Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-09-26

thus approached more closely to the
front of the main building, other lights
began to reveal themselves, enabling
me to perceive that the inner hallway
was likewise illuminated, although not
brilliantly. All about me was silence,
not even the sound of voice or the
flap of wing breaking the intense
stiffness of the night. l came below
the veranda, still in the deep shadow,
utterly unconscious of any other pres
ence, when suddenly, from just above
me, and certainly not six feet distant,
a man spoke gruflly, the unexpected
sound of his strange voice interrupted
by the sharp CRATE of q chairs leg on
the porch floor, and half-smothered
yawn.
"Say, sheriff, how long are we all
goin' ter set yere, do yer know? This
don't look much like Saint Louee afore
daylight ter me-"
1 stopped still, crouching low, my
heart leaping into my throat, and
every nerve tingling.
mo, it sure don't, Tim," replied an
other, and the fellow apparently got
down from off his perch on the porch
rail. "Yer see Kirby is bound he'll get
hold o. them two missin' females furst,
afore he'll let me round up the mig
gers. The papers is all straight
'nough, but they've got ter be served
afore we kin lay hands on a burned
thing. The jedge toll me fer ter do
everything just as Kirby sed, an l aim
ter do it, but just the same l got ter
keep inside the law. / dunno as it
makes much difference when we strike
the OIL town."
"'Tain't so much that, sheriff. / kin
stan it fer ter be up all night, but
Bill wus tellin' me we might hav' SOM
trouble down ter the Landin' unless
we finished up our job yere afore
mornin'."
"Oh, 1 reckon not; whut was it Bill
said?"
"Quite a rigmarole frum furst ter
last. Civ me a light fer the pipe, will
yer?"
There was a flare above me. and
AnGn O1A OnCC AuOAC anu llCn lllC
slow drawl of the mans voice as he re-
sumed. "Some feller by the name ov
McAdoo, down ter Saint Louee, who's
just com down from the lead mines
toI' him thet Joe Kirby got all this
yere property in game O. kyards or
the boat, an thet it want no square
game either. 1 didn't git it all straight
l reckon, but accordin' ter the deal
handed me thar wus two dead mer
mixed up in the affair-Beaucaire, an
young army officer. Seems ter me
his name was Knox"
81 didn't hear that"
swell, enyhow, that's the way Bill
told it. Beaucaire he naturally fel
dead--heart, er somethin'-an' tht
other feller, this yere army man, ht
went out on deck fer ter see Kirby, an
he never cum back. McAdoo sortel
reckoned as how likely he was slugged
an throwed overheard. An then, OF
top all that, we're sent up yere in th'
night like passel o. thieves ter tax,
these niggers down ter Saint Louee
What do yer make ov it, Jake?"
"Wal." said the other slowly, hi
mouth evidently loaded with tobacco
81 amt never asked no questions sine
/ wus made sheriff. Pm doin' whu
the court says. Kirby's got the lav
on his side-no doubt bout that-bu
/ reckon as how he knows it wus
durn mean trick, and so he's sorte
skeered as ter how them fellers livir
down ter the Landin' might act. Thet'
why we tied up ter the shore beloN
town, in the mouth o. thet crick, al
then he'd ter hoof 1t up yere in tn
dark. OF course we got the law wit
us, but we wanter pull this job off al
not stir up no fight-see?"
"Sure," disgustedly 81 reckon
know all that; 1 heerd the jedge te
yer how we must do the job. Bl
why's Kirby in such sweat ter git a
these niggers down ter Saint LoueeP
'Ter sell 'em, an git the cash. One
they're outer the way there won't b
} no row. He'll let the land yere Il