Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-10-26
CHAPTER IV-continued.

With the closing of the doors behind
hhim, in the dim light he distinguished
at the other end of the room the high
platform and desk where the judges
were to sit, when the court had been
transferred from old Vincennes. Re-
hind the h~igh-backed desk he would
be absolutely concealed from view,
HE made himself comfortable behind
1t and settled down to what promised
TO be a wait of several hours, Above
him a square of azure showed through
the unfinished roof. The afternoon
was warm. David was more tired than
he had realized. He grew drowsy,
nodded slept.
When he awOke, without raising his
head, his ears caught the murmur of
voices that had seemed to run through
Mis- dreams. All the light had faded
from the room, a star shone through
the unfinished roof high above him.
THE voices ran on at his ear. He
could hear them more plainly now.
Money? Why, l tell you, man,
there's barrels of it waiting at NAL
den" The voice was impatient, a
cultural harshness checked with an
effort to a whisper; sometimes it rose
as though its owner could with diff
Guilty constrain himself to caution.
Barrels of it, l tell you. Heaps O.
good dollars like maize in the Indian
villages
But do you think he is with us?'
David could scarcely repress a start
at the second voice.
The first speaker grunted contemp-
tuously. And with blood on his
head? You're as sure of him as you
are of me-"
The voice that answered was one
of hearty friendliness.
There, there, Captain Girty, no of
Tense. But you'll admit that | was
sent over to treat with you and you
only. And now you propose the name
of this man. You must admit, Cap
tain Girty, that there's a bare chance
he would prefer a Yankee to an Eng
aish commission"
The man addressed as Girty swore
frritably.
american? He hain't no more
American than l be. You promise
him a nice berth with the kings com.
mission and protection and he'll take
it,"
And if he refuses?"
mo ones the wiser. I'll cut his
khroat easy enough"
David thought the husky giggle
which accompanied the words woulG
have graced Satan.
"Well, We'll meet him tonight, then
Where do you say he's to be found?'
We'll meet at the forge at the cor
ner of Oak lane and Walnut-Israe
Butts smithy. He slips in and GU
when he pleases."
We'll meet there at midnight?"
whereabouts. Give me time to gi
some O. this liquor. We don't git goot
wine every day in the wilderness.
And the ba~ckwoodsman chucklet
again wheezily.
David heard the faint shuttle of tn
British agents steps as the two move,
away. The second man must be bare
foot, he thought. Then came the just
audible sound of the closing doors ant
ale was alone. II. rose and hastene,
through the growing darkness like
BATTERED ghost. He had still anothe
rendezvous with traitors to keep tina
might.
With a grunt a pOrtly passer-by fel
mis- impact as he turned the corner;
WAS Cranmer himself, lingering on tn
fway to his inn.
why, it's Davidr y he exclaime
with bluff friendliness. "How are YOU
young MANI" He crushed David's col
fingers in a mighty grasp. my boy,
me went on sturdily, give seen notl
ling In this town all day long br
drunken backwoodsmen. / don't thin
they're folk you can depend on.
stick to old John Wesley, rest h
honest soul! I'm a Methodist, / an
Jeven in a town where there's none
preach. I'm hurrying back to m
daughter, and then Wen have famiI
prayers together. Won't you join us
He beamed on David with the e.
pression Of n ready to suffer the L
squisition. But David stared at hi
In silence with a strange look al
then abruptly turned away. What
hool he had been TO trust these era
liners for a moment! He caught hiI
Self-Lydia, for aught he really knee
was innocent of her fathers intrigue
On the corner Of the lanes call,
Oak and Walnut the blacksmith sht
of Israel Butt, a low barrack Of log
showed no CLEAN of light from the /
Aerior to the chance passer-by. d
vid, hidden in the dark ~passageway
4he rear Of the smithy, waited imp
~tiently. A silent figure passed hi
unseeing, scratched thrice with Il
point Of a knife on an unseen doc
WAS admitted. The hidden watch
rose and stole on nolseless feet aroul
tthe corner of the silent shop and II
bhis way along It's wall. No windo
kThen came the uncertain steps Of st
another who sought the door Of I
rendezvous, stumbling along the U
even tagging.
David sank to his knees, and as
did 50 his fingers encountered an ope
fng IN the house wall, level with +
tdagging. Bending lower, he peered
IA noisOme odOr assaulted his nOstri