, 1916-12-28
CHAPTER Nv.
The Special AGENT.

Inc opCStai H9SHl.
Colonel Posey remained indefinitely
in Louisiana, and David was still in
charge of the shop. Late the next aft
eruuon he closed and bolted the small
emporium and started down the street
toward the tavern for an early supper.
As he paased musingly along beneath
the new-green elms and neared the
courthouse, the words he had over
heard the night before from the lips
of Cranmer's cO9rade came sharply
back. 1.-THE courthouse . to-
morrow night. :"
The fascination of the little court
house plucted David as with an out
stretched hand. In u ONE he found
himself before it. Through the hslf-
open doors David caught Il glimpse Of
the shadowy and empty place of JUS
tice; and with Il sudden determination
he entered the silent and empty cham
her. He would conceal himself within
ii and learn why Job Cranmer was
meeting strange men secretly after
nlghtfall.
With the closing of the doors behind
him, in the dim light he distinguished
ut 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 Be
hind the high-bacEcd desk he would
,n .H...uI.IE ro.upu.ed from view.
umIOTJli4v 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 murInur Of
voices that had seemed to run through
his 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 IA whisper; sometimes it rose
as though its owner could with diff
Guilty cOnstrain himself to caution.
Barrels of 1t, ! tell you. Heaps o.
good dollars like maize in the Indian
villages
But do 20 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 u bare chance
he would prefer a Yankee to an Eng
hsh commission"
The man addressed as Girty swore
irritably.
"American2 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 refuses2"
mo ones the wiser. I'll cut his
throat easy enough"
David thought the husky giggle
which accompanied the words would
have graCed Satan.
well, Wen meet him tonight. then.
Where do you say he's to be found?"
Wen meet at the forge at the cor
ner of Oak lane Id Wrlnut-IsraeI
Butts smithy. lie slips in and out
when he pleases."
Wen meet there at midnight?"
whereabouts. Give me time to git
some o this liquor. We don't git good
wlne every day in the Wilderness"
And the bac~kwoodsman chuckled
again wheezily.
David heard the faint shuttle of the
British ngent's steps as the two moved
away. The second man must be bare
foot he thought. Then came the lust
audible sound Of the closing doors and
he was alone. He rose and hastened
through the growing darkness like a
tattered ghost. He had still another
rendezvous with traitors to keep that
night.
With a grunt a portly passer-by felt
his impact MS he turned the corner 1t
was Cranmer himself, lingering on the
way to his inn.
why, it's David ~ he exclaimed
with bluff frieudliness. "How are you.
young mann" He crushed David's cold
fingers in a mighty grasp. my boy"
he went on sturdily, ave seen moth
ing in this owu all day long but
drunken backwoodsmen. l don't think