The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-11-22
THE PRODIGAL JUDGE
By VAUGHAN KESTER by BoOsMaru Company,
CHAPTER XLI-Continued.

IT shoreIy am" said Belts. why,
some of these folks are our leading peo-
pler'
! The Judge turned to the crowd. and
spoke in a tone OF excessive civthty.
Just a word, conference.-the sherin Is
right; 1t is your courthouse and you
should not be kept out Of it. No doubt
there are some of you whose presence
in this building will sooner or later be
urgently desired. We are going to let
! all who wish to enter, but l beg you to
remember that there will be five men in
side whose prejudices are all in favor OF
law and order" He pushed past Hues
and entered the courthouse, followed
by Yancy and Hannibal We'll let 'em
in where can talk to EN-" he said al
most gayly. Besides, they'll come in
anyhow when they get ready, so there's
no sense in exciting them"
In the courthouse. Murrell, bound hand
and fot, was seated between Darlington
and the Earl of Lambeth in the little
raiIed-off space below the judges bench.
Fear and suffering had blanched his I'M
shaven checks and given wild light
to his deeply sunken eyes. At sight Of
Yancy a smothered exclamation broke
from his lips; he had supposed this man
dead these many months!
Hues had abandoned his post and the
crowd, suddenly grown clamorous,
stormed the narrow entrance. One Of
the doors, borne from its hinges, went
down with a crash. The judge, a fierce
light flashing from his eyes, turned to
Yancy.
mo matter what happens, this fellow
Murrell Is not to escape-if he calls on
his friends to rescue him he Is to be
shotr'
The hall was filling with swearing,
struggling men, the floor shook beneath
their heavy tread; then they burst into
the court room and saluted Murrell with
a great shout. But Murrell, bound, In
rags, and silent, his lips frozen in
wolfish grin, was depressing sight, and
the boldest felt something Of his unre-
strained lawlessness go from him.
Less noisy now, the crowd spread It.
self out among the benches or swarmed
up into the tiny gallery at the back Of
the building. Man after man had hur-
rfed forward, intent on passing beyond
the railing, but each had encountered
the judge, formidable and forbidding,
and had turned aside. Gradually the
many pairs Of eyes rowing over the little
group surrounding the outlaw focused
themselves on Slocum Price. 1t was IN
unconscious recognition of that moral
force which WAS his, a tribute to the
grim dignity of his mistaken courage;
what he would do seemed worth con-
sidering.
He was charmed to hear his name
pass in a whisper from lip to lip. Wen,
1t was time they knew him! He squared
his ponderous shoulder and made a ges-
ture commanding silence. Battered,
shabby and debauched he was like some
old war horse who sniffs the odor of
battle that the wind incontinently brings
to his nostrils
Don't let him speak," cried voice
and a tumult succeeded.
Cool and indomItable, the Judge waited
for II to subslde. He saw that the color
was stealing back into Murrelrs face.
The outlaw was feeling that he was a
le3der not overthrown; these were his
friends and followers, his safety was
their safety. too. In lull in the slorrl |
Of sound the judge attempteG 20 make
himself heard, but his words were lost
Don't let him speak, XIII him! XIII
him.
A score Of men sprang to their feet |
and from all sides came the click OF |
rife and pistol hammers as they were |
drawn to the full cock. The judges fate |
seemed TO rest on q breath. He swung /
about on his bel and gave q curt nod |
to Yzncy and Cavendlsh, who. faliing /
back a step. tossed their guns to th6Sf /
shoulders and covered MurrelL A sihs-
den hush grew up out OF theN tumuit: |
the cries angry and jeering. dwindled
10 rnurmur and q dead pail OF silence
rested on the crowded room
The very taste Of triumph was In the