ON HOGS BACK
OORED to the rotting pier a fisherman's
dory, old and worn, swung on the smooth
surges that ran under the dilapidated
structure. The sun was setting. Seaward
a wall of mistiness caught the waning
light, and to the experienced eye of the
single individual lounging on the string
piece it spoke loudly of coming fog.
The man was young, roughly dressed m
. oilskins, old rubber boots and a "sou'
easter," and bore the unmistakable stamD
f a fisherman. Almost a giant in figure,
ms clean-shaven face was singularly gentle
inj its expression, though about it ' was
wmething of an air of sorrow or depression as his, va
ftttit gazg was fixed on the, cold distance. Presently,
behind him the loose planks -rattled under a ; heavy
tread.
BMfey there, you! Whatl!' you take the oveY td Sfs-'
winct for?"
; The sitting man gave a slow and sidelong glance at
he well-dressed stranger, spat pensively into the water,
jMid returned his attention to ithe distance before lie
gave voice to the spiritless reply,
Bout a dollar, I guess when I go.
i "All right," said the other, vigorously and in a tone of
felicf. "And when win that bp?"
i . - i. itVi.
a. uiayDe nvc minims; niayiic an nour. wamn tor a
Mtcket o'clams."
""But, man, it will be black dark in an hour!"
"Well, what of it?"
,: "Oh, nothing! Only I ought to be in Sisquinet right
now. I got on the branch' road by mistake, and there
on't be another train out to-night,"
A The stranger kicked aside a pair of old oars and,
gating himself on the stringpiece, took a cigar-case from
is pocket. It was well filled, but without tendering: it
the fisherman, he selected a cigar and proceeded to
iht up. "Say," he continued, rolling the Havana in
his thick lips, and dressing his slightly grayed mus
tache with a pudgy hand on which glistened a diamond
"say. do you happen to know a chap named Maxwell
yer to Sisquinet ? His father's just dead." ( ( ,
' Sure," -was the 'terse reply.
"Know him well?"
i"S'.-ncc i was a sucker. Decent kind o' feller, too."
Wic voice drawled as if words were an effort.
"Ycs? Well, he's the man I want to see. You can
show me where he lives?"
The other turned and looked squarely at his ques
tioner. "Lives close to me, Mr. Mr. "
"Mr. Sclover."
"V.ius. Mr. Sclover. They xall me Roger,-, I live-to
Sisquinet."
"Do, hey? Well, is Maxwell a hard roan to deal with?
SfluMc.Y, you kjnow. or is he easy-going, like his father
was? I knew his father, but Idon't know him, yofc
tee."
"Lord !" exclaimed the fisherman, with his first show
of either animaffon or interest, """if aid? I should say
not! Kasy as an old gum boot! Between me an' you
he'ff plumb simple at limes. I'm an old friend o' bis.
If you'll excuse me, what be ye goin' over to see him
about? He don't have many o' your figger callin at his
shack." ,
The stranger hesitated a moment. "Well,, I don't
.mind telling you as his friend," he finally' said. ,!It is a
disagreeable piece of business for both ef us. I I am
Mr. Jacob Lamson's lawyer; Perhaps you've heard of
him. He used to live in Sisquinet. years ago, and "
"Lamson!" interrupted the other. "Him what holds
one share raore'n half in Maxwell's sehconer?" The
fisherman seemed fully alive now.
"Precisely. Mr. 'Lamson still owns the controlling in
terest in several vessels in Sisquinet."
"Th-.i's riohft Hivf T lirarH nf him' I ihnnlil smile '
An' so you're his lawyer, hex? Well, J want to say right
here th your client's a skunk a low-down dogfish.
Why don't he put up his share o' money to make repairs?
The boys can't do it all an' give him half profits, too;
an' so there's a -bunch o' vessel drawed up on the beach
jest goin' to rot no good to nobody,. He won't repair
nor tell an' he don't care, 'cause he's rich. Max's
.!:eoncr is the only one that's fit all ! Yes, lir; your
maii' closed mean, if ye don't mind my sayin' it"
"That may be your opinion, my friend, and one for
which my client caret nothing," replied 'the stranger,
with a touch of asperity. "But 'this is purely a nutter of
business. Mr. Lamson is going to sell Maxwell's
schooner.'' '
The face of the fisherman lighted. "Not" h ex
claimed "To Max?
