Show A PRODIGAL PR D IGA JUDGE 1 by K tr k aft rAMi vit ae am e ft A cp r 7 7 V SYNOPSIS the scene at the tile opening of the tile etory atory la is laid in the library of an old worn out southern Aou thern plantation known aa an the barony 0 n Y the glace place is to be old sold and it Us history hi ee etory ory an and that of the tile owners th the is the tile subject of discussion by jonathan crenshaw a business man a 0 1 r L ger known an Il laden and nob bol 3 r ency n a it fa fanner riner wa alien 10 n hann abal wa wane ne hazard ag d it mysterious child of the he old souther luthern pu thern n family makes hie him a appearance barance tancy tane y tell tells liow how he lie adopted the boy na thaniel I erris buya buys the barony but the deri deny any knowledge of tho he booy Y yancy to keep hannibal captain murrell a friend of or the tile Quin larde tards ap year end and acke questions 18 about the bar flap ony trouble at scratch when han ran anit elal al Is in by dave blount cap tain murrells relle agent yancy taney overtake s mount rives slim a thrashing and secures secure a the boy yancy a appears pears before squire balaam and Is IN disc discharged E marged with c costs 0 ats for the plaintiff plaintiff betty malroy a friend of the I 1 errest s ham aa encounter encounter with captain who aho tows tor ts hi his attentions 0 ou n tier per and is 27 by bruce carrington t juett arrngton ata IN out t for or hc tier tennessee home hoine car takes taken the alame f t daae Y ye nc and hannibal disappear with murrell on an their trail hannibal arrives at the home cf of judge o slocum price the judge reco mites in the boy the grandson grandion of an OM old time friend murrell arrives at judges home cavendish Cavend lah family on raft rescue yancy who Is IN apparently dead price breaks break jail dotty betty and carrington arrive at bele belle plain rine rifle discloses ome some tart linc thins thinas to the judge hannibal and betty meet abtin bl murrell arrives in belle plain Is in playing for big bl stakes yancy taney awakes from long dreamless steep on board the raft judge price makes snakes startling discoveries in looking up land titles charles norton a young planter who assist StAsis ts the judge te to mys assault norton informs car agton that ha has promised prom leod tc tr sia hsrry is rry v mm I 1 norton la in shit h it edole more acht on muriele Mur rele nept eipl he lie plue cupris of negroes neg roee juda judae I 1 gd price with F adint bit L visits betty and she he keep keevis the boy b ny an A companion in a stroll betty taken with hannibal they meet bess hick hicks dau of the overseer overe eer who warn warns betty of dancer danner and counsels co unel her to 10 1 0 belle plain 1 at once betty terrt fled tied acts on bess advice and on their way their carriage it topped by the tavern keeper and a confederate and betty and hannibal are made prisoner pris the tho pair are sire taken to hick cabin in an almost inaccessible pot spot and there mur relt rell clatts betty and reveals his part in the plot and Ws his object betty spurns hia his proffered love and the interview Is eldad by thi th i arrival of or ware teI trifled fled at foible buncome of the crime judge alon the judge take taken charce charge of the sit bation lat lon and carch search for the missing ones js ts instituted visits the audre ind allies are discovered dia covered judea judge price visits colonel fentress Fentre ae where he be mee lecta ts yanc and cavendish becoming enraged arce dashes sc ef glass of vhf ky into the colon rolo cla nets face and a duet iq J arranged murrell la in arrested 11 for negro a stealing und and hie his bubble bursts the jude and mahaffy t discuss the coming duel carrington make makes fi frantic antle bearch for belt bett and the boy carrington 1 finds betty and hahnl aal bal ard a nerce gun a fight follos yancy appears and in the deacue rest cus bruce carrington and detty betty come to an understanding the judge an important letter bol ornon Ma hartye last tight I 1 bights du 1 foi he the judge and Is killed hannibal V to be judges grandson daon and told ire the etory of lils life CHAPTER continued whai what does this ma mockery I 1 mean tie he demanded hai but lily mr sheriff na a member ot ati hr bar I 1 protest why dont you clear abo 1 building ho lie did not wait watt for betts f ar 40 nubia him but continued where Vh ere la Is this ronn man hues lilies yonder colonel co tonel by the captain fald paid hotts betts 1 I hao a warrant for tit ahli you tou will III take him into custody I 1 walt wait cne cried the judge 1 I 1 represent mr nr huns hues I 1 destra to see that warrant tj cut but fentre s ignored hlo filin ho he addressed the crowded benches gentlemen it Is a serious matter forcibly to seize a man nian without v authority from rom tho courts and nd expose mm dim to lo the danser danger of mob violence air mr hues will leara learn before we have lone done nith kim instantly there was a noisy demon that quelled s oiled into a burst of 0 applause which quickly spent itself the struggle seemed to have nar rowed to an nit individual contest for supremacy between fentress Fen liess and the tile judge on the edge of the railed on off apace they confronted each other the Is colonel a tall uell oil cared for pres jenco ence