Year: 1875

Bumford was astir. but not down yet.
heard him coughing through his open case
meut; for | went with purpose round
the path by his house. and called
out TO him. He looked out in his shirt
sleeves and cotton night cap.


You see how early am this morning !
I'll bring you the key when l leave"


"Eugh.' growled Bumford. mo rights
to ha' took it,"


Locking the church door securely AFTER
me. went along the aisle. calling softly
to Fred. He came forward from a dark,
hig walled pew, behind pillar, where
he had slept. You should have seen him
devour the bread and meat, # you'd like
to know what hungry means, and drink
the bottle of beer. | sat down to practice.
Had old Bumiord not heard the sound of
the organ lie might have come laundering
at the door to know what l was about and
what the silence meant. Fred came with
me and we talked while PLAYED. About
the first question he asked was whether
Gisby was dead; but | could not tell him.
He said he had gone out cautiously in the
night and walked about the church-yard
for an hour, thinking over what he could
do. "And really had an unpleasant ad.
venture, Johnny" he added.


what was it,


II was pacing the path under the hedge
toward Bumford's when all at once there
arose the sound of voices and steps on the
other side of it-fellows on the look out
amer me, l suppose"


held my breath. what did you do?''


''Crouched down as well as l could
fortunately the hedge is highland | came
softly and swiftly over the grass and the
graves to the porch. only slipped inside
just in time; before l could close the door
the men were in the church yard. The
key has trick of creaking harshly when
turned in the lock, you know, and l de-
clare | thought they must have heard it
then TOR it made fearful noise and the
night was very STILL


| ''And they did not hear it?."


IL suppose not. But it was some min
utes, 1 can tell you. before my pulses were
at all at their ordinary rate of beating"


He went on to say that the only plan he
could think of was to endeavor to get away
and 20 out of the country. To stand
his trial was not 10 be thought of. His
word that he had not been the guilty man,
had never even had a gun in his hand that
night, would go for nothing against Gis-
by's word and Shepherds. Whatever
came OF it. he would be out OF the church
before Sunday. The great question was.
|
Tod was coming with me at night, and we
could consult together. Locking up the
church again, and the prisoner In it,
gladdened BumfOrd's heart by handing
over the key, and ran home to breakfast


Life yet fingered in Gisby; but the doc.
tors thought he could not live through the
day. The injury he had received was chief
ly internal. somewhere in the region o.
the lungs. Fresh parties went out to seoul
the country after Fred WesterbroOk will
fresh ardor, and SO the day passed
CHANGING to meet Shepherd late in tn,
afternoon, he told me Gisby still lived.


At sundOwn | went 20 practice again
and took a big mold candle with me
showing it TO BumfOrd, that he might no
be uneasy on the score of his stock 10 tn,
vestry. As soon as dusk came Cn and be
fore the tell-tale moon was much up,
left the organ, opened the church door
and stood at it, according to the plan con
certed with Tod. He came swiftly up witt
his basket of provisions, which he had 90
together by degrees during the day, ant
then we locked the door again. After Free
had regaled himself, we consulted togeth
er. Fred was to steal out of the churcl
about one O'Clock on Sunday morning an
make of across the country. But, to d.
this In safety, it was necessary he shout
be disguised. By that time, perhaps, tn
ardOr OF the night-searching might hav
somewhat passed, and the hour, on
O'Clock in the morning. wss IS silent an
lonely q one as could be expected. It wa
most essential that he should not be res
ognized BY any person who might chanc