Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-11-06

come he went walkin' slow I'D the side
o. the crick. II was the finest kind OF
winter day. Thar wasn't no wind, and
the sun come down so warm that Falway
took his coat off and walked with il on
his arm.
When he got to the meetin' house he
throwed the door wide open, and also
opened the winders, SOS his divided
congregation could hear him better. And
as he started TO sing the openin' hymn
thar stepped in at the door little, sharp
eyed feller with shield OF thing on his
coat and pistol in his hand-the pistol
bein' heldto cover John Railways heart
"Hands up, FalwayP' says the little
feller, and keeps goin' on towards the
pulpit. TRY any tricks, and I'll kill
you !"
John Falway he puts his hands up and
steps to meet the sharp-eyed man. al
won't try no tricks, guess" he says
quiet like, and holds his hands out for
the irons the newcomer is fishin' from
his pocket. "You amt a goin' to have
no trouble with me"
With the pistol pressed aginst his
back, Falway marches TO the door and
out of it. His head was hangin' down,
and his footsteps was them OF mighty
bad disappointed man.
''Of all the fool games that ever heard
tell Of" says the little feller, 'this OF
playin' preacher gets the medal All
the rest must set down in the rear. But
yore goose is shore cooked now, all
right I'll have you in Nashville in
about three days"
Someihin' like twenty voices bawls
from the nearby laurelS, 'l'll be burned
if you have him in Nashville in any three
daysp
The sharp-eyed man stops, Sill with
the pistol held ag'inst Railways back,
and looks around him. From the Raines
side O. the holler comes the RaineSes. all
told; from the Barlow side O. the holler
come all O. the Barlows. Afore he could
git couple O. good breaths the little fel-
Ter and his captive was in the middle OF
ring o. mad men, men so mad that they
didn't pay no 'tention TO the fact that
they was rubin elbows with their
enemies.
81 want you TO understand that I'm a
officer o. the law" says the Sharp-eyed
feller, "and that I've got right TO take
this here man back 10 prison to complete
his term O. twenty year. You see" he
adds. galway escaped when he'd only
sarved four year O. the sentence"
Old Grandpap Raines and Old Grand
pap Barlow each caught the officer by a.
arm. Their eyes was as cold and as
hard as iron as they s'arched his face Tor
some sign of lie.
"Ax Falway," says the sharp eyed
feller, "if you feel that you CANT take
my word for it. Falway knows"
The mountaineers looked into Railways
death white face.
"Preacher, says Old Grandpap Raines,
"is it so2 Have you sarved four year
in the prison at Nashville, and have you
yit got sixteen year afore youp You tell
us the truth, Preacher, and well shore
stick to you as long as thar'S birthstone
in toment-if il hain't like the officer
says. Jest yore word is all we ak.
We're waitin' to give this here officer
a start"
al killed man p confesses John Fal-
way.
"What made you come here, and act
so good, and all o. that, and you mur-
derer ?" snaps Big Abe Raines, shakin'
his fist in Railways face.
Falway raised his head high, and the
crowd seen that Big Abe's last word had
went TO his heart like bullet. With his
eyes a showin' the pain he was in, ne
made this reply TO Big Abe, "The man
killed mistook for somebody else. The
man killed was preacher. ! wanted
TO take his place in the world as far as !
could"
A follerin' that come minute o. ST.
Ience. Nobody couldn't doubt that Fal-
way had told the truth-even the officer
couldn't, reckon. Then Big Abe he
took fhe officers pistol from him, and
made him unlock the irons on Railways
wrists.
"Now," says Big Abe, pushin' the
sharp eyed little feller through The crowd
the same as il he'd been boy, "now
you git from here And you can tell 'em
at the prison that the only way they can
git John Falway back is TO send enough
officers here to kill every man, woman,
and child in FlintStone Hollerp
"Ifs correct, by yarp says Rushin'
Eek.
The officer went.
John FalwaY spoke TO the mountain
GERS. "It mustn't be-" he says. "l'll
have to go. Thar mustn't be no blood
shed. God knows thatI'm much obliged,
and that hate TO go-but thar hain't no
other way out Of i'll
The mountaineers argied but Falway
wouldn't listen.
"PeopIe," he says, "you maybe can
imagine what I've suffered. want to
ak you in the name o. that sufferin' and
in the name o. that cross up thar TO do
me one favor afore go. want you all
to come into the meetin' house and hear
me preach one time, and then be friends
afterwards. ! want to have to remember
durin' the long years in prison that you
done if for me-"
He turned and went towards the door,
walkin' sort o. blind like. The crowd