Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-10-10

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smiled widely ana sve6tiy. ne shcss
10 gave him hostile glare. do y0u
know that Morrow has left town.
he judge went on.
T amt got nothin' to DO with Judge
MORROW It's my duty to see that
this building - ready for him when
he's 3 mind to open court IN II. :
eYou are willing to assume me re-
| spCnsibility Of throwing open these
docrssr inquired the Judge aaabiy.
Il an0rely an" said Belts. ~Why.
some Of these folks are our leading
people!
The Judge turned to the crowd, ana
spoke d, tone Of excessive civiIity.
Just word, gentIemens the slieF.
| IN Is right: It Is your courthouse ana
you should not be kent out. Of it. No
| doubt there are some Of you whose
presence in this building Will sooner
or later be urgently desired We arO
going to let all who wish to enter. but
beg you to remember that there viii
be i've men inside whose prejud.ces
are all in favor Of law and order"
He pushed past Hues and entered the
courthouse; followed By Yancy and
Hannibal. "We'H let 'em In where
/ can talk to EN-, he said almost gaily.
Besides, they'll come in anyhow when
they get ready, so there's no sense In
/ exciting them. Z
In the courtAouse, Murreil, bound
4 hand and foot was seated between
Darlington and the Earl Of Lambeth
/ in the little raiied-on space below the
/ judges bench. Fear and suffering had
blanched his unshaven cheeks and
given wild light to his deeply sunk
en- eyes, At sight OF Yancy smoth1
cred 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 crash. The judge,
fierce light hashing from his eyes.
turned to Yancy. u
No matter what happens, this fell
low Murrell is not to escape-if he
S-sAAo OAA LILO AA1OA05 W l66CuG AIAk A0
lis to be shot!"
The hall was filling with swearing,
struggling men, the floor shook be-
meath their heavy tread; then they
burst into the courtroom and saluted
Murrell with great shout But MUIR
rell, bound, In rags. and silent, his
lips frozen in a wolfish grin, was q
nnnrnQQinp Ciu1lt nd hAt F<1lk
something OF his unrestrained Iawless-
i ness go from him
Less noisy now, the crowd spread
!. itself out among the benches or
Il swarmed up into the tiny gallery at
the back of the building. Man after
man had hurried forward, intent on
passing beyond the railing, but each
had encountered the Judge, sformida-
BILE and forbidding, and had turned
aside. Gradually the many pairs OF
eyes rowing over the little group sur
rounding the outlaw focused them.
selves on Slocum Price. 1t was in I'M
conscious recognition of that moral
force which was his, tribute to the
grim dignity OF his unshaken courage:
what he would do seemed worth con.
sidering.
He was charmed to hear his name
pass in whisper from lip to lip.
Well, it was time they knew him! He
squared his ponderous shoulder and
made a gesture commanding silence.
| Battered, shabby and debauched, he
was like some old war horse who
shifts the odor of battle that the wind
incontinently brings to his nostriis
, Don't let him speak, cried .
voice, and a tumult succeeded
Cool and indomitable the Judge
waited for it to subside. He saw that
the color was stealing back into Muir
rell's face. The outlaw was feeling
that he was leader not overthrown:
these were his friends and followers,
his safety was their safety, too. In a
lull in the storm of sound the judge
attempted to make himself heard, but
his words were lostzin the angry roar
that descended on him.
Don't let him speak! Kill himl
Kill hint"
score OF men sprang I'd their feet
and from all sides came the click OF
rife andapistol hammers as they were
drawn to the full cock. The judges
fate seemed to rest on breath He
swung about on his heel and gave q
curt nod to Yancy and Cavendish,
who, falling back a step, tossed their
guns to their shoulders and covered
Murrell. A sudden hush grew up out
OF the tumult; the cries, angry and
jeering, dwindled to a murinur, and a
dead pail of silence rested on the
crowded room.
The very taste of triumph was in
the judges mouth. Then came com
motion at the back of the building.
A ripple Of comment, and Colonel
Fentress elbowed his way through the
crowd. At sight OF his enemy the
judges face went from white to red
while his eyes blazed; but for the mo
ment the force OF his emotions left
him speechless Here and there, AZ
he advanced, Fentress recognized q
friend and bowed coolly to the right
and left.
ITO BE CoNTINUED.1
q