the judge shabby and unkempt por for a moment their ees egos met abile the ho judges face purpled and paled and purpled again the silence deepened pentress Pen Feu trebS thin lips opened op cad 4 twitched but no sound came 1 them then his glance wavered and S lell fell he lie turned away ar air sheriff ho he called sharply ply all right co colonel louell i take your our man into custody oi of erad fentress As he epode he hand ed tho the warrant toward hetts who looked at it grinned and stepped to ward hues flues ho lie would have pushed the judge side naldo hod had not that gentle nian bollog civilly made eay way e ay for i him a in my p profound respect for the law and properly pr constituted authority I 1 1 yield to 10 a no man not even to colonel fentress ho he eald said with a gra grac cloua toms f 1 I bould sot not place tho the ellent il r sest obstacle in the way of its sanctioned manifestation colonel fentress comee comes hero here with ith that nigh high sanction he ile bowed again ceremoniously il I 1 to tho the colonel 1 I repeat I 1 respect bis his dependence upon the ho ile whirled suddenly cavendish yancy carrington I 1 call upon you to arrest john Mur rollI I 1 do this by virtue or of tho the authority vested in me as a judge of the united states federal court his ills crime a mer inert trifle my friends passing counterfeit money colonel fentress Fon tress will inform you that this Is to a violation ot of the law which tall falls within my jurisdiction and bo be beamed blandly on fentress its a liel 1101 cried the colo colonel answer for that 41 later said the judge with abrupt austerity of tone for all we know you may be some f fugitive from jus justice why your name pricel are you sure of that asked the tile judge quickly youre an Impo impostors stort your name Is 1 permit me to relieve your apprehensions hen it Is to who has received the appointment would you like to examine my credentials credential 97 1 have them by me au no I 1 am obliged for your introduction it could not have come at a more timely moment the 1 ac judge seemed to dismiss fentress contemptuously once more he faced t the he packed benches put down your weapons weapon al be he commanded this man murrell will not be relea released aed at the first effort at rescue ho lie will be shot where he sits we hae sworn sorn it his plotting Is at an end he lie st stalked nearer the benches not one chance in a thousand remains refusing to him either be he dies here or be he lives to be taken before every judge in the stati stata II 11 necessary until we find one with courage to tr tra a him make no mistake it will best beat cor conserve core erve serve the ends of justice to allow tho the state courts jurisdiction in this case and I 1 pledge myself to furnish evidence which will start him well on his road to the gallows the judge a tremendous presence stalked still nearer the benches outfacing the crowd a sense of the splendor of the part he was being called upon to play flowed through him like some elixir he felt that be he was transcending himself that his inspiration was drawn from the hidden springs of the spirit and that be tie could neither falter nor go astray you dont know what hat youage med with this man has plotted to iny the south in ruins be has been arming the negroes it Is incredible that you should all know this to such I 1 say go home and thank god lor for your escape for the others his shaggy brows met in a menacing frown fron if they force our hand we will toss them jon jolin murrells dead carcass our ans anscar r to their challenge He md bestrode strode out among the gun ales which vav wavered cred where here they still co cohered ered him film ho lie was thinking ot or ala ba batt ft Ala haffy who bo had said he be wis still a man to be reckoned with do ou know what fiat a servile insurrection means you men who have wives ives and daughters have you thought of their fate of the rcck si sa agery to which they would be exposed do ou believe he could limit and control it look at him why be he has never had a considers cons con sidera outside of bis own safety and yet ho he expects you to risk your necks to avo favo his he lie would have left the state b ro e the first blow was struck his business was as all down river but we e are going to keep him here to er for his crimes the law as implacable as it is impartial has put its mark on him hirn the shadow in which he ile sits Is the shadow of the I 1 gallows tho the judge paused but the only sound in that expectant silence was the heavy breathing of men he drew bis his form erect while bis his voice rumbled on aggressive and threatening in its every intonation you are here to defend something that no longer exists your organ leation is wrecked your signals and passA passwords are known your secrets bavo bave become public property I 1 can even produce a list of your members hero there are none of you who do not stand in imminent peril yet understand I 1 have no wish to strike at those who bavo have been misled or coerced int anti inti joining murrells basal tho the judge sodden old face glowed now with the magnanimity of his sen ti ments dut but I 1 havo have 00 reeling A 04 loaders leaders none nono for murrell mercy merc y for your bim himself self put down your gunel gunst can only kill hill