Resuming his former station back of the
line he had drawn in the dusty road he permitted his eye to gauge
the distance afresh, then his hand was seen to pass deftly to his
left hip pocket, the long barrel of the rifle pistol was leveled,
the piece cracked, and the candle's yellow flame vanished.
The judge pocketed his pistol, walked down the street, and with
never a glance toward the tavern reentered his house.
The next morning it was discovered that sometime during the night
the judge had tacked his anonymous communication on the
court-house door; just below it was another sheet of paper
covered with bold script:
"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Judge Slocum Price assumes that the
above was intended for him since he found it under his office
door on the morning of the twenty-fifth inst.
"Judge Price begs leave to state it as his unqualified conviction
that the writer is a coward and a cur, and offers a reward of
five thousand dollars for any information that will lead to his
identification.
"Judge Price has stated that he would conduct an intelligently
directed investigation of the Norton murder mystery without
remuneration. He has the honor to assure his friends that he is
still willing to do so; however, he takes this opportunity to
warn the public that each day's delay is a matter of the utmost
gravity.
"Furthermore, judge Price avails himself on this occasion to say
that he has no wish to avoid personal conclusions with the
murderers and cutthroats who are terrorizing this community; on
the contrary, he will continue earnestly to seek such personal
conclusions.
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