ar to a
good mother and father. If you hang"--Wade shook his fist toward the
brush tragically--"the shame and sorrow shall fall upon your own head
and heart."

Throwing his coat over the dead form, Wade drew it to one side and
departed.

CHAPTER IX

Wade was very excited in thought and action as he rode out through the
darkness of the night to go to the home of Fred Conover's father. He had
covered the body with his own toga, and he felt the necessity for it as
he split the cool night air in his great haste to get the news to the
old father, whom he would surely find waiting anxiously to learn what
success the boy had met with. Unmindful of any danger to himself, though
the country was well stirred up, he raced on, looking neither to his
right nor to his left, but kept his sight straight ahead and his
thoughts far beyond. He shook his head gravely as he pondered over the
events that had transpired, were transpiring, and would transpire in the
future. He knew now much more of the conditions confronting the poor
farmers of this part of the world, knew of the terrible struggle into
which they had entered for the mere maintenance of their own immediate
families, knew more of the feelings existing among them, and wondered no
longer that they had taken such desperate means to relieve themselves of
the yoke of bondage which had been placed upon their freedom, to tie
them to the heart-eating trusts, which were dogging out their lives,
eating to the marrow of their bones.

Wade had now reached the rise of the hill. In front of him, a little way
beyond, was a dense thicket through which he must go. He went on,
regarding not the deeper gathering gloom nor the many dangers
accompanying. As he neared the thicket he was suddenly confronted by a
night prowler, who commanded him to halt. This he did immediately,
without hesitation, while he was in his present state of mind, not
desiring an encounter with anyone.

"Git down, quick," said the voice of one who held the bridle at the
horse's head with one hand, while a pistol held by the other hand was
pointed directly at Wade's breast.

For a moment Wade was on the point of reaching for his own pistol and
fighting it out, but as his hand started back he heard the command: "Ye
needn't do that. Ef ye make a move I'll blow yer brains out."

Wade now reached the conclusion that he was being held up by a
highwayman, and the best thing for him to do would be to comply with his