The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-15


softly grandiose as to point the humol
of this anticlimax. which. however
was now lost upon Tom He was too
busy trying to remember where be
had heard the name OF Hockey Simp-
son before. And he had remembered
nothing when soap and water were put
before him by the black fellow, fol
lowed Immediately by a supply Of
lukewarm mutton, which kept him ST
lent for some time.
Meanwhile his entertainers kept ST
lence. too, but reDIenished the fire and
Lift their pipes with the burning brands
and rested their eyes Oh Tom in a
meditatiye fashion while he ate. 1t
was he who became communicative
when he had finished. Suddenly think
ing of 1t, he told them of the CHASTITY
discovery he had made among those
very trees about an hour before.
The effect was curious. Neither
Hockey Simpson nor Wall-eye nor Slip
per seemed in the least surprised or
perturbed, but De Gruchy showed
teeth as white as those of the corpse
and ground them horribly, and Hockey
Simpson fixed his spectacles upon De
Will the UP
of his hook between finger and thumb.
1.-The fact is." said Tom, Il thought
II must be the work of that Italian
brigand fellow"
All but De Gruchy burst out laugh
ing.
land when l first saw your fire." he
added. Il thought you must be his
band.''
All but De Gruchy laughed louder
than before. De Gruchy hid his sullen,
foreign face in his hands, and the little
gray man held up his hook for silence.
1--WE arer' said he.
''What? Bushrangers after ali?"
'The band you speak Of"
"Then where's the Italian?'
you saw him for yourself about an
hour ago"
And the little mans eyes were twin
Killing through their horn trimmed lenses
as ii he had made joke. But there
was no more laughing outright, though
Tom heard Slipper chuckle and De
Gruchy snarl. AS for himself, he was
shuddcring in the most notifying
fashion under the fascinating specta-
cles of the little gray man.
THAT was your Ieader!' he stammer-
ed out.
$50 he fattered himself"
"And / thought it was his handi-
work.
''It was mine,' said Hockey Simpson
cooliy. Indeed. benign smile accom-
panied the confession, as though it
were public service he had perform
ed, with the utmost mercy. But Tom
thought of the stripped body with the |
torn ears. and those living faces. lit up |
by the cracking camp fire, lived ever |
after in his mind in the yet more lurid |
light of this dreadful revelation.
The high forehead. the twinkling |
spectacles. the gray tufts and the pol |
ished hook OF the elderly man, the
broad, keen. flashing blade with which |
Slipper sat pairing his finger nails. the
wall eyes hard. dead stare; the knot |
ted hands that hid De Gruchy's face |
and the blue black hair in turn hiding |
half his fingers. the harmless playing |
cards upon the ground, the ruddy. gen |
ial fire and the white, the watchful |
moon peering through a screen of trem- |
bling leaves-all these were as pieces |
Of a mosaic inlaid at this instant in |,
Tom Erichsen's BRAIN for him to carry |
there to his grave.
$50 you killed him yourselfY' he |
found himself saying at last in a stout |
er voice.
81 did, said Hockey. 81 was under |
that painful necessity this very after |
noon. 1t wasn't done for the fun of |
the thing. you understand, but only |
whes it became evident that one of us |
must go. 1 naturally preferred to stay. |
At the same time, l must admit 1 was |
of being hectored and bullied |
by a COMPOUNDED foreigner, and there |
were three of us Epglishmen of the |
same nind. So you perceive how 1T |
all fitted in. Last night we had words. |
Now, a house divided against itself |
cannot stand Neither can a band of |
much less when the
police are on their track
Are they?" cried Tom.
Maybe within fifteen miles," replied
Hockey Simpson. Maybe within five.
All ensign. two sergeants and eighteen
troopers. as 1 understand. But never
mind them. We two had words. They
had been coming on for weeks. Well.
there were three on my side and only
two on his So we made it up. but lay
Rnd watched each other with one eye
Dpen all night. This afternoon at his
suggestion we rode behind together to
come to some understanding but I saw
him looking at me queerly," said the
little gray man. and that was enough
for me. When I galloped after these
good fellows our number was reduced
by one. but the little question of lead
ership was at an end"
"A good job too" cried Slipper. and
Wall-ere nodded grave assent.
lyon see. the change Is not unpopu
lar" continued Hockey medestly
though I'm bound to add that I don't
zee how IL could be-among English
men. Whatswas he before they kicked
him out of his own country? The wore
that described our friend Barabba
was already applicable TO the latl
lamented- But what was I before eli
compelled me 10 ieav
mine? Whist do you suppose? Com.
give guess said Hockey Simpson
.'You talk like a parson.' suggeste
Tom to compliment the wretch.