He turned to the judge, who spoke up quickly.
"Did he carry a bundle and rifle?" he asked. Murrell gave eager
assent.
"Well," said the judge, "he stopped here along about four o'clock
and asked his way to the nearest river landing." Murrell
gathered up his reins, and then that fixed stare of the judge's
seemed to arrest his attention.
"You'll know me again," he observed.
"Anywhere," said the judge.
"I hope that's a satisfaction to you," said Murrell.
"It ain't--none whatever," answered the judge promptly. "For I
don't value you--I don't value you that much!" and he snapped his
fingers to illustrate his meaning.
CHAPTER XI
THE ORATOR Or THE DAY
"Hanibal" the judge's voice and manner were rather stern.
"Hannibal, a man rode by here last night on a big bay horse. He
said he was looking for a boy about ten years old--a boy with a
bundle and rifle." There was an awful pause. Hannibal's heart
stood still for a brief instant, then it began to beat with
terrific thumps against his ribs. "Who was that man, Hannibal?"
"I--please I don't know--" gasped the child.
"Hannibal, who was that man?" repeated the judge.
"It were Captain Murrell." The judge regarded him with a look of
great steadiness. He saw his small face go white, he saw the
look of abject terror in his eyes. The judge raised his fist and
brought it down with a great crash on the table, so that the
breakfast dishes leaped and rattled. "We don't know any boy ten
years old with a rifle and bundle!" he said.
Pages:
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125