The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-09-21
The New Clarion
Continued from, Page One.

helpless in his saddle, but his mount.
with quicker sense of danger, reared
up and started to run. At this instant
Abe fired with the deliberation Of a
man who had waited long and patient
ly for his moment. Craig felt sharp
sting over the region of his heart. He
made an effort to thrust his heels into
the TANKS of the horse to keep from
falling. but his muscles failed to re-
spond to the demand. He had the feel
ing of floating in the air. and then all
became dark. He slid from his plung
ing horse as Imply as blanket and
lay in a heap on the ground.
Stepping farther into the moonlight.
Abe saw the horse galloping off down
the road and turned to look at Craig.
One glance convinced him that the
man was dead. Experimentaily he
prodded the body with his rough shod
foot. then turned and stalked into the
woods
1t was a rugged way over which he
passed. and in a lonely spot where the
thick branches of the trees met over
head and cut out the moonlight he
paused to conceal the weapon, which
still had the faint odor of freshly
burnt powder about it. Raising Il fiat
stone. he dug out little receptacle in
the earth and. depositing the revolver
in it, he replaced the stone. Then. ,ln-
der the growing sense Of Il vague ter
ror which he had never experienced
before. he trudged on toward his cabin
at the foot OF the mountain. 1t was
past midnight. lie was seldom so late
in returning. and yet he had not
thought Of what his wife might ask or
what he might say in the way of ex-
PLANTATION. Somehow the deed. justifi-
able as it had seemed before accom-
plishment. now was demanding all his
thought
AS he approached the lonely log cab
in. such us are given rent free to the
lowest class of shiftless mountaineers
by landowners and which are no whit
better than the average stable. he saw
that Il fire was burning in the chimney
and knew that his wife was still mp.
''Whar on earth We you been all this
time?" she asked compIainingly. Lord,
lord. | lowed you never would come. y
He hesitated for second. then re-
piled:
Had to go to town.
What did you have to go to town
fer?"
He was trying to invent plausible
reason. perpleXed by her unexpected
demand. as he ducked his head to
enter the low doorway, but his dull
brain seemed unusually unproductive
They faced each other in the red fire
light, the bare logs with their mud filled
. cracks behind them as IL background
the plain. split roof boards between
them and the sky She was Il gaunt
drab creature. with scant hair and
sunken cheeks. She repeated her ques-
ton. and an excuse finally fitted into
bis mind
Il was lookin' fer work." he said.
avcrting his rowing eyes. We can't
live on notnin'. I'm hungry half the
time. and SO are you. I've got to quit
Craig. tool see that plain enough
He's full all the time. an spends ever
cent he gifts on liquor an never has
none left to pay off hands with"
Didn't he give you some today she
asked. Indignantly.
Not Il cent-not a red cent That's
why IL say that
You didn't AK i'm. I'll be bound
you are too slow about sech things
Others git Their money from i'm. even
nggers that pick cotton an plant corn.
but you let i'm trample rougllshod over
you. Let he go to see i'm. He won't
put me off--the scamp. I'll tell the
fine gentleman a thing or two about
hisse'f. They say he had fight in
town today with Howard Tinsley. an
Howard beat i'm up purity bad. Did
you see it,
No. didn't happen to be on hand"
Abe said. his lip hanging loose. his
stare reaching through the doorway
out into the shadows of the young
pines. But | heard they had Il row u
some sort at the postoffice. They've
been at outs for some time"
Did you git you another job?" she
asked. anxio1sly.
What do you want to know that
fer?"
Because I'm dead tired O. livin' like
a hawk or Il boot owl away out here
agin these rocks among snakes an
reptiles. want to have neighbors.
You or me could git sick an die here
| actually rot in our beds-an' nobody
would know it till the smell called at
tention to it. Did you git work? 7
| want to know"
No" He took deep breath. His
eyes still shrank from hers. Every
blessed place is full up. I'm-I'm
thinkin' about Alabama. They say big
pay is to be had on the new railroad
down thar to all that kin swing q pick
o: lift full shovel. Eff could git the
money to pay my fare Id take trip
thar an look the field over"
I'D like that" she said. rs simply
as child speaking of an unhoped for
treat. Anything but this here awful
loneliness" She went to the fire and
put fresh piece of pine on the flames.
1t was full of. resin. quickly ignited
and black rope Of smoke curled like
serpent upward into the mud and
stick fue. There was a sound of
cracking twigs outside He started,
leaned forward and fell to quaking.
whats that?" he muttered.
"Somebody's cow" she said. II seed
'er grain thar before dark. Her bag