"Hardly," wu the calm reply. "To parties m Boston,
I believe. The point isthis. The contract came to
your friend front, his father, who has recently died, and
my client bold Mae controlling interest. Now, the
money Mr. Lamson ha already paid for repair and
improvement just about eat up young Maxwell'
equity in the vessel. I regret to say he will get noth
ing." )
"Nothing?"
"Nothing. 1 have tried to get Mr. Laauau to tell hi
interest to young Maxwell, but he it obdurate and per
haps vengeful. He had no lover for oH Maxwell. Do
jrou follow me?"
"I'm m yer wash," returned the other, hi face tud
rjrnly clouding. "And what iif the devil do youtwant to
tee Max now for?"
"To give him legal notice ;rH ettle ny small, dif
ference that may arise. Hint's wby I asked if he was
mild or hot-headed."
"Yaat-yaas, I tee," laid h . noddiag slowly
-a he got to hi feet. "Btruhrs'll be an awfnl craek for
kit wife! He ought to git red-headed over it, but he'
Jtt fool enough not to. Well there's nothin' I can iv.
By CHAUNCEY C HOTCHKISS
(Copyrighted 1111 by Harper & Bros.)
I suppose.-I'm goin' up to the store for a minnit. That
seegar o' yours makes me hanker for a smoke. No
thankee I : wouldn't ; think o' robbin' ye." And with
that the speaker turned and walked slowly up the pier,
his bronzed face indicative of extreme disgust.
' iThe little building tefward which he directed his steps
seemed to hang on the end of the steep street, and an
old sign across its front gave notice that one Thomas
Pemberton dealt in general merchandise. The fisher
man enteredThe gloomy and odoriferous interior,
lounged up to the knife-scored counter, and greeted the
proprietor,
1 "Hello, Tom!"
' "Hello, Roger! What can I do for yon?"
"Just want to buy a seegar an' borrow a lantern.
Going to take a landshark across the bay, an' I reckon
he's afraid o' the dark,"
"Don't say! Who is he?" .'
"Feller named ' Seiover : says he's lawyer to miser
Lamson. Say he come up to sell the Luella. What do
ye think a' that? Nice news,' hey ?"
. "You don't tell me! -Feller with a gray mustache an' "
a flash ring?" j ,
"Yaa." ''
The proprietor opened wide his cy- "Him a lawyer
to Lamson!''' lie exclaimed, a mhcture of astonishment
and derision in his voice as he looked questioning? at
' his customer ; then he glanced at the two men sitting by
the empty stove and jsjked his head toward tne rear of
:the store. At the unspoken hint the man called Roger
followed with something like wonder on his calm coun
tenance. When, some, ten minutes later, the two re
turned to the front the fisherman's face was flushed and
he was whistling softly. Abstractedly swinging the bor
rowed lantern, he walked slowly frorrl the store like one
in djeep thought. The proprietor followed him to the
' door and glanced over j(he bay. .
"Say, Roger, looks dghty like a fog a-comin', don't
it?" ; - "
' The other looked up and answered, absently, "Sure,"
"If I was you," continued Mr. Pemberton, 'Td tow
him astern for a spell, or, better yet, I'd set the sucker
on Hogsback rocks ant let the, tide fix him fcr fair.
Sech people hain't no right to live in this world. Well,
my duty to Kitty. Good night."
As the fisherman waited sjoyjiacktoward the little
pier his erstwhile, mil exJfltcSiavc place t hard'
, Jines around the mouth, and his clean jaw worked ncr-.
vously. - Presently he halted, lost in deep thought, but
finally brought his great hand down- on his oilskinned
thigh with a resounding slap and went his way with
accelerated steps. He found -the stranger smoking in
the gathering dusk, and thfe bucket of clams had ar
rived, cross the bay,, on a $$01 headland, the mel
low glow of the Sisquinet Lighjt,, shone out like' a star.
Wiltyjfttte next ten minifies; the dory: was running
quietly over the long waves, its little sail hardly bulging
under the weakening wind. To the lawyer it appeared
as if they were floating out into space, for almost im
mediately after the start the threatening mist had crept
in from the sea, which, with the failing light, cut off
even the loom of the land ahead. For a time neither of
the boat's occupant's spoke, but at length Roger gave
- votee-te-his thoughts.
-J!Say, won't Lamson give Max no show at all?" he
asked appealing!?, as be'leaned toward his passenger.
"I believe we have gone thoroughly over the ground,"
was the terse reply.
