The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-24
(COntinued From Page Three)

which meant also toward him. At this distance he couldn't miss.
 Nor did he. At the shot. the figure jerked backward, then went over the face forward. The killer rose up right exultation contending with tautened nerves within him. He stole up to the fence, set foot in the tangled brushwL cd with intent to climb it and then-at what he saw-froze into a poised shape of terror. his eyes bulging, his mouth opened in square shape, and his rifle dropping from his twltehing fingers.
 .. He had just killed Snake Doctor killed him dead with a 32-calibre slug through the head.
 And here on his doorsill stood Snake Doctor, whnle and sound, and staring at hm..a
 And now, Snake Doctor, dead by all rights and rules, yet living, was ut torng cry and starting out of the doorway toward him.
 Japhet Morner had sucked in expectations with his mothers milk. He believed in "IIa'nts," in witch hags" and "sperrits" believed in "conjures" and charms" and ghosts and hoop snakes: believed that these might be killed only with a bullet nodded from virgin silver. And his mistake was. he had used lead out of d brass shell.
 Power of motion returned to him. He threw himself backward and whirled and ran into the deep Of the darllening wocds making whimper- ing. whining sounds like thrashed puppy as he went.
 Terror rode him into the dense timber. Exhaustion, dizziness, the feeling that he must get under the shelter of a sound roof, must have the protection of four walls about him, brought Japhet Morner out again; this was along toward mid night The rain had ceased; the moon was trying to come forth. A short distance southwest of his place he struck dirt road which would lead him there. Beyond the next bend he would be in sight of his home.
 Around the turn he saw coming tC- ward him a joggling light-a lam tern hung on a buggy or light wagon, he figured-and heard the creak of wheels turning Tn the muddied soft ness. Nameless horrors had made a fugitive of him; the fugitive instinct still possessed him. He flattened down in a clump of bushes to hide until the traveller had passed.
 Moving briskly. the rig was almost oppL site him when, from the other drection--the same direction he had been following-came call:
 "Hello there,-who's joggin'?'
 "Whoa-. Stiddy. boy." Whoever was driving pulled up his horse, which had shied at the sudden hail. Me Davis Ware" he answered back "That you. Tip Bailey?"
 Yep. hoofin' it out from the June ton. and tolerable tired, if anybody should ask you. What's bringin' you out this hour of the night, Davis somebody sick?"
 "Sick nothin'! There's been hell poppin in these bottoms tonight
 Behind the weed screen ten feet away the listener stiffened. his blood drumming in him. He knew the speakers, both neighbors of his, one of them a local leader. The foot passenger hurried up alongside the buggy; his face, inquisitive and alarmed. showed In the dim circle' of lantern night.
 What do you mean?'
 "A killin'-that's what I mean. Ar !, t7bominable, cold bloCded killin' ef snr, CT there wuz one'
 ,a ,"God! Who's been killed?" ain I'm fixin to tell you, man. It ITS lppened jes' shortly after dusk at The Snake Doctors place" le Was 1t him was killed?" "Gimme time, can't you?" This Ware was one who must tell his tale his own way or not at all. Tt seems like Snake Doctors been chillin' lately. He was purty bad off to- day-I mean yistiddy. And so, right after supper timeswhen the rain wuz lullin a little. Miss Kizzie Morner she footed it down from her place to hisn, fetching some physic with her and a plate of hot vittles fur him. It seems like she wuzn't feared to go there. I'd "a been, I'll own up, but she wuzn't We'll purty soon after sha got there it seems like he tried