The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-12-02

Lahoma. who had taken refuge be- |
Hind Wilfred's protection. wept and |
laughed in q rosy glow of triumphant |
joy.
NiZzoo presently reappeared. leaving
she door wide open. He walked to
the stairs. the wrinkles ut the corners
Of his eyes deep cut with appreciation
cf the situation. Fellows" he called.
he says you carried him in there. and
t.ingcd if you won't have to carry him
out, for not step will he take
At this unexpected development a
burst of laughter swelled into Il roar
After that mighty merriment. Bill was
as safe lis a babe, Twenty volunteers
pressed forward to carry the wedding
guest from his cell. And when the old
man slowly but proudly followed Will
fred and Lahoma to the hotel where
certain preparations were to be made
particularly as touching Bills per
sonal appear"nce-the town of Man
gum 'began gathering at the newly
erected church whittier they had been
invited.
When the four friends-for Mizzoo
joined them-drove up to the church
door in the only carriage available.
Bill descended stiffly. his eyes CLEAN
ing fercely from under snowy locks.
as if daring any one to ask him a Ques-
ton about Brick. But nobody did
The general suspicion that Bill At
kins knew more about Brick Wilcox
than he had revealed. was not without
foundation: though the extent of his
knowledge was more limited than the
town supposed. Bill had carried to his
friend-hidden in the crevice in the
mountain top-the news Of Red Kim
balls death: since then. they had not
seen each other.
Sku!king along wooded gulies by
day. creeping down into the cove at
night. Wilcox had unconsciously re-
verted to the habits of thought and ac'
ton belonging to the time of his out
lawry. He was again. in spirit, high
wayman. though his hostility was
directed only against those seeking to
bring him to justice. The softening
influence of the years spent with La
homA was no longer apparent in his
shifting bloodshot eyes. his crouching
shoulders. his furtive hand ever ready
| to snatch the weapon from conceal
| ment This sinister aspect of wildness.
| intensified by struggling whiskers and
| uncombed locks. gave to his giant form
a kinship to the huge grotesquely shap
! ed rocks among which he had made
| his den.
He heard of Red KimbalFs death
with bitter disappointment He had
hoped to encounter his former chief.
to grapple with him. to hurl him. per.
haps, from the precipice overlooking
Bills former home. If in his fall.
Kimball. with arms wound about his
waist. had dragged him down to the
same death. what matter? Though his
| enemy was now no more. the sheriff
held the warrant for his arrest-as If
the dead man could still strike morta
blow. The sheriff might be overcome
he was but man. That piece Of pa.
per calling for his arrest-an arrest
that would mean, at best, years in the
penitentiary-had behind it the whole
state Of Texas
To Willock's feverish imagination
the warrant became personified: mys
terious force. not to be destroyed by
material means; 1t was not only pa
per, but spirit And it had come be
tween him and Lahoma, it had shu
him off from the possibility Of peace
full old age. The cove was no Longer
home but a hiding place.
He did not question the justice o
this sequel to his earlier life. N
doubt deeds of long ago. never pun
ished. demanded a sacrifice. He hate
the agents of this justice not SO mucl
because they threatened his liberty
his life. as because they stepped in be
tween himself and Lahoma. Always
man of expedients, he now sough
some way of frustrating justice. an
naturally his plans took the color o
violence. Denied the savage Joy Q
killing Red kimball-and he woul
have killed him with as little compunt
ton as If be had been wolf-hi
thoughts turned toward Gledware.
Gledware was the only witness G
the deed for which the warrant d,
manded his arrest. Wilcox wishe
many of his other deeds had bee
prompted by imp Uses as generous q
those which had led to Kansas Kin
: balls death. Perhaps it was the iron
Of justice that he should be threatene
j by the one act Of blOodshed which ha
saved Lahoma's life. If he must
hanged or imprisoned because he ha
not. like the rest of the band. give
u himself up for official pardon it was ;
e we'll to suffer from one deed as fro
e another But 1t would be better sti
as in the past. to escape all cons
quences. Without Gledware they cou
e prove nothing.
Would Gledware testify now tn
u Red kimball. who had bought his te
timony with the death of the India
no longer lived to exact paynen
% Wilcox felt sure he would In t
0 first place. Gledware had placed hil
self on record as witness. hen
could hardly retreat; in the seco
20 place, be would doubtless be anxio
e. to rid himself of the danger of ev
to meeting Wilcox. whom his conscien
II. must have caused him to hate with
eS hatred of the man who wrongs
: benefactor.
le Wilcox transferred all his ra
ef against the dead enemy to the livil
er He reminded himself how Gledw;
had caused the death of Red Feath
he not in the heat of fury or In blind I
III ror, but In cold blooded bargaini