"Well, then," was the earnest return, "Lamson is just
goin' to ruin. Max. It'll take the bread out o' his mouth
to sell the schooner now, an' him only lately married to
the nicest little gal in Sisquinet. Say, that interest in
the Lnelia is all he's got in the world. He never
dreamed o' such a thing happen in'. He never had no
trouble with Lamson, if his dad did. An'.-he's put a
heap o' work on that craft. This here traverse will
knock him flatter n a white squall, an' nigh kill his wife.
I think a pile o' Max. Won't Lamson' sell 'o him?
Max hain't got the money, but you can bet he'll raise it.
Say, went ye help him out?"
The fine facie was pathetic, and the low voice held an
unmistakable nwte of pleading, but the listener was un
responsive. He waved an impatient gesture with his
fat band. "No, I told you. Mr. Lamson is a good
hater; he don't forget what the people of Sisquinet, and
especially Maxwell and his father, have said about him.
And what' the use of talking ? Itcan't do anything."
The fisherman settled back. "Yaas, I see. Ye need
n't ay no more. .-J reckon ye, feel ome bad yourself,
an' I'm glad I haven't got your job. After all, there's
raore'n ont way to catch fish !"
With this enigmatical remark the boatman relapsed
into silence. He puffed vigorously on the pipe he had
filled and lighted, but the line of hi face, which had
relaxed as he begged for his friend, grew hard again.
Time pasted, and a darkness fell apace the wind fell
Willi it, unul at length there was hardly enough forcr to
keep the dory under way. All signs of land, both before
and behind, had long since vanished ; even the friendly
light from Sisquinet Point wu lost in the thickening
fog . Vision became contracted, and to the city man the
condition made the rate ut the boat' progress and its
direction at once a matter of mere guesswork. The
swells had grow heavier, indicating open water, and
mr in a while a wave gathered head and broke with a
hiMMf'se that ws Marthas; to the passenger.
And by thi time he ws more than anxious that the
trip ihould end. The motion of the boat had become
nighty unpleasant Ao kim and from hi reckoning they
ihould have arrived at Sisquinet long since; they had
been out for upward of two hour, but a yet there, were
no lignt of their destination. Mr. Sclover had become
Jr,i .KfuiVdwietinn him that ht morose pilot
was m-aquanury; tor. si mc hh ""ku, uc n.un-
REEF
man's face, now barely discernible, bore a troubled look
which he made no effort to conceal. Roger finally
knocked the ashes from his long-extinguished pipe,
shifted himself in his seat, tried to pierce the gloom on
all sjdes, listened intently, and otherwise showed anxious
watchfulness. At length he broke the protracted silence.
"I declar for it! I wish I hed brought a compass!
Damn a fog, anyhow !"
"Don't you know where we are?" asked the other,
mightily disturbed by the tone of his guide.
"Listen!" came the irrelevant exclamation, "Do ye
hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Breakers, by the Lord ! Sure as thunder uie tide is
scttin' us on the Hogsback!"
As the man ceased speaking, through the silence there
camd the muffled boom of a distant surf. The stranger
caught the sound and perspiration started from his fore
head. "The Hogsback!" he feebly exclaimed, turning
as wiak as the water about him, while the fog-beads
hanging thickly on his heavy brows and mustache did
not soften his expression of sudden fear.
Dragged him unceremoniously
"What do ye know about Hogsback rocks?" demand
ed the fisherman
"Nothing but what Mr. Lamson has told me. I don't
see how you got out so far."
"Mtf" came the unexpectedly forcible return. "I
didn't make the tWc run an' the wind stop blowin' nor
I didn't make no fog. What's more. I never asked yc to
come aboard. Can't a man get lost ?"
"I -I beg your pardon. What can wc do?"
"By thunder! I don't know what to do; ain't any
thing to do, as 1 see. If I had oars I'd try to row. but
like a dum fool I forgot 'em. Ye noticed 'em lyin' on
the pier, didn't yc ?"
The lawyer nodded despairingly ; the other fell into
what appeared tn be a perplexed silenc e. Presently the
latter poke again: We're sartain gettin' nearer them
rocks! I can hear them breakers plainer can't ye?
The tide it lettiu' in on strong, but we may fetch pan
'era. By the Lord I hope so I
"Are we in grat danger?" asked the lawyer, his
heavy voice weakened by apprehension.
"Well, ye ought: to know what ft means to go on the
rock in a urf," wa the uncomforting rejoinder. "I'm
fair to My that I don't like this traverse a damn bit
better than ye do. ' Can ye swim ?"
