Show THE 71 JUDGE ay n M k lall IT waya awo mu W A 91 SYNOPSIS the scene at the opo opening ining of the etory story Is in laid in the library of an old worn 0 out t southern ou thern plantation known as the D barony au rony the place in to bo be old sold and its li lory ry and that of the owners th the Qui ul mirda Is in the subject of discussion b by jonathan Cre Cren sharf a business man a it tranger known as an bladon and bob yancy x trumfr when hannibal wayne lazard A v im child of the old bouthern ou thern family makes hie his appearance yancy tancy tolls tells how he adopted the boy nathaniel ferris buy buys the bodony but the Quin tards deny any knowl knowledge 6 d 1 a of the boy yancy to kee keep Il hannibal annibal captain murrell a friend 0 of p the QuIn tards ap pears and asks questions U 1 8 8 eions about the barony dart bart ony trouble at qs scratch 1 11 lt ch hill ifill when hannibal hanla hanto la to by dave blount lount ll cap tain murrells agent yancy overtake overtakes blount gives him a thrashing and secures the boy yancy a appears pears before squire balaam and in to dincE discharged arged with coeta costs tor for the plain plaintiff tIM betty milroy a friend of the kerri r orriles or rises aes has an encounter with cap tain murrell who forces hij attention attentions on lier liar and in rescued by bruce carington betty dot sets out for her Tennen nee home carrington takes taken the tho same stage yancy and hannibal disappear with murrell blur roll on their trail hannibal arrives at the home of judge slocum price tho the judge gecox nines in the boy thu grandson of an old time lm friend blu murrell rrell arrive arrives at judge judges home cavendish Cavend rh family on raft rescue yancy yanc who Is apparently dead price braag break n J jail 11 I 1 betty and Carrin carrinton Von arrive at VA belle plain rifle discloses some startling thing things to the judge hannibal and defty dotty meet again murrell ar rives in belle plain la Is playing for takes stakes yancy awakes from frum long dream lea less beep sleep on board the raft judge price makes akes startling loo in looking up land d titles charley norton a young planter ul IAL anter who ho assists the judge la in mys d assaulted norton informs car arington rington rin agton that betty haj has promised to marry him to norton lj Is mysteriously more alore light on murrells plot he lie plane uprising I 1 of negroes neg roea judge price with hannibal M visits betty and ahe she he keeps the boy aa a companion in a stroll betty taken with hannibal t they meet dean hicka daughter laughter of the overseer who warns betty dotty of danger and counsels her to leave belle plain at once betty terrt terri fled acta acts on dean advice and on their way their carriage Is in stopped by the tavern kee keeper and a confederate and betty and haeth hannibal ibal are made pilson pitso ners ern the pair are taken to hicks cabin in an almost inaccessible spot and there murell aralts betty and reveals his part in the plot and nd his n object betty spurns his proffered loe ione and the interview Is ended by the arrival of ware terrified at possible outcome of the crime judge price hearing of the abduction plans action the judge takes taken charge of the situation and search for the missing ones la to instituted carrington visits the judge ludge and allies are discovered jud judge price eric visits colonel fentress Pen tresa where te ne meets meats and cavendish price dashes a glass of whisky into the to colonels innels face and a dul duel Is arranged murrell Is to arrested for negro negra stealing and his him bubble burst bursts the judge and mahaffy rescues the coming duel dual carrington makes frantic search for betty and the boy CHAPTER alt hays hav z we between here abd the river inquired the latter it was best he felt it not to give an opportunity to ask questions it at narrows considerably pardner lut but its a straight courso course said sald diack black in yonder aint UT itt he be added nodding ahead the shores drew rapidly together thy were leaving the lake like ex panso behind in the silence above the rustling of the trees carrington heard the first fret of the river against its ts bank yawned prodigious ly 1 I reckon you aint needing cne me he said better go up in the bow and get some sleep advised carrington and nothing loath clambered down from the root of the cabin and stumbled forward the ceas claRs murmur of 0 the rush 4 ing ng w wera aeril grew in the stillness as the keel boa drow nearer tho hurrying yellow flood flotd and the beat of the kentuckians Kentuck lans pulse quickened would he find the raft there lie glanced back over the way they hud had ome the dark ranks of the tho forest walled off the clearing but across the water a dim point of light as visible he lie fixed its position as somewhere near the head bead of the bayou apparently it aas as a lantern but as he looked a ruddy glov glow crept ur against the skyline from the bow dunker bunker had bad been observing this singular phenomenon suddenly be bent and roused eon son who bad had falos asleep the ern keeper sprang jo 0 o his feet and bunker pointed without speaking you can tell toll me what that light back yonder means briod addressing himself to garrington as he spoke ho bo snatched up his ritte title what