us after we haye baye killed you murrell but ou c cant ant kill the 1 if tho the arch dies in th this 1 s r room 0 m a and n d bour hour on whose whoso bead head A will i 1 1 t the h e p punishment run i s m c n t f fall a 1 1 ho lie swung round hie his pond ponderous er 0 u s a arm r i n in a sweeping gesture and shook a fat tat but expressive foro fore iftiger in tho the faces of those nearest him hila on ott yours yo ursand and yours and across tho the space that separated them the judge grinned his triumph at his enemy ho lie had known when fentress entered tho the room that a word or a sign from him would precipitate a riot but ul he know now that neither this word nor this sign would be given then quite suddenly bo be strode down doun the aisle and foot loot by toot foot fentress yielded ground before ilia advance A murderous light hashed flashed from the tile judges bloodshot eyes and his right hand was as stealing caling et toward the frayed tails of his coal look out hes getting ready to shoot cried a frightened voice instantly by doors arnd windows tho the crowd seized with ith inexplicable panic emptied itself into the courthouse court bouso yard fentress waa was caught up knitle in he rush and borne from tho TOO room m and from the building when he reached the graveled space below the stops steps be turned the judge was wits in the doorway the center of a struggling group mr NIT bowen the minister mr saul and mr wesley were vainly seel 1111 to pinion bis his arm draw damn youl bo he roared at fentress as he be wrenched himself free and the crowd swayed to right and left as fentress was as seen to reach for bla his pistol mr saul made a last frantic effort to restrain his friend he seized the judges arm just as the tatters linger pressed the trigger and an instant later fentress staggered back with the judges bullet in his shoulder CHAPTER go good od times cornlio it wae was not strange that a number ot 0 gentlemen in and about raleigh yielded to an overmastering impulse to visit newer lands nor was it strange that the initial steps looking toward the indulgence of their desires should have been taken in secrecy mr peg loe loo was wais one of the first to leave mr saul had informed him of the judges deol declared lared purpose of shooting him on sight even without this useful bint hint thu result that whon when ue judge booi occasion to call nt at the tavern and the lion tilo nature of hia his visit wae was emphasized pha sized by iho the cautious manner ot of his approach he was greatly shocked to discover disco cr that his b Is intended victim bad had eold sold hie his busin coo overnight tor for a small lump sum to mr sauls brother in law who ho had appeared moat most opportunely nely with an offer perloca PeR Peg loea loes night flight created something of a 11 sensation Bone atlon but it was dwarfed by the sensation that developed a day or so later when it became known that tom ware and colonel fentress had likewise nod fled the country c still later fentrees Fen trees body showing marks of 0 violence was its washed ashore at a woodyard ard below girard it wae wais conjectured red that bo he and ware bad set out from the oake oaks to cross the river there was reason to believe that fen yen tress had lu in his possession at tho time a considerable sum of money and it was supposed that his corn com bad had murdered and robbed him of wares subsequent career nothing was ever known these were after all only episode in the collapse of the clan clau sp orille manite manifestations stations of the great work of or disintegration that was going forward and which the judge more than any other perhaps had brought about this was something no one questioned and he quickly passed to tho tile first phae of that unique and peculiar pecullar esteem in hleb he lie was ever after bold hold ills file fame famo widened with the suo beeding suns ho he had offers of help which impressed him as ho entirely creditable to human nature that he lie quite lacked the heart to refuse them especially as ho he felt that in the improvement pro of his own condition the world bad bettered itself and waa was moving nearer those sound and righteous ideals of morality and patriotism had bad never lacked his bis indorse ment no matter how inexpedient it had bad seemed for him to put them into practice out but he was as not diverted from his ultimate purpose by the glamour of a present popularity he waa was able to keep hl his bleared eye eyer resolutely fixed on the main chance namely the fentress Fon tress estate and th the lands it waa was highly IM 1 that ho he should go east to south carolina to 0 o secure docu mentor evidence that would establish his own and fentress identity to kentucky where fentress bad lived prior to hit his coming to tennessee early in november the judge sol act out by stage on his journey east he was accompanied by yancy ard han ham i 4 71 draw damn he roared zt fentress tavern keeper had known that he should experience intense embarrass ment in meeting the judge this was now a dreary cert certainty airty you reckon he means near all bo he says ho he bad had asked bis his rat tat bides sides shaking id take bis his word a heap quicker than I 1 would most folks ans answered ored mr saul with conviction promptly bad had a sinking |