The perturbed panr fairly groaned. "Not a
troke."
"That" bad! Sorry 1 ever got ye into thi muss:
but it wa'n't my fault. lKw could I ha' known? Be
ye a married man IT
"Yc and two children "
"Well, we've got to trtut m the Lord an' do the bet
'we can. If we hit sand we'll have a show, hut if it's to
be rock well I don't know that swimmin' would help
any. Listen to thai! Sure as thunder we're goin' on!"
And to the lawyer' strained, tenses ft was only too
evident that the man was right. The fog ws aow thick
and the desperation of the situation intenaificl by the
unpoitibility of toeing him, lasw tin t .awty. Mr.
Sclover, being a coward, wajkrew . wn of P1'"
Within th space of five minutes hi ruddy faa had lost
sH nannvnnr .
nnnnnnnnnnnn
WJrm Lnm nn D
Wwfthz5 mH n'nr B nV iSnl nnvLnr
its color and his features grown haggard. The "shut
in" feeling causecTby the blanket of moisture, demoraliz
ing to any nerves, made his a wreck, and it was all he
could do to keep from exposing his sbject terror as he
sat on the thwart, loose-mouthed and clutching the gun
wale of the boat.
By this time the dory had hardly way enough to keep
across the trough of the enlarging swells, but to the
landsman, listening to the growing thunder of the
breakers, it seemed as if the frail craft was flying to its
destruction. Presently a wave broke- in phosphorescent
foam dote to the boat, and the gaunt outlines of a great,
swaying spar-buoy slid by. It was a startling sight.
As the fisherman caught a. glimpse of the mighty stick
he gave a shout and sprang to his feet: "Stand by!" he
yelled, dropping his hold on the tiller and catching up
lhe borrowed lantern. "By heaven! it's comin'! Ye
set. still. I'll do the-best I can for ye."
It was a strenuous moment to both parties. For the
boat, reliever of all direction from the tiller, at once
fell into the hollow of the rollers, and a toppling sea
caught , her and bore hersidewise toward the' shore.
Soon each .wave became a white-capped menace, and
e' ... . ... . J -I, j'.' I. I--. - C.'w1lk. "
lor a time me aory -waiioweu uruiiKcniy , iniiuiy u
seemed lifted up by an utisecn force and hurled for
ward. "Starn all !" shouted tlje sailor, as the boat came
down and struck hard bottom with a shock. The next
second it slid upward a few feet and then fairly rolled
over. ' ,v- " ' ' -' ' i
But before the last happened the burly fisherman had
leaped from the dory,, and, grasping his terrified and
half-paralyzed passenger by the collar, dragged him
unceremoniously through the recedug breaker, and
landed him above the rush of the waves, himself wet
only to the hips. M ; ,
"Fortnit we struck a pocket o' sand-!'"he said, looking
at the bedraggled man who was cditghing up' the brine
Hie had taken in. "There's rock to both sides of us, but
the minnit I seed the spar I sensed where w.e was. Nice
kettle o' fish, ain't it?"
"Thank God wc arc out of it I gasped Sclover, re
gaining his powers of speech. "This will be an eternal
through the receding breaker.
lesson to me! I was a fool to. trust myself to a boat!"
"I don't quite see what yc got to thank God about,"
said the other. "We happen to be safe foj a minnit or
so, but ye evidently don't know that the Hogsback is
three foot under water at high tide. Xo livin' soul
could keep a hold on 'the rocks in the run o' the sea.
An' the dory's a wreck."
The lawyer's jaw dropped as he sst staring at the
speaker. For a moment he was overcome too over
come to move. And if he hoped for something to miti
gate the force of the blow of this piece of information
he wa disappointed: thete was no comfort forthcom
ing; instead, the fisherman sat down, emptied the water
from his boots, and then .divested himself of his heavy
oilskin. The two men remained silent for a space
while the froth of the breakers shot up closer and
closer. At length Sclover, shivering from cold and
fright, got to his feet and his agony of mind was plain
in the tone of his voice.
"What are you going to do?" he faltered.
"What am I goin' to dor wa the calm return.
"What do ye s'pose?"
"Good 'God, man! You are not going to leave me
here on the reef to die alone!' was the sudden and
frenried exclamation.
"Does ee hard," wa the unfeeling reply, "but I
don't ee how it would better ye by my dyin with ye.
'Sides. I got a wife, (ante a ye. if I hain't got children."
"And you can twim atborc?"
