Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1912-10-25

l beg you to remember that there will
be five men inside whose prejud1ces
are all in favor of law and q !"
He pushed past Hues ana ante ne
courthouse, followed by YASW% and
Hannibal. Wen let em ID Where /
can talk to en- he said almost gaiIy.
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 foot, was seated between
Darlington and the Earl of Lambeth
In the little railed-off space below the
judges bench. Fear and suffering had
| olanched his unshaven cheeks and
| given a wild light to his deeply funk
en- eyes. AT sight of Yancy smoth-
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 a crash. The judge, a
fierce light flashing from his eyes,
turned to Yancy
No matter what happens, this fell
low Murrell is not to escape-if he
calls on his friends to rescue him ne
is 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 a great shout. But Muir
rell, bound, in rags, and silent. his
lips frozen in a Wolfish grin, was a
depressing sight, and the boIdest felt
something of his unrestrained lawless-
ness go from him.
Less noisy now, the crowd spread
itself out among the benches or
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
mad encountered the judge formula
| 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 It was in I'M
conscious recognition of that moral
force which was his, tribute to the
grim dignity of his mistaken courage:
what he would do seemed worth con.
sidering.
| lie was charmed to hear his name
pass in whisper from lip to lin.
L
| 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
1ncontinentiy brings to his nostriis.
Don't let him speak!'' cried a
voice, and tumult succeeded.
Cool and indoEitable the Judge
waited for it to subside. He saw that
the color was stealing back into Muir
relPs 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
luil in the storm of sound the Judge
attempted to make himself heard, but
his words We're lost in the angry roar
that descended on him.
Don't let him speak! Kill him!
Kill him."
A score OF men sprang to their feet
and from all sides came the click OF
rifle and pistol 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
curt nod to Yancy and Cavendish.
whcr falling back step, tossed their
guns TO their shoulders and covered
Murreil. A sudden hush grew up out
OF the sumult; the cries, angry and
jeering, dwlndled to murmur. and a
dead paR 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. as
he advanced, Fentress recognized a
friend and bowed coolly to ME right
and left.
ITO BE CONTINUED)