hat im trying to make out answered carrington hell heill cried dried d tossed his gun to his bb b houlder what seemed to be a breath of wind lifted 1 tod a stray lock cl ct barring tons hair but his pistol answered in the same second he tired at t the huddle of men in the bow of he the boat and one of them pitched forward ath bin 1 arms outspread keep back you youl I 1 tie be said and dropped off the cabin hie ilia promptness bad had bred a momentary panic then ons sons bull like voice began to roar commands but la in that brief instant ol 01 surprise and bock shock carrington bad had found sandwith and withdrawn tco tho wooden peer peg that fastened the cabin door lie bad had scarcely done this when came tramping alt aft supported by the three men calling to detty betty and hannibal to escape in the skiff which was towing astern the kentuckian rushed toward the bow at his back ho he heard board the door creak on its binges hinges as it was pushed open by detty betty and the boy and again he called to them to escape by the skiff the tret fret of the current had grown steadily and from beneath tho mo wide flung branches of the tree trees which hero met above his head carrington caught sight night of the star specked arch of the heavens beyond they were issuing from the bayou he felt the river snatch at the keel boat the buffeting orsome of some swift eddy a and nd saw the blunt bow swing owing off to the south agthea were plunged into the black shote sh dut but what he be did not see was a big muscular hand which had thrust itself out of the impenetrable gloom and clutched the ald of the keel boat coincident ca with this there arose a perfect babel of voices high pitched and ind shrill sho I 1 bet its him himi I 1 sho its un do clo bobs jewyl bho sho you can hear emi sho sho otin guns gunst carringto cast a hurried glance in the direction of these sounds there between the boat and the shore the dim outline of a raft was taking shape it was now canopied by a wealth of pale gray smoke that faded from before bis his eyes aa as the darkness lifted the light increased from the flat stone hearth of the raft ascended a tall column ot of flame which rendered visible six sia pigmy PIC my figures towheaded tow headed and wonderfully vocal who were tolling like mad at the huge sweeps the light showed more than this it showed a lady of plump and pleasing presence smoking a cob pipe while she fed the fire from a tick stuffed with straw it showed two bark sha shanties a una line between them decorated with the never neve ending rending cavendish wash it showed a rooster perched on the ridgepole ridge pole of on 0 of those shanties in tho the very net act of crowing lustily lun tily hannibal who bad climbed to MO root of tho the cabin shrieked for help and dotty betty added ber her voice to his all right jewyl came the cheer ful reply as ft yancy threw throw himself over the aide side of tho the boat and grappled with Blo peon undo uncle hobt uncle dob I 1 cried hannibal uttered a cry of terror lie tie bad had a simple but sincere faith in toe the supernatural and even with tal tu scratch scra hillers big hands bands dripping gripping his throat he could not rid himself ot of the belief that this was the ghost ot of a murdered man take a dogs licking from me mo neighbor said yancy grimly 1 I been saving it to you I 1 Ment meanwhile while mr cavendish whose aroud spirit never greatly inclined him to the practice ot of peace had bad pro pared tor for halite battle springing aloft he knocked ills ila heels beels together im a man mail as lie can slide down a thorny locust and never et scratched crat ched I 1 he shouted this was equivalent qui valent to setting his triggers then he tie launched himself nimbly an and d with enthusiasm into the thick of the tight it was mr air bunkers un fortu nata privilege to sustain the onslaught of the earl of lambeth the light from the cavendish hearth continued to brighten the scene for polly was recklessly sacrificing rif icing her bar best beat straw tick indeed her behavior was in every way worthy of the noble alliance she bad had formed her liar cob pipe was not suffered to go 90 out and with connies help she kept the six small Caven CaNen dishes from risk ing life and limb in the keel boat toward which they their were powerfully drawn despite these activities she found time to call to betty bad hannibal on the cabin roof root jump down here that aint no fittin place for you yuu all to stop in with them gentlemen fighting figh tint an instant later betty and gannt bal stood on the raft with the little Caven dishes dishos flocking about them mr quest of bis his nervy haa taken an enduring hold on their imagination for w eks it had bad constituted their one vita vital topic and the fight tight became merely a satisfying background for ahli interesting restoration sho got himl abo he want no bigger than richard Richar dl I 1 oh cried betty with a fearful gi glance ance toward the keel boat boal cant you stop them what to fot asked polly opening her bar black eyes very wide bless diess yo tender heart beart you dont need to worry none we got them strange gentlemen licked like they was a passel of chil children drent connie you all mind that farel she accurately judged the out outcome come of the fight the boat was