Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-02-05

the leooof.
had time to raise my dail and bring Il
down upon the head Of the leader;
who fell as had seen q beef fall I'M
der the az. Another man stopped be
yond the reach Of my fall and, after
a seconds hesitation, turned and ran
away In the darkness.
could hear or see no other motion
in the field. I turned and ran on
down the slope toward the village. In
q moment I saw someone coming out
OF the maple grove at the fields end.
Just ahead. with a lantern.
Then I heard the voice Of the school.
master saying:
lis 1t you, my ladr
EYES," I answered. az I came up TO
him and Mary, in a condition oa
breathless excitement.
told them Of the curious adventure
I had had.
"Come quick" said the schoolmas
ter. Lets 60 back and find the man
in the STUMBLE"
remembered that I had struck the
path in my flight just before stoppinS
to swing the fail. The man must have
fallen very near 1t. Soon we found
where he had been lying and drops Of
fresh blood on the stubble.
'sHush," said the schoolmaster.
We listened and heard a wagon rat.
Ting at a wild pace down the road
toward the river.
'"There he goes" said Mr.. Hacket
"His companions have carried him
away. Ye'd be riding in that wagon
now, yerself, my brave lad, If We hadn't
"a made lucky hit with the fall
God bless yet"
"What would they "a done with
me?" I asked. S..
"Oh, I reckon they'd "a took ye of,
lad, and KEEP We for year or so until
Amos was out O. danger" said Mr..
Hacket. maybe they'd drowned We in
the river down there an left yer
clothes on the bank to make it look
like an honest drowning. The devil
knows what they'd a done with ye,
laddie buck. Wen have to keep an
eye on We now, every day until the
trial is over-sure we will. Come, we'll
60 up to the barn and see If Kate is
there"
Just then we heard the recedina
wagon go roaring over the bridge on
Little river. Mary shuddered with
fright. The schoolmaster treasured ue
by saying:
'sDon't be afraid. I brought my gun
in case we'd meet painter. But the
danger is past"
He drew long pistol from his coat
pocket and held it in the light of the
lantern.
The loaded cart stood in the middle
Of the barn floor, where ! had left 1t,
but old Kate had gone. We closed
the barn, drawing the cart along Win
US. When we came into the edge OF
the village I began to reflect upon the
strange peril out Of which ! had 30
luckily escaped. 1t gave me heaVy
sense Of responsibility and OF the
wickedness of men.
Thought Of old Kate and her broken
silence. For once I had heard ner
speak. I could feel my flesh Jingle
when I thought of her quick woros
and her hoarse, passionate whisper.
knew, or thought knew. why sne
took such care of me. She was IN
league with the gallows and could NOT
bear to see 1t cheated Of its prey. FOR
some reason she hated the Grimshaws.
I had seen the hate In her eyes the
day she logged along behind the oid
money lender through the streets OF
the village when her pointing finger
had seemed to say to me: There
there is the man who has brought me
to this. He has put these rags upon
my back, this fire In my heart, TINS
wild look in my eyes. Wait and you
will see what will put upon him.
Ito be continuedD,