Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-04
CHAPTER x Continued.

as ne lurched up TO morse ana rluer,
holding his candle aloft. The light
showed tall fellow mounted on a
handsome bay horse. It was Murrell.
'Is there an inn hereabouts" he
asked
you'll find one down the road a
ways" said Mahaffy. The judge said
nothing. He was staring up at Muir
rell with drunken gravity.
Have either of you gentlemen seen
boy go through here today? A boy
about ten years old?" Murrell glanced
from one to the other Mr. Mahaffy's
thin lips twisted themselves into a
sarcastic smile. He turned to the
Judge, who spoke up quickly.
Did he carry a bundle and rifle?"
he asked. Murrell gave eager assent.
"Well." said the Judge, "he stopped
here along about four o'clock and asked
his way to the nearest river landing"
Murrell gathered up his reins, and then
that fixed stare of the judges seemed
to arrest his attention. II.
You'll know me again." he observed.
Anywhere" said the judge. Is.
81 hope that's a satisfaction to you, .
said Murrell. T..
1T ain't-none whatever" answered
the judge promptly. "For don't value
you'll don't value you that much!"
and he snapped his fingers to illustrate
his meaning. #'. =
. st%g CHAPTER XII. b. u
Hannibal" the judges voice and
manner were rather stern. Hannibal,
a man rode by here last night on big
bay horse. He said he was looking
for boy about ten years old--a boy
with bundle and rifle" There was
an awful pause. Hannibals heart
stood still for brief instant. then it
began to beat with terrific thumps
against his ribs. "Who was that man,
Hannibal?" aH Hg 5
.I-please-I don't know" gasped
the child. -.s* @a.. &. .S.
.Hannibal who was that man." re-
peated the judge. -
at were Captain Murrell.' The
Judge regarded him with a look of
great steadiness. He saw his small
face go white, he saw the look of
ahject terror in his eyes. The judge
raised his fist and brought 1t down
with great crash on the table, SO that
the breakfast dishes leaped and rat
tied. "We don't know any boy ten
years old with rifle and bundle!' he
said. s+ll ~. a..
s'Please-you won't let him take me
away. Judge-I want to stop with
you!" cried Hannibal He slipped from
his chair, and passing about the table
sized the judge by the hand. The
judge was visibly affected.
Mo-" he roared, with a great oath.
'tHe shan't have you'll see him III
the farthest corner of hell first! Is he
kin to your g.. ,"-. - ~.
NO said Hannibal. 70 ~
T. "Took you to raise, did he-and
abused you--infernal hypocrite!" cried
the Judge with righteous wrath.
He tried to get me away from my
Uncle Bob He's been following us
since we crossed the mountains"
ii Where is your: Uncle Bob?" g
"He's dead" And the child began
to weep bitterly. Much puzzled, the
Judge regarded him in silence for q
moment, then bent and lifted him into
his lap. ~:
There, my SON." he said soothing
ly. .'Now you tell me when he died,
and all about it,
"He were killed 1t were only yes
terday. and I can't forget him! !
don't want to-but it hurts-it hurts
terrible!' Hannibal buried his head
in the Judges shoulder and sobbed
aloud Presently his small hands
stole about the judges neck, and that
- cf 90 4 h rilI
of pleasure.
5"Tell me how he died. Hannibal"
he urged gently In voice broken by
sobs the child began the story OF their
fight. confused narrative, which the
iudge followed with many puzzled
shake Of the head. But as he reached
his ciimax-that cry he had heard at
the tavern. he men in the lane with
their bllrden-he became more and
more coherent and his ideas clothed
themselves IN words Of dreadful SIM
plicity and directness. The Judge shud.
dered. Can such things be-" he
murmured at last.
"You won't let him take me?"
81 never unsay my words" said the
Judge grandly. with Gods help I'll
be the instrument for their destruc.
ton He frowned with q preterna.
tural severity. Eh--if he could turn
a trick like that, it would pull him up!
There would be no more jeers and
laughter. What credit and standing 1t
would give him! His thoughts Slip
ped along this fresh channel. What
prosecution he would conduct-what
a whirlwind, of eloquence he would
loose! He began to breathe hard. His
name should go from end to end OF the
state! No man could be great with
out opportunity-for years he had
known this-but here was opportunity
at last, Then he remembered what
Mahaffy had told him Of the man on
the raft. This Slosson's tavern was
probably on the upper waters Of the
Elk. Yancy had been thrown In the
river and had been picked up IN q dy-
ing condition. Hannibal" he said,
Solomon Mahaffy, who was here last
night, told me he saw down at the
river landing, a man who, had been
fished up out Of the Elk-a man who
had been roughly handled"
Were it my Uncle Bob? cried
Hannibal, lifting a swollen face to his.
cojl hn