Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-06-11

affair shocked Burrell ineXpress1Dly,
and. seeing poleon and Gale near by, he
edged toward them, thinking that they
surely could not be in sympathy with
this barbarouS procedure.
You don't understand, lieutenant"
said Gale in a low voice. This niger
is thief.
Gentlemen" Announced Burreil.
standing near the ashen gray wretch
and facing the tentful of men, this
man is Il thief, but you can't Kill him!
Stark leaned across the bar, his
eyes blazing. and touched the lieuten-
ant on the shoulder
do you mean to take hand in all
of my affairs:'
This isn't your affair. It's mine"
said the officer This is what / WAS
sent here for, and it's my particular
business. You seem to have overlook
ed that important fact"
HE stole my stuff, and he'll take his
medicine"
IL say he won't!
For the second time in their brief
acquaintance these two men looked
fair into each others eyes. Few men
had dared to look at Stark thus and
live, for when man has once shed
the blood of his fellow mania OBJ
scsses him, a disease obtains that Is
incurabe.
The two men battled with their eyes
for an opening. Lee and the others
mastered their surprise at the inter-
ruption and then began to babble I'M
til Burrell turned from the gambler
and threw up his arm for silence.
There's 10 use arguing" he told
the mob. You can't do it. I'll hold
him till the next boat comes; then I'll
send him down river to st. Michaers."
He laid his hand upon the negro and
made for the door, with face set and
eyes watchful and alert, knowing that
hairs weight might shift the bal
ance and cause these men to rive him
like wolves.
Lees Indignation at this miscarriage
Of justice had him SO by the throat as
TO strange eypostulation for a mo-
ment till he saw the soldier actually
bearing OF his quarry.
"Stop that" he beloved. ITO b.
With your law! We're goin accordin'
to our ownr' An Ominous echo arose,
and in the midst of it the miner In his
blind fury, forgetting this exalted posi-
ton, took a step too near the edge OF
the bar and fell off into the body OF
the meeting. With him fell the dig
nifty of the assemblage. Some one
laughed, another took 1t up, the nerv-
Gus tension broke, and a man cried:
1.-THE soldier is right! You can't
blame a dinge for stealing!" And an
other: "Surel Hogs and chickens are
legitimate prey"
Lee was helped back to his stand
and called for order, but the crowd
pokcd fun at him and began moving
about restlessly till some one shouted
motion to adjourn and there arose a
chorus Of seconders.
AS Poleon and Gale walked home the
Frenchman said, "Dat was neryy Ting
to do"
The trader made no answer, and the
other continued, "Stark IS goin' for
kill I'm sure"
ats cinch," agreed Gale, unless
somebody gets Stark first"
When they were come to his door the
trader paused and, looking back over
the glowing tents and up at the star
sprinkled heavens. remarked, as If con-
Guiding some train Of thought, "1f that
boy has got the nerve to take niger
thief out of a miners meeting and hold
him against this whole town he
wouldn't hesitate much at taking a
white man, would he?"
"Waal," hesitated the other, "mebbe
dat would depen' on lie crime"
Suppose it was-murder?'
"Ha! We ain got no men lax dat
in Flambeau."
They said good night, and the oid
man entered his house to hnd Alluna
waiting for him.
Burrell took his prisoner to the bar
racks, where he placed him under
guard, giving instructions to hold him
at any cost, not knowing what wild
and reckless humor the new citizens Of
Flambeau might develop during the
night, for it Is men who have always
lived with the halter of the law tight
upon their necks who run widest
when it is removed.
After he had taken every precaution
he went out into the night again and
fought with himself as he had fought
all that day and all the night before
in fact, ever since old Thomas had
come to him after leaving Necia and
had so cunningly shaped his talk that
Burrell never suspected his object I'M
til he perceived his position in such q
clear light that the young man looked
back upon his work with startled eyes.
The corporal had spoken garrulously
of his officers family, Of their pride
and of their love for his profession;
had dwelt enthusiastically upon the
lleutenant's future and the length he
was sure to 60 and finally drifted into
the same story he had told Necia. Bur-
rell at last sensed the meaning of the
crafty old soldiers strategy and dis
missed him, but not before his work
had been accomplished.
When Burrell drove his reason with
firm hands he saw but one course to
follow, but when his mind went slack
for a moment the old desire to have
her returned more strongly than ever