The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-02-14
CHAPTER XXXI.
The Bubble Bursts.

Judge was hurting threats and insults
at Colonel Fentress, three men were
waiting ten miles away at the head OF
the bayou which served to isolate
Hicks cabin Now no one of these
three had ever heard Of Judge Slocum
Price; the breath of his fame had
never blown, however gently, in their
direction, yet they were preparing
to thrust opportunity upon him. To
this end they were lounging about
the opening in the woods where the
horses belonging to Ware and Murrell
were tied.
At length the dip of oars became
audible in the silence and one of the
trio stole down the path, matter OF
fifty yards, to point that overlooked
the bayou. He was gone but mo-
ment.
"It's Murrell all right" he said in
an eager whisper. Him and another
fellow-the Hicks girl is rowing
them" He glanced from one to the
other of his companions, who seemed
to take frmer hold of themselves un-
der his eye. It'll be all right" he
protested lightly. Hes as good as
ours. Wait till l give you the word"
And he led the way into all adjacent
thicket.
Meanwhile Ware and Murrell had
landed and were cofing along the
path, the outlaw a step or two in adj
vance of his friend. They reached
the horses and were untying them
when the thicket suddenly disgorged
the three men; two of these pistols
covered Murrell and the third was
leveled at Ware.
"Hues!" cried Murrell in astonish-
ment, for the man confronting him
was the Clans messenger who should
have been speeding across the state.
''Toss up your hands, Murrell," said
Hues quietly.
One of the other men spoke.
"You are under arrest"
Arrest"
"You are wanted for niger steal
ing" said the man. Still Murrell did
not seem to comprehend. He looked
at Hues in dull wonder.
what are you doing here?" he
asked.
"Wai.4ng to arrest you-ain't that
plain?" said Hues, with a grim smile.
The outlaws hands dropped at his
side, limp and helpless. With some
idea that he might attempt to draw a
weapon one of the men took hold of
him, but Murrell was nerveless to his
touch; his face had gone a CHASTITY
white and was streaked with the
markings of terror.
"Well, by thunder!" cried the man
in utter amazement.
Murrell looked into Hues face.
'You-you-' and the words thick
ened on his tongue, becoming an in
articulate murmur.
cts all up, JOHN said Hues.
"No!" said Murrell, recovering him
self. "You may as well turn me loose
you can't arrest mel
'I've done it," answered Hues. T've
been on your track for six months
"How about this fellow?" asked the
man whose pistol still covered Ware.
Hues glanced toward the planter and
shook his head
where are you going to take me::'
asked Murrell, quickly. Again Hues
laughed.
you'll find that out in plenty of
time, and then your friends can pass
the word around if they like; now
you'll come with me-"
Ware neither moved nor spoke as
Hues and his prisoner passed back
along the path, Hues with his hand
on Murrell's shoulder, and one of his
companions close at his heels, while
the third man led off the outlaws
horse.
Presently the distant clatter of hoofs
was borne to Wares earS-only that;
the miracle of courage and daring he
had half expected had not happened.
Murrell, for all his wild boasting, was
like other men, like himself. His blood
shot eyes slid around in their sock
cts. There across the sunlit stretch
of water was Betty-the thought of
her brought him to quick choking ter
rors. The whole fabric of crime by
which he had been benefited in the
past or had expected to profit in the
future seemed topping in upon him,
but his mind clutched one important
fact. Hues, if he knew of Betty's dis
did not connect Murrell
with it. Ware sucked in comfort be-
tween his twitching lips. Stealing
niggers! No one would believe that