The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-01-20

CHAPTER lv-continued.

C6APTEH lv-Continued.
81
With the closing of the doors benin
pm, In the dim light he distinguish
" the other end Of the room the hig]
PLATFORM and desk where the Judge
we're to sit. when the court had BEEF
transferred from old vincennes. Be
pind the high-backed desk he woul,
pc absolutely concealed from view
ae made himself comfortable behint
PC and settled down to what promised
20 De wait of several hours. Abov,
MIN square of azure showed through
the unfinished roof. The Afternoon
was warm. David was more tired thar
ne had realized. He grew drowsy
NODDED slept. :.
When he awoke, without raising his
mead, his ears caught the murmur OF
voices that had seemed to run through
ms dreams All the light had faded
from the room. 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, I tell you, man,
there's barrels of it waiting at NAL
den." The voice was impatient, a
cultural harshness checked with an
effort to whisper; sometimes It rose
as though its owner could with diff
Guilty constrain himself to caution.
Barrels Of 1t, I tell you. Heaps o.
good dollars like maize In the Indian
villages"
But do you think he is with us?"
David could scarcely repress 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 bare chance
he would prefer a Yankee to an Eng
Iish commission"
The man addressed as Girty swore
lrritably.
American? He hain't no more
American than I be. You promise
him nice berth with the kings COM
mission and protection and he'll take
IT.
"And it he refuses?"
ssNo ones the wiser. I'll cut his
throat easy enough
David thought the, husky gfggie
which accompanied the words would
have graced Satan.
@Well, weu meet him tonight, then. |
Where do you say hes to be foundY
"We1l meet at the forge at the cor
Ter Of Oak lane and Walnut-Israel |
Butts smithy. He slips In and out |
when he pleases."
"We1l meet there at midnightT'
whereabouts. Give me time to git
Iome o. this liquor. We don't cit good
vine every day in the wilderness"
Ind the backwoodsman chuckled
gain wheezily.
David heard the faint shuttle Of the
British agents steps as the two moved
way. The second man must be bare
DOT, he thought. Then came the just
udible sound Of the closing doors and
q was alone. He rose and hastened
through the growing darkness like a
altered ghost. He had still another
XE&ous with traitors to keep that
h grunt portly passer-by felt
hpact as he turned the corner; it i
L Hranmer himself. lingering on the
- 10 his inn.
WY, it's DavidI" he exclaimed
nth bluff friendliness. aHow are you,
ourk manT He crushed David's cold j
myers In q mighty grasp. MY boy"
Q went on sturdily, 1--WE seen moth ,
ng in this town all day long but 4
runken backwoodsmen. don't think
bey're folk you can depend on. I'll
tick to old John Wesley, rest his ,
0nest soull I'm q Methodist, am, ,
zen In q town where there's none to |
reach I'm hurrying back to my
aughter. and then wen have family I
rayers together. Won't you join us7" | /
he beamed on David with fhe ex- II
ression Of one raady TO suffer the In
But D1vit stared at him | I
| silence with d strange look and
ZEN abruptly turned away. What III
'ol he had been % trust these Gran /
ers for a moment He caught him.
for aushf he really knew, !
40 innocent Of her fathers intrigues. I
@8s I
On the corner OF the lanes called a
nix and Walnut the blacksmith shop q
Israel Butt, 4 low barrack Of logs, ID
lowed no gieama Of light from the In
rior to the chahce passer-by. Da- q
4 hidden n the drk passageway at In