The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-03-27


us 1t you, my lad?"
"Yes," i answered, as came up to
him and Mary. in condition of
breathless excitement.
told them of the curious adventure
l 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 stopping
to swing the fuil. The man must have
fallen very near It. Soon we found
where he had been lying and drops Of
fresh blood on the stubble.
"HuSh," said the schoolmaster.
We listened and heard wagon rat
Ting at 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 ye hadn't
a made u lucky hit with the fall
God bless ye"
"What would they "a done with
me uSkeu.
"Oh reckon they'd "a took ye Oft,
lad, and KEEP ye for year or SO until
Amos was out O. danger" said Mr..
Hacket. Maybe they'd drowned ye 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 We,
laddie buck. Wen have to keep an
eye on ye now, every day until the
trial Is over-sure we will. Come, Wen
go up to the barn and see If Kate Is
there"
Just then we heard the rccedIng
wagon 60 roaring over the bridge on
Little river. Mary shuddered with
fright. The schoolmaster reassured US
by saying:
Don't be afraid. brought my gun
In case we'd meet n painter. But the
danger Is past"
He drew n 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 l had SO
luckily escaped 1t gave me q heavy
sense of responsibility and of the
wtckedness Of men.
/ thought of old Kate and her broken
silence. For once I had heard her
speak. I could feel my flesh tingle
when I 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 gallows and could not
bear TO see 1t cheated Of Its prey. For
some reason she hated the Grlmshaws.
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 my eyes. Walt and you
VIII see what will put upon him."
i knew that old Kate was not the
irresponsible, witless creature that
people thought her to be. had begun
to think of her with kind Of awe as
one gifted above NIL 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
nnd go across the street to the house
o Deacon Blnks, the constable. You'll
find him asleep by the kitchen stove
Arrest his slumbers, but not rudely
and, when he has come to, tell him
that have news O. the devil"
Deacon Blnks arrived, q fat mar
with big, round body and very
wise and serious countenance between
side whlskers bending from his temple
to his neck and suggesting parenthese:
OF hair, MS II his head and Its acces
sOries were In the nature of side
issue. He and the schoolmaster wen
out of doors and must have talked to
gether while was eating q bowl oi
bread and milk which Mrs. Hacket hat
brought to me.
When / went to bed, by and by.
heard somebody snoring on the llttl'
porch under my window. The frs
sound that reached my ear at thu
break of dawn was the snoring o.
some sleeper. dressed and went be
low and found the constable In hi
coonskin overcoat asleep on the porci
with a long-barreled gun at bis side