The Huttig news., 1915-01-23

It was about three o'clock when Sam son started. It was near six when he reached the ribbon Of road that loops down into town over the mountain. His mule was in a father of stFeat. He knew that he was being spIed upon, and that word of his coming was trav- cling ahead Of him. What he did not know was whether or not it suited Jesse Purvy'S purpose that he should slide from his mule, dead, before he turned homeward. If Tamarack had been seized as a declaration of war, the chief South would certainly not be allowed to return. If the arrest had not been for feud reasons. he might escape. That was the question which would be answered with his life or death.
 The "jailhouse' was a small build ing of homemade brick, squatting at the rear of the courthouse yard. AS Samson drew near, he saw that some ten or twelve mon, armed with rifles, separated from groups and disposed themselves behind the tree trunks and The stone coping of the we'll. None of .ham spoke, and Samson pretended that he had not seen them. He rode his mule at a walk, knowing that he was riiecovered from a half-dozen windows At the hitching rack direct ly beneath the county building. he sung his feins over post, and, swing ing his rife at hts side, passed cau- ficusiy along the brick walk to the iail. The men behind the trees edged around their covers as he went, keep ing themselves protected, as squirrels creep around trunk when a hunter is lurking below. Samson halted at the jail wall. and called the prisoners name. A tousled head and surly face appeared at the barred window, and the boy went over and held converse from the outside.
 How in hell did ye git into town?. demanded the prisoner
 Il rid in," was the short reply. How'd ye git in the jailhouse?"
 The captive was shamefaced
 q got leetle too much flicker, an was shootin' out the lights last night, he confessed.
 What business did ye have hyar in Hxon?a
 ''I jest slipped in ter see a gal"
 Samson leaned closer, and lowered his voice.
 Does they know thet ye shot them shoots at Jesse PurVy ?" Tamarack turned pale.
 No" he stammered, they believe you done hit"
 Samson laughed. He was thinking of the rifles trained on him from a dozen invisible rests.
 How long air they a-goin' ter keep ye hyar?" he demanded
 q kin git out tornorrer eff pays the fine. Hits ten dollars"
 And ef yo don't pay the fine?"
 Hits a dollar day"
 q reckon ye don't low ter pay hit, do ye?"
 q lowed mebby ye mout pay hit fer me, Samson"
 "Ye done lowed plumb wrong. come hyar ter see ef ye needed help. but hit pears ter me they're lettin' ye of easy"
 He turned on his heel, and went back to his mule. The men behind the trees began circiing again Samson mounted, and, with his chin well up, trotted back along the main street. It was over. The question was answered. The Hollmans regarded the truce as still effective. The fact that they were permitting him to ride out alive was a wordless assurance of that. Inei- dentally, he stood vindicated in the eyes of his own people.
 Lescott stayed on a week after that simply in deferenee to Samsen's insist ence. To leave at once might savor of flight under fire but when the week was out, the painter turned his horses head toward town, and his train swept him back to tie Bluegrass and the East.
 A quiet of unbroken and deadly routine settled down on Misery. Tie conduct of the Souths in keeping hands off, and acknowledging the justice of Tamarack Spicers jail sentence, had been their answer to the declaration of the Hollmans in letting Samson ride into and out of Hixon. The truce was established When, short time later. Tamarack left the country to become a railroad brakeman, Jesse Purvy passed the word that his men must, until further orders, desist from vio- lence. The word had crept about that Samson, too, was going away. and, if this were true, Jesse felt that his fu- ture would be more secure than his past. Purvy believed Samson guilty, despite the exoneration of the hounds.
 Lescott had sent box of books, and Samson had taken team over to Hixon, and brought them back.
 He deyoured them all from title page to finis line, and many of them he went back to, and digested again.
 He wrestled long and gently with his uncle, struggling to ain the old mans consent to his departure. But Spiccr Scuthss brain was no longer piagtic What had beeD good enough