Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-03-14
Small was on his feet again. gesticu-
To r-fllf,,

pack OF lies, and I move that It be
stricken from the record
The little lawyer bowed his head to
the storm and shrugged up his shout
ders. Perhaps he wished that he. or
his associates-one of the unholy al
lance at least-was where the wicked
cease from troubling. on the far-away
Islands OF the deep seas. possibly. or
home on the farm. But his expression
told nothing.
Gentlemen! gentiemeni" expostu-
lated Judge Dale. Gentlemen I in
sist- This is all out of order" Only
one gentleman was out OF order. but
that was the judges way. Gordon had
remained proyokingly cool under the
TRADE.
Again the soft touch. Small fell
into his chair. He poured himself a
glass of water from the pitcher stand
ing on the attorneys table and drank
a little of it nervously.
Il move" said the little lawyer.
that all this touching upon the per-.
sonal matter OF this witness and hav-
ing TO do with his private quarrels be
stricken out of the evidence as not
bearing on the case in question"
All in vain. The judge ruled that Il
did bear on the case, and Williston
picked up the thread OF his story.
I'VE rode and rode hard-it must
have been hours; daylight was coming
before we stopped. Our horses were
spent. had no idea where we we're.
From the formation OF the land. I
judged We were not far from the river.
We were surrounded by bluffs. / can
hardly make you see how clearly this
little retreat had been planned II
was in a valley-one OF a hundred
similar in all essential respects The
Eulch az the bottom OF the valley was
heavily wooded with scrub-oak, cot
tonwood, woodbine and plum trees,
and this tangle OF foliage extended for
some distance up the sides OF the
hills. In the midst of this under
brush-a most excellent screen-was
a tiny cabin. In this tiny cabin 1
have lived, a closely watched prisoner,
from that day until 1 escaped"
The defendant stirred a little uneas-
lily. Was he thinking OF Nightbird
with the dark. frozen face-who had
not answered to his call?
BLACK left me soon after. He did
not unbind me, rather bound me the
tighter. There was no one then 70
watch me. He deigned TO inform me
that he had found IL rather inconven-
tent TO kill me after the relief party
rode up. as then there was no abso-
lutte surety OF his making a clean get
away. and being caught in the act
would be bound TO be unpleasant. very
unpleasant just then. SO he had alter
ed his plans a little-for the present
He gave me no hint either that time,
nor either OF the two times l saw him
subsequently. as 20 what was 10 be his
ultimate disposal Of me. / could only
suppose that after this trial was well
over in his favor, and fear Of indict-
ment for arson and murder had blown
ovor-if blow over Il did--he would
then quietly put an end 10 me. Dead
men tell no tales. The shanty In the
gulch did not seem 20 be much OF a
rendezvous for secret meetings. ] led
a lonely existence. My jailers were
mostly Enthusiastically Charlie
Nightbird. Two or three times Jake
Sanderson was my guard"
Then from the doorway came a
loud, clear. resonant voice. a joyful
voice. voice whose tones fairly oozed
rapture.
"Hellity damnl The Three Bars s
gettin busy, Mouse-hairi"
Judge Dale started. He glared
angrily in that direction.
Remove that mani" he ordered,
CURLY. He liked Jim. but he could
not brook this crying contempt OF
court. Jim was removed. He went
quietly, but shaking his head reproach-
fully.
Il never would "a thought 1t o. the
jedge." he murmured. disconsolateiy.
Il never would a thought It."
There was a movement in the back
of the room. a man was making his
way out slipping along, catlike, try
ing TO evade attention. Quietly Cor
don motioned 10 the sheriff and
slipped a paper into his hand
Look sharp" he whispered, his
steady eyes on the shifty ones of the
sheriff. If you let him get away, just
ISLuCulDSI the udNuNllUnS on inc
wall. It's our turn now"
Presently there was a slight scufne
by the door and two men quietly left
the improvised courtroom.
Day before yesterday, in the after
noon," continued Williston, y man
aged to knock Nightbird down at the
threshold as he was about TO enter. l
had secretly worked a cross-beam
from the low. unfinished ceiling. There
was nothing else In the room l might
use for weapon. They were very
careful. I think | killed him, your
honor and gentlemen OF the jury. I
am not sorry. There was no other
way. But / would rather it had been
the maker. not the tool BY the time
! bad made my way back To the Lazy
| S l was too exhausted TO go further;
so / crawled over TO my neighbors,
the Whites. and Mother White made
me shake-down. lay there, nearly
dead, until this morning"
He leaned back YEARLY.
Black stood up. He was not lank
nor lazy now, nor shufling. His body
was drawn to its full height. In the