a constable and openly boaStin
6 before the latter of his exploits. \
Tom listened. however. he heard some
Dc thing else that interested him more
was the sound of hoofs in the var
behind the inn. He darted out an
met man riding his masters hors
and coolly leading the other two.