The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-07-29

HE
PR Al
JUDGE
CHAPTER XIV.
he BrkAle Buyts.
BY VAUGHAN KESTEF


CHAPTER XIV.
The B1hAle Bursts.
At about the same hour that the
Judge was hurting threats and in
suits At Colonel Fentress, three
men were waiting 10 miles away At
the head Of the bayou which served
to isolate Hicks cabin. Now NO
one Of these three had ever heard Of
Judge Slocum Price: the breath Of
his fame had never blown, however
gently, in their direction, yet they
were preparing to thrust opportun-
ity upon him. 10 this end they
were lounging about the opening in
the woods where the horses belong
ing to Ware and Murrell were tied.
At length the dip Of oars became
audible in the silence and one OF
the trio stole down the path, q mat
ter OF 80 yards, to a ponit that over
looked the bayou. He was gone but
a moment.
Its Murrell all right" he said
in an eager whisper. Him and an
other fellow-the Hicks girl is row.
ing Them He glanced from one
to the other of his companions,
who seemed to take firmer hold of
themselves under his eye. It'll be
all right" he protested lightly.
Hes as good as ours. Wait till
l give you the word" And he led
the way into an adjacent thicket.
Meantime Ware and Murrell had
landed and were coming along the
path, the outlaw step or two in
advance OF his friend. They reach
ed the horses and were untying
them when the thicket suddenly
disgorged the three men; each
held a cooked pistol; two or these
pistols covered Murrell and the
third was leveled at Ware.
"Hues!" cried Murrell in aston
ishment, for the man confronting
him was the Clans messenger who
should have been speeding across
| the state.
Toss up your hands, Murrell,"
said Hues quietly.
One of the other men spoke.
You are under arrest"
Arrest"
You are wanted for niger steal
ing" said the. man. Still Murrell
did not seem to comprehend. He
looked at Hues in dull wonder.
! What are you doing here?" he
asked.
Waiting to arrest you-ain't that
pla1n? said Hues, with a grim
smile.
The outlaws hands dropped al
his side, limp and helpless. With
some idea that he might attempt tc
draw a weapon one of the men tool
hold of him, but Murrell was nerve.
less to his touch; his face had gone
a CHASTITY white and was streaket
with the markings of terror.
)! We'll, by thunder" cried thu
man in utter amazement.
Murrell looked into Hues' face
"You-you-" and the word:
thickened On his tongue, becomins
an inarticulate murmur.
Its all up, john" said Hues.
MOI said Murrell, recovering
himself. you may as we'll turn m,
loose-you can't arrest mel"
I've done it,. answered Hues
I've been on your track for 81,
months"
How about this fellow" aske,
the man whose pistol still covered
Ware. Hues glanced toward tn,
planter and shook his head.
/ Where are you going to TAX
me" asked Murrell quickly. Agail
, Hues laughed.
) You'll find that out in plenty Q
time, and then your friends cal
, pass the word around if they like
! now you'll come. with me-"
II Ware neither moved or spoke a
Hues and his prisoner passed bac
q along the path, Hues with his han
: on Murrelrs shoulder, and one Q
. his companions close at his heels
while the third man led of the out
laws horse.
Presently the distant clatter @
$ hoofs was borne to Wares ears
only that; the miracle of courag
and daring he had half expected ha
. not happened. Murrell, for all hi
: wild boasting, was like other mel
like himself. His bloodshot eve
Slid around in their sockets. Their
across the sunlit stretch of waite
was Betty-the thought of he
D brought him to quick choking tel
q rors. The whole fabric of Grim
F.: by which he had been benefited i
d the past or had expected to prof
: in the future seemed topping j
i upon him, but his mind clutche
one important fact Hues, if b
knew of Betty's disappearance, di
not connect Murrell with it. Wal
, sucked In comfort between hi
= twitching lips. Stealing niggers
= No one would believe that he,
!, planter, had hand in that, an
: for a brief instant he considere
= signaling Bess to return. Slosso
!, must be told of Murrell's arrest
. but he was sick with Apprehension
q some trap might have been pr,
pared for him, he could not know
= and the impulse to act forsook hin
II He smote his hands together in
hopeless, beaten gesture. And Mul
;. rel had gone weak-with his ow
h eyes he had seen it-Murrell-
! whom he believed without feal
n He felt that he had been grie'
! ously betrayed in his trust and
II hot rage poured through him, !
last he climbed into the saddl
4 and, swaying like drunken ma
: galloped OF.
"a When he reached the river ros
he paused and scanned its dus'
. surface. Hues ana hts party hs
. turned south when they issued fro