Show The Famous Novel by KESTER J Copyright The Merrill Company CHAPTER XIII II Th The Judge Breaks Jail S I tIt had brought the judges judge's e reported that the crowd p losing Fing and that on the whole was not particularly eed rod he ho went so far as to tor r I l ted a stron strong undercurrent jr fa Ion on that the jail should have haxe justified Itself In n ill the sheriff went his a 1 way Jn o if t evening and night came fellowship the judges judge's fears o found it its wa way WY Into Intoe e e nicking inking a thin rift In the thc dark- dark I I judge J sat at down on the three thre 01 ol which with a shakedown he lie jail i as Solomon Mahaff Mahaffy an and ii J lie He felt that Mahaffy l l for fOT himself but h he expert expert- of or genuine cone concern cern when gl glit t of the child It re was a scar scarcely el audible rus- rus Ie Li margin of the woods A dr dry loudly Next ext stealthy a-stealthy n Jed d In the rI nearing clearing earl ng The judge d vision of regulators and The cautious steps continued o 0 ih IL A A. whisper stole into the tue awake awake Price It was Ma- Ma spoke ss Es fo you u. u Solomon Mahaffy judge unsteadily t I. th tho boy bov hp's with m me said both r repeated the tea ss you ou b kni Tak are care of him 1 loci better beRer now knowing od hands Please jud judge judge- judge judge- e- e It was Hannibal Yes Ves dear lad Im mighty sorry Or 1 that 10 I loaned you ou was bad But you dont don't need ever over everto everto overto to pay PRY it it back It were Captain Murrell Murrell Murrell Mur- Mur rell gave ga It to me I consecrate myself to his destruction Judge Slocum um Price cannot be humiliated with impunity I should think you ou would save your wind x Price until you'd waddled out of danger Mahaffy spoke gruffly How are you ou going to get me out out of this Solomon Solomon for for I h suppose you are here to break Jail for me said the JudgeWell Judge Well Vell Price I guess all alt we ran can do isto is isto to go back to town and s see c if 1 I can get gt t tInto Into my cabin Ive I've got an old saw there If It I can ran find it I can come again i tomorrow night and cut awa away one of the i ilog logs log or the cleats of the door s Solomon In 0 heavens heaven's implored IO name the do judge that tO tonight Why 1 I i Price theres there's a pack of dogs In this neighborhood and we must have a a. full I night t to move In or they'll h pull ll us d down wn 1 sr before e weve we've eg gone e oie ten miles miles' i Youre right Solomon Id I'd forgotten the dogs Mahaffy 1 closed and fasten fastened d the shutter shutter shut shut- ter tel then he and Hannibal stole stol across th the clearing and entered the woods The judge went to bed He lie was aroused bythe by bythe bythe the arrival of his breakfast which the sheriff about 8 S Well if I was as in your boots I couldn't sleep like you remarked that official admiringly But I reckon sir this aint the first time the penitentiary has stared stare you in the face It was nearing the noor hour when the judges judge's solitude was again invaded He lie first heard the distant voices on the road toad and passed an un uneasy and ld restless ten minutes with his eye to a arack rack crack In the door He lie was as soothed and andI reassured however when at last he I caught sight of the sheriff Well Veil judge judg I got company for you ou cried the sheriff shell I cheerfully cheerfull as lIe he threw open the door A hoss thief He lie pushed Into the building a man ha hatless and coatless with a pair pall of pale villainous eyes ees and and a tob tobacco stained cco chin The judge viewed the ne newcomer comer with disfavor As for fOl the horse thief he hega ga gave e his companion In misery a coldly rr r. r il critical stare seated himself lS on t the e stool and end with quite quito a a. fierce air devoted all hl hI his energy lo to mastication He lIe neither al altered altered altered al- al his position nor changed his expression ex cx- cx until he and the judge were alone then catching the judges judge's eye he made what hat seem seemed d a a. casual movement with his huts hand the three fingers fingers' raised but iut to the judge this clearly was without significance and the horse thief manifested manifested manifested mani mani- no further interest where he was concerned lIe He did not even condescend to answer the one or two civil remarks the judge jude addressed to him As the long afternoon wore itself awa away the Judge lived through the many stages of ot doubt and un uncertainty for suppose anything had happened to Mahaffy Standing before the window the judge watched th the last vestige of light fade from the sk sky and the stars appear Would Mahaffy l c come me The suspense was Intolerable Suddenly out of the silence sounded a long drawn whistle Three times It was repeated The horse thief lea leaped ped to his feet Neighbor that means me he lie cried The rhe moon was rising now and by its light tight the judge saw a number lumber of horsemen horsemen horse horsemen men appe appear r on the edge edle of ot the woods T They e ente entered ed the clearing picking picking- their wa way among the stumps without haste or 01 confusion When quite close five five- of or the b band nd dismounted the rest relt continued on Olt about bont the Jail or cantered off oft toward the road foad Look out inside there cried a voice oice and a lo log was dashed a against the door once It twice twice it rose and nd fell on the clapboards clapboards clapboards clap clap- boards an and ana under those mighty thuds grew up a wide gap which the moonlight streamed splendidly The horse thief tItter stepped between the dangling cleats and vanished I IThe The judge tossed away the va tIC the stool He Ite understood now With lith a confident not notto notto notto to sa say Jaunty step the Judge emerged from the jail Your YOUl servant gentlemen he said sald lifting his hat Git said egid one of the men briefly and andt t the e jud judge e moved mo nimbly awa away toward 1 the he woods Now to find Solomon and the boy and then to put the tile miles between himself and with all diligence As Ashe Ashe Ashe he thou thought ht this almost at his elbow Mahaffy Mahaffy Ma- Ma haffy harry and Hannibal rose rOe from behind a fallen lo log The Yankee motioned for si silence sl- sl lence and pointed west To be continued 1 |