The Benson signal., 1917-02-17
CHAPTER IV-continued.


With the closing of the doors behind
him, in the dim light he distinguished
at the other end of the room the high
platform and desk where the judges
were 30 sit, when the court had been
transferred from old Vincennes. Be-
hind the high-backed desk he would
be absolutely concealed from view.
He made himself comfortable behind
it and settled down to what promised
to be 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
his 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 hlrshness checked with an
effort to whisper; sometimes it rose
as though its owner could with diff
Guilty constsain himself ito caution.
Barrels of it, 1 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
fense. But you'll admit that I 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 Yankee to an Eng
iish commission"
The man addressed as Girty swore
irritably.
American? He hain't no more
American than 1 be-. You promise
him a nice berth with the kings COM
mission and protection and he'll take
it."
'And if ne refusesw
''No ones the wiser. I'll cut his
throat easy enough"
David thought the husky giggle
which accompanied the words would
have graced Satan.
swell, We'll meet him tonight, then.
Where do you say he's to be found?"
'Well meet at the forge at the cor
ner of Oak lane and Walnut-Israel
Butts smithy. He slips in and out
when he pleases."
"We'll meet there at midnight?"
Whereabouts. Give me time to git
some O. this liquor. We don't git good
wine every day in the wilderness"
And the backwoodsman chuckled
again wheezily.
David heard the faint shuttle Of the
British agents steps as the two moved
away. The second man must be bare
foot, he thought. Then came the just
audible sound Of the closing doors and
he was alone. He rose and hastened
through the growing darkness like a
Eattered ghost He had still another
rendezvous with traitors to keep that
Might.
With grunt portly passer-by felt
his impact as he turned the corner; it
was Cranmer himself, lingering on the
way to his inn.
''Why, it's Dayid!" he exclaimed
with bluff friendliness. "How are you,
young MANI" He crushed David's cold
fingers in a mighty grasp. "My boy"
he went on sturdily, 'Ive seen moth
ing in this town all day long but
drunken backwoodsmen. 1 don't think
they're folk you can depend on. I
stick to old John Wesley, rest his
honest soul! I'm Methodist, 1 am
even in town where there's none to
preach. I'm hurrying back to my
daughter, and then We'll have family
prayers together. Won't you join us?"
He beamed on David with the ex-
preston of one ready to suffer the In
quisition. But David stared at him
In silence with a strange look and
then abruptly turned away. What
fool he had been to trust these Gran
mers for a moment! He caught him
self-Lydia, for aught he really knew,
was innocent Of her fathers intrigues.
On the corner of the lanes called
Oak and Walnut the blacksmith shop
If srael Butt, a low barrack of logs,
howed no CLEAN Of light from the in
cior to the chance passer-by. Da-
A. hidden in the dark passageway at