"Kaiy. The seal! be ca m on the tsnd ide."
"Almighty God! How long before the tide cover
the reef?" demanded the lawyer, the fear of death in hi
voicr.
"Near a I can gue it'll be (lack water on the flood
in about two hour."
"Two hour? You could bring help m that time?"
"I might try swnpewhV all went right." said the big
man. Then he cleared -fit throat, and his voice grew
harsh. "See here, my friend. I'd have to ask Msx to
get ye ashore, he bein' my nearest neighbor. Do ye
think he'd think me for hrtngm' ye down on him?"
"But thi is a case of life or death."
"Vaas: it i to him. too."
"Oh, don't talk nonsense now? I'll giw you anything
to save me.
"A what' 1 1 ve give Maxr
"Anything he demand. Alruih Heaven I Wa
r-.n't haggle here !"
The fisherman's face changed. "Will ye give Max the
schooner? I'm mighty sorry to be makm' tarms with a
dyi'i' man, but it' Max ye will have to depend on, an'
I'm working for him."
"I'll do that, or anything. I'll tec that he gets the
schooner; III give yr,u a hundred dollars if you send
him or anyone. I can't be left here to die like a rat !
Good God. man, how can you have the heart to think of
such a thing? Can't you"
"Say, you'd better shut up about havin' heart," in
terrupted Roger, snapping his strong jaw. "Ye didn't
care a cuss when I showed ye what a hole ye would put
Max in; an' now ye cries for Aim to save ye. Say, I
wouldn't take yer word for anything if you'll excuse
me for sayin' so."
"Why not? 1 will"
"Why not !" came the explosive interruption. "Be
cause you're a coward an' a liar, that's why not. Sootl
as. ye got ashore ye'd go back on it all. Now I'll help
ye gh jest one condition ; an' that is ye put yer change o'
heart in black an' white righrnow. If I don't show
writin' to Max he won't come an' ye couldn't blame
him." v
"I'd do it gladly; and I'd give you a check this mo
mem." was the eager return; "but you know it can't be
done here. Don't be absurd at such a time. I'll take
my oath "
'n-mtt in
Damn yer oath !" was the vociferous return. "Ymi
write it. I got a pencil a pencil is good in law an I
can fish out some paper, too, an' there's the glim."
The . fisherman drew a box of water-proof matches
from hs pocket and lighted the uninjured lantern, after
which he produced the stump of a pencil and an old
letter, Tearing off the blank page, he 'handed it to the
lawyer.'
"Ye got to be sudden," he continued, harshly. "Jest
make a plain bill o' sale o' the schooner Luella to Mr.
Thomas R. MJtywell, puttin' In the proper cOVffl ration,
an' don't ye forgit to sign yer own name to it. Mr.
Jacob Lamson, or I'll let ye lie 'here ah' rot before
I'll, lift a finger for ye."
The lawyer blinked. "Huh?? he ejaculated.
'Oh. I'm on to ye. sir; ye an' yer playin' off lawyer.
Yc be a foxy villain. It was Tom Pemberton what
put nic wise, but if yt hadn't been so Cantankerous
mean about yer seegars I'd never gone up to the Store
for one an' knowed about ye. An' by gosh ! t clean
forgot the smoker, after all. Git a move or). It might
be pleasant news to Max to hear ye are out on Hogs
back in a risin' tide. Hurry up; time's goin."
There was no geniality in the voice of the b!g man.
If he was not honestly ugly he was honestly indignant,
and Mr. Lamson, a)ias Selover, feeling himself com
pletely trapped, bent his head .under the lash of the
others words and wrote in silence. He made out a
rough but legal document, the fisherman holding the
lantern over him and eyeing the cringing figure with
an expression of extreme disgust while the fog bilfowed
thick about them. Just as the writer finished signing
his name a roll of spume washed to his feet.
"Be quick ! For God's sake be quick I" he said, thrust
ing the paper into the hand of his hoped-for savior.
But the other Cemed to be in no haste. "That'll
make Max's little gal the happiest woman in the hull
o,' Sisquinet," he said, folding it carefully and putting
it in his pocket. "That is settled! Come along; we'd
better get to the shore tide. I'rp some chilled. Ain't
ye?" The voice was now as smooth as oil.
Mr. Lamson was chilled,' body and soul ; but he had 1
other, things to think of; his precious life was not let
out of danger. "How long before Maxwell ca)i feet
to me?" he asked, humbly. .
