Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-05-02
the captain, "of gettin' into bad com.
pany."
CHAPTER XXI.

4 DdLCeF0u IOOL-Ddll OF IaLe, LIT. lCrlppS,
was left standing and alone, at Liver
pool street station, he cast about in his
mind as to what was best to be done.
His small share of the spoils of the
Sheffield robbery had been passed into
| the hands of person who had prom
Used to effect safe exchange; and
| Cripps was, as usual, remarkably
| short of money.
| He remembered, too, not with con-
! triton, but with something of alarm,
that he had, in moment Of forgetful-
ness, struck man on vital spot with
a decanter, and left him apparently
| dead; so that there might be conse-
quences to be feared. On the other
hand, money must be screwed out of
somebody, and he was at loss to
know to whom to turn for it. Wool
witch was a barren country, for the re-
cent tragic events and the stir created
by the bank robbery had scattered the
band, and it was quito unlikely that he
would have chance of meeting any
member Of it.
However, the barren country had to
be tried much liquid refreshments was
necessary for him, and it had to be OBJ
| tanned somewhere. Accordingly, for
nearly week he haunted those shady,
out-at-elbows places near the river, in
! the hope of meeting friend. But
friends were scarce and shy, and, al
though he met one or two and pleaded
his position successfully, 1t was hard
and uphill work. At the END of week
he had come perilously near to spiritu-
GUS starvation, and was, in direct con-
sequence, more sober than he had
been for past years.
His wits being much sharpened, as
mis- brain became clearer, he began to
think, with rising hope, of Bamberton,
from which he had SO unceremonious-
ly taken flight. The idea appealed to
him; with growing confidence he re-
membered, in these more sober nos
| ments, that the man he had assaulted
with the decanter had had but pass
ing, glimpse Of him, and might not be
likely to recognize him. At all events,
the distance was not great, and the
place had public house-two public
houses. unless his eyes had deceived
him.
Frightened with this thought, and
with the prospects of having new
field in which to borrow, and finding
| that he had sufficient money in his
| pocket to pay for the journed, he set
| off for Liverpool street, and in a little
| time was standing-an incongruous
enough figure in the spring landscape
outside the little station which was
within a few miles of Bamberton,
moistening his dry lips with his
tongue. and wondering where he was
| to get drink.
In the days-over a quarter of CEN
fury before-when Cripps had known
| Bamberton the little town where the
| railway now ended had been but an
\ Insignificant village, and the railway
| (Which had made it's fortune) a thing
undreamed Of. At the present time,
/ therefore, the doctor stood on strange
| ground; and the past was SO far away
that he had absolutely no idea in
which direction Bamberton lay. $Di-
/ vided between the necessity for reach
ing the village and the more pressing
need for refreshment, the little man
I looked about for some promising
4 stranger who might have a kindly
4 heart and a spare threepence in his
! pocket.
Standing almost at his elbow, and
staring down the road, In altogether as
gloomy a. fashion as himself, was a
young man, quietly dressed in country
stylea mere lad. Cripps, after glanc,
4 ing at him once or twice, edged toward
him. 5a
Il suppose, my friend" he said; II
suppose you don't happen to know the
way toward Bamberton, do you?'
The Young man looked at him for q
moment, and then smiled. 81 ought
to know the way, sir" he heplied; i
was born there"
And a, irS;su excellent place to be
born In, should imagine, said Cripps.
| Delightful scenery. and-and a public
house or two, just Just to relieve the
monotony Of things. Er-by the way
they don't seem to have one just
about here, ell %
Just across the road, replied the
young man, jerking his head in that di
rection.
DIR. Cripps began to conceive a dis
y like for the lad, as one who could not
understand the true meaning Of 9
j hint; but he tried again. Isis the
Liquor there worth drinking" he asked
in confidential tone.
It's q long time since i tried II" re
4 piled the young man. carelessly.
Cripps saw an opening here; he
\ laughed teebly, and slapped the yonng
man on the shoulder. sIIa. ha. very
4 good. Z. he cried very good indeed
But you wouldn't object to tasting I
now. u suppose r. ,sse & -ssa Z =
/. The young man shrugged his shoul
:.