Part 15 (1/2)

”muff Potter!”

”Hallo, he's stopped!--Look out, he's turning! Don't let hiet away!”

People in the branches of the trees over Toet away--he only looked doubtful and perplexed

”Infernal impudence!” said a bystander; ”wanted to come and take a quiet look at his work, I reckon--didn't expect any company”

The crowd fell apart, now, and the Sheriff ca Potter by the arard, and his eyes showed the fear that was upon him When he stood before the murdered man, he shook as with a palsy, and he put his face in his hands and burst into tears

”I didn't do it, friends,” he sobbed; ”'pon my word and honor I never done it”

”Who's accused you?” shouted a voice

This shot seemed to carry home Potter lifted his face and looked around him with a pathetic hopelessness in his eyes He saw Injun Joe, and exclaimed:

”Oh, Injun Joe, you promised me you'd never--”

”Is that your knife?” and it was thrust before him by the Sheriff

Potter would have fallen if they had not caught hi told et--” He shuddered; then waved his nerveless hand with a vanquished gesture and said, ”Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain't any use any , and heard the stony-hearted liar reel off his serene state every s upon his head, and wondering to see how long the stroke was delayed And when he had finished and still stood alive and whole, their wavering impulse to break their oath and save the poor betrayed prisoner's life faded and vanished away, for plainly this miscreant had sold himself to Satan and it would be fatal to meddle with the property of such a power as that

”Why didn't you leave? What did you want to come here for?” somebody said

”I couldn't help it--I couldn't help it,” Potter moaned ”I wanted to run away, but I couldn't seeain

Injun Joe repeated his statement, just as calmly, a few minutes afterward on the inquest, under oath; and the boys, seeing that the lightnings were still withheld, were confirmed in their belief that Joe had sold himself to the devil He was now beco object they had ever looked upon, and they could not take their fascinated eyes frohts, when opportunity should offer, in the hope of getting a glimpse of his dread master

Injun Joe helped to raise the body of the on for re crowd that the wound bled a little! The boys thought that this happy circuht direction; but they were disappointed, for er remarked:

”It ithin three feet of muff Potter when it done it”

To conscience disturbed his sleep for asSid said:

”Tom, you pitch around and talk in your sleep so much that you keep me awake half the time”

Ton,” said Aunt Polly, gravely ”What you got on your't I know of” But the boy's hand shook so that he spilled his coffee

”And you do talk such stuff,” Sid said ”Last night you said, 'It's blood, it's blood, that's what it is!' You said that over and over