The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-07-01
The House of the Black
a,1:=e.s:. Ring e.,ysss.. .,es
cHAPTER xv--continued.

u iiihlI opIlHSS,--d CON-
petent witness, you'll admit" the ma,
went on calmly. H and his wife an,
TWO boys will swear that Tom and
were In their house until 10 O'Clock
when we went up to bed. and that w.
came down and ate breakfast at
O'CLOCK. Thfs d make, as you'll admit
some lively work II we went to Sugal
Valley and back-40 d miles eacf
way, over the DEVILS own make O.
roads. in the dark. In eight hours. Now
you've got a telephone here. I'll wait
Tor you to phone the Squire right OF
now before leave the store"
The old man made no move; he sal
glSer. and black.
Very well. The Squire's in his Of
nee by this time and you can get him
n you wish. You can call my blum
In Just one minute II you care TO
furthermore | can bring 100 of the
pest men In Paoli. where I've lived
TOT 20 years and where the boys have
lived all their lives TIL they came here
who'll give us a character shat9l be all
any man could ask for. I'll give yol.
the names Of some OF them yho've got
and You a get 'em right
or now on the long distance IL you
want to- There's another way you can
cal my bluff All right; you can do
as you please. Now a man don't us
uaily defend himself until he's given
a evidence against him. but things
nave been going mighty strange down
here and they're going 10 stoo now
rtght-oh-short.'
The words snapped like trap teeth.
YOU IAN bring any charge against me
and my bows. Squire Eartswick. but /
give you fair warning that itai go hard
with YOU II you fail to prove your case.
MY boys mean a good deal 10 me, and
they are going TO have fair play"
It's a damned bluf." sneered the old
man, "a devilish bluff" His face was
fairly blue with rage, The veins stood
out plump and black IN his forehead.
u given you q way TO call my
biuh IL YOU care to, If you don't. you
place yourself in q serious position. as
you'll admit. II you fail to make your
case, I'll promise you here and now
that It's going hare with you. / shall
push II to the very limits of the law,
and I'm somewhat of a lawyer myself.
know perfectly well what I'm about.
Leo any OF 9 wish anything of me be-
fore / go 2"
over the crowd. There was that in his
manne and look that awed and domi-
mated them.
Here. hold right on there" h
Squire was regaining his s~elf-posses-
Sion. How about Jim? The evidence
I'll points to lin. What have you got
TO SKY about Jime"
He was at home last ni~ht with his
mother"
How do you know he WASP You
want there.
His mother II testify to it OF
course he was there"
Wal. he want, that's all. Wait 8
mlnute, men. See he don get away"
He hustled over to the telephone and
Eailed for Lawyer Troutrnan.
S4ello! Is that you Squire2 Say. lid
Al Farthing n Tom spend the night
with you last night? Heigh?
Jest what time was It? . Sure, are
the receiver with IN angry jerk ana
wheeled about.
Wal, that don't make any difference
with JIM" he snapped That won't
clear him. and all the evidence anyway
Is against him.
win you kindly EXPLAIN"
e sir. / will, and you won't want
20 near it, either. In the first place. as
said. Jim want at home last night. |
We car prove by two good men that at
10 o'clock he was driving with his colt
down towards Sugar Valley. Then he
had q motive for the crime that alone
Is enough to convict him. He's hated
threatened him. He could have done
that job himself alone; he's stout !
enough to- Then, as a ciincher, q
with your letters on it was
found close TO the body. What have
you got to say TO hat?" The confidence
the MAJ weakened q little al the re-
He turned slightly pale.
II don't know anything about this"
he said ~perplexedly, but my boy
didn't do It; I know that. There's al
somewhere"
It's as clear az daylight. Jim's the
man. and Wen have him before sun
You'll have him before then" He
stepped toward the door. but turned |
short about TIL bring Jim right down
There's q mistake, that's all, and I'll
II up. Ira Hartswick. ia your full
There won't be any sneak
ing or lodging about this. It's going
going to fight fair" He went straight
through the door and no one ep-
posed him.
There was silence for the space OF
10 pipe-puffs. Then Amos raised his
voice.
Observation-Disclosures.
He's q coId-blooded, desperate man..
exploded b Squire. Hes the coolest,
nraxenest devil I ever met in an my
lie. lf o can look at him one min
lnte and not size him up as an expert
enceq criminal you're & pack OF fools.
re can TOOL me. I called his blum
Ior MIN. See how he backed down.,
DID yeh? He knew Jim was in d trap
ma ne came IN here 70 braxen us, but
u go. He's gut the wrong man.
~ mighty. I'll run this gang down ifl
~ costs my whole property. Again ne
sknose the COUNTER with resounding fiat.
New, I Amt quite q sure, Squire
ter 80 little slow. don't yeh think
The man Kinder slookedsto me IL III IA
NA1 honest In what he said. and Il atnstj
very oftens deceived In q nan. He was