Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-16

| Had Time to Raise My Flail and
Bring It Down Upon the Head of
the Leader.
fallen very near Co0n We r11ll1c
where he had been lying and drops of
fresh blood on the stubble.
"IIush," said tha schoolmaster.
We listened ami heard wagon rat
Ting at wild pace down the rond
toward the river.
'"rhere he goas," said Mr.. Hacket.
Ills companiras have carried him
away. Ye'd be riding in that wagon
now, yerself, my brave lad, if ye hadn't
"a made lu"ky hit with the fail
God bless yet"
"What would they a done with
me?' | asked.
ooh, | reckon they'd a. took We off,
lad, and KEEP ye for year or so until
Amos was out O DANGER" said Mr..
fincket. "Maybe thy'd drowned We In
the river down Il ere an left yer
clothes on the bank to make it look
like an honest drowning. The devil
knows what they'd "a done with We.
'addie buck. Wen have to keep IA
eye on ye now, every day until The
trial is over-sure we win. Come, wen
go UP to the barn and see il Kate is
there"
Just then we heard the receding
wagon go roaring over the bridge on
Little river. Mary shuddered with
fright. The schoomaster reassured us
BY saying:
"Don't be afraid. brought my gun
in case we'd meet painter. But the
danger is past"
He drew long pistol from his coat
pocket and held 1t In the light of the
lantern.
The loaded cart stood In the middle
Of the barn floor, where I had left It,
but old Kate had gone. We closed
the barn, drawing the cart along with
US When we came into the edge OF
the village / began to reflect upon the
strange peril out of which | had SO
luckily escaped. 1t gave me a heavy
sense of responsibility and OF the
wickedness of men.
thought Of old Kate and her broken
silence. For once | had heard her
speak. l could feel my flesh tingle
when | thought Of her quick words
and her hoarse, passionate whisper.
knew, or thought | knew, why she
took such care of me. She was In
league with the galows and could not
bear to see it cheated of Its prey. For
some reason she hated the Grims,.asss
| had seen the hate in her eyes the
day she dogged along behind the old
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, this
wild look IN rcy eyes. Walt and you
will see what | will put upon him."
! knew that old Kate was not the
irresponsible, witless creature that
people thought her to be. l had begun
to think of her with a kind Of awe as
one gifted above all others. One by
one the things she had said of the
future seemed to be coming true.
As we were going into the house the
schoolmaster said:
"Now, Mary, you take this lantern
and go across the street to the house
o Deacon Blnks, the constable. You'll
find him asleep by the kitchen stove.
Arrest his slumhers, but not rudely,
and, when he has come to, tell him
that have news O. the devil"
Deacon Binks arrived, a fat man
with a big. round body and a very
wise and serious counienance between
side whiskers bending from his temple
to his neck and suggesting parentheses
OF hair, rs If his head and It's acces-
sories were In the nature Of side
issue. He and the schoolmaster went
out of doors and must have talked to-
gether while was eating bowl Of
bread and milk which Mrs. Hacket had
brought to me.
When I went to bed, by aud by, I
heard somebody snoring on the little
porch under my window. The first
sound that reached my ear at the
break Of dawn was the snoring of
some sleeper. dressed and went be-
low and found the constable In his
coonskln overcoat asleep on the porch
with long-barreled gun at his side.
While l stood there the schoolmaster
came around the corner Of the house
from tie garden. He put his hand on
the deacon's shoulder and gave him
a little shake.
awake. ye limb o. the law" he de-
manded. Prayer is better than
sleep"
The deacon arose and stretched
himself and cleared his throat and as.
sumed an air of alertness and said 1t
v--~ - -----crn...--- which Il was not.