"'Twon't be two hours; not long enough to drowrt
ye. I reckon. .'You follow an' don't tumble."
They weqtxover -the rocks, the lantern-bearer going
easily and rapidly, the other scrambling along in his
desire to keep-within sight of the illuminated haze made
by the light. It was a terrible journey to the city man.
Hogsback Kief he knew to be a quartet of a mile in
length, with about the same distance of open water
bev eei it and the mainland, but he seemed to hp
gone twice that space before he protested. ''HW
much further?" he finally gasped.
"Only a piece more, I guess." came back the cheerful
answer. Presently they struck a strip of hard sand,
and almost immediately the fog above them turned
golden. The guide whirled his lantern aloft and wheeled
around on his panting follower.
"Well, by my great-grandmother's aunt's black cat!"
he exclaimed. "If that ain't Sisquinet Light, an'. jjiis
ain't Sisquinet beach! I must ha' mistook: Spindle
Pint for the Hogsback!" He halted, facing tfcbrith
less man, his benevolent countenance bearing a broad
grin.
Between tremendous relief and acute astonishment
Mr. Lamson was momentarily brought to a mental
and physical standstill; but as he caught a full view
of his guide's smiling face a light rivalling that from
the towering beacon above him broke on his brain.
For a moment he gazed at his companion, his face
gathering anger.
"You infernal scoundrel !" he broke out. "You knew
it all the time!"
The fisherman threw back his head and laughed out
right "Course I did. Wat ye thick enough to think
I'd sailed these water for twenty year to get lost in
Sisquinet Bay 'cause it fogged? I never said we was
on the Hogsback. Ye jumped at it."
"You lie! You said the rocks were covered at high
water."
"On Hogsbck. So they be."
"And that you'd' have to swim ashore."
"Xot once I didn't. 1 said I could swim ashore,
Come . now." ,
"Yon intended to deceive me alt along. You"
"An who was ye tryin' to deceive? Ye was afraid to
come into town under yer right name. It's been dog
eat dog. Hain't it? What be ye kickin' about? Ain't
ye safe?"
"You rascal! You obtained that paper under the pre
tence that it was Maxwell on whom I would have to
depend. He con't make it hold."
"Can't, hey! See here; I happen to be him Thoma
Roger Maxwell, an at yer service, Mr. Selover. Guess
it was Max what brought ye'here ; st like I said he
w6uld." The man' fce was shining with quiet good
humor. "Don't bile over, now," he continued in a
conciliatory voice. "I'm goin' to let ye off that check
for hundred. Ye never wa in no danger. Did ye
think, an old doryman would be lueh an at a to leave
hi oars ashore in' put off in a fog unless he bad hi
bcarin' to almost a hair? I wa lay in' for that par
buoy, an' when I saw it I knowed jest where we wa."
"You damnable "
"Now now, I wouldn't, If I wa you. Look hew;
ye don't think I'd take your share o the Lueth at a
gift, do ye? Not much I I'm goin' to rip that paper
to bit jest as soon a we agree about the sale. I know
'tiin't witnrcd, but knowin' what I know abtUt your
change o' heart, I don't think youH deny tignin' it
See, I'm goin to do the fair thing by ye. Come now.
Ye go with me an' I'll fix ye up dry, an' well have a
hot supper, in' ye'll see Kitty an' feel Ion better. Ya
don't hate inc. really. An' yc knowwhat ye said about
tryin' to get Lamion to sell to Maxwell. Ye can't go
back on that, can ye? Come now."
Mr. Lamon wa tomethipg of a philosopher, and.
when unharawed. a quick thinker. Hi brain now
worked rapidly. What court in that region would do
for him in cate he contested the paper was hardly
problematical He knew when be was beaten, and he
wat aware that half a loaf it better than no bread.
Hut the story, that galled him. He capitulated, though
still sparring feebly.
"And you told me that Maxwell was toft," he b!u
tered. losing his sggressive attitude, "but he was willing
tn frighten me to drsth, snd now you will end by
making me ridiculmn."
The hshermsn caught th change and laid hit finger
on the tore spot .
"Scared, hey! Well, I guest ye were some. But
ye wasn't half to scared as I was when 1 knowed what
ye had come for. An' aof t f Ye tan bet I'm toft
when I ra treated white : for unless ye go round tellm'
about it, nobody won't know how ye was saved front
dr iwnm' on the Hoesbsck. Ain't that coaaia' down
etiyr
1Mtxrtef Syntkv
4-4 ' ,4,
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