little bettor better than a with the havoc that had been wrought there when yancy and carrington dropped over its side to the raft cavendish followed them whooping his triumph as he came CHAPTER the raft again yancy and cavendish threw throw themselves on the sweeps and worked the e IN NN it A I 1 of P 0 he launched himself nimbly and with enthusiasm into the fight raft clear of the keel boat then men the turbulent current a seized the smaller craft und d whirled it I 1 away into the night as itu ito binck black buk bulk receded from before hie big the ehrl of lambeth spoke with the voice of authority and exper experience lence it was a good tight and them let tel iowa lows done well but not dear near well enough A concilia on that could not bo be gunvald gainsaid gain said ho he added no one aint hurt but them that had ought to have got hurt mr air all right t iud and BOS at mr r carrington illg mighty h ty welcome here mr air kin itin to me polly explained yancy to mrs cavendish hie ilia voice wan far from steady for hannibal had boon been gathered into hie his arms and had all but wrecked the stoic calm with which tho the scratch hiller was wits seeking to guard hie his emo alone polly smiled and dimpled at the kentuckian Kentuck lan I 1 rained to a romantic point of view she had a frank liking for handsome han diome stalwart men caven elleh waa was neither but none knew know bet ter than polly that where he be was moat most lacking in appearance he was richest in a substance he carried ecari bon orally earned in those differences he be bad had been prone to cultivate with leal less generous natures for bis his scheme of life did not embrace the millennium thank god you got her barel 11 when you did didt I 1 said carrington we wae was some pushed to fol time but 0 wo o done I 1 it responded the tho earl mod kidded estly what now do we make a landing no unless it interferes with your plans not to I 1 want to get got around the next bend before we tie up later well all go back can I 1 count on you OUT you sti orely can I 1 consider this here bore as sociable a neighborhood as an I 1 ever struck it pleases me well folks are up and doing Caff ington looked eagerly around in search of dotty betty she was sitting on an upturned tub a pathetic enough figure as an ebo she drooped against the wall of one of the shanties with all hei her courage quite gone from her bar Hs lie made his way quickly to her side la lal I 1 whispered polly in chills chille and fevers favors ear if that pore young thing yonder keeps a widow it wont be because of any encouragement sho she gets from mr carrington it I 1 ever seen marriage in a mans eye I 1 seen it in his this minu minute tel brucel cried betty starting up as canington approached oh bruce I 1 am so oad a lad you have come you are not hurt she accepted his presence without question we are none of us hurt betty be fit said gently as be he took her hand band he saw that the suffering she bad had undergone during the preceding twenty four hours bourn bad left its record on hr her tired face and in her heavy eyes she retained a shuddering con ne of the unchecked savagery of those last moments on the keel boat ithe he was still suii hearing the oaths of tho the men as they struggled together the sound of blows blown and the dreadful silences that had followed them ahe he turned from him and there came the th relief of tears there betty the danger Is over now and you were so brave while it lasted I 1 cant bear to have you cryl 1 I w was as wild with fear all ali that time ume on the bost boat bruce she faltered between W en her sobs 1 I know but they would find ral out I 1 could only wait and hope and pray I 1 1 I was in no danger dear the girl tell you I 1 was to take the place of a man was expecting he never doubted that I 1 was that man until a light a signal it must have been on the shore at the head of the bayou betrayed me where aro are we going now bruce not the way they went 11 and betty glanced out into the black void where the keel boat bad had merged into the gloom no no but we cant get the raft back upstream up stream against the current so the best beet thing Is to land at the bates plantation below here then as soon as you are able we can return to belle plain said carrington there was an interval broken only by the occasional sweep of the great steering oar as cavendish coaxed the raft out toward the channel the thought of charley nortons murder rested on carrington like a pall scarcely a week bad elapsed since ho quitted thicket point and in that week the band hand of death had dealt with them Impart impartially lally and to what end its best beat we should land at bates place wo we can get got teams there he went on to explain and bett betty 1 wherever we go well go together dear cavendish look as it he had any vory very urgent business of his own and I 1 reckon tho the same Is to true of yancy so I 1 am going to keep them with us there are some points to be cleared up when we reach belle bello plain some folks havo have a lot to explain or elio else quit this part of the state 1 and I 1 intend to see that you aro are not left alone until until I 1 have the right to care of you tor for g good and all thavis what you want mo to do one of these days it darling and his eyes glowing and tn in |