a bit of cedar shrubbery growing on it.

Dennis Isler, Jim Johnson and Piggy Mann were under suspicion. Alfred
stood among the crowd and listened in silence to each description of the
scene. No two had seen it alike; one man swore there were half a dozen
shots fired, another declared a brick knocked the hat off his head
without injuring him in the least.

Alfred returned home. The mother and Lin repeatedly inquired as to what
he was laughing at. Lin finally, when the mother was not within hearing,
with an air "you may fool everybody else but you can't fool me" half
whispered: "I know ye done hit. Everybody wud know hit wus ye. Why,
look at yer pants laig, up thar in the room, the marks is on hit."

Alfred flew up stairs. The right leg of a fairly good pair of pants was
amputated just above the knee. The mother wondered why Alfred gave those
pants to Cal Pastor (who had but one leg).

The _Clipper_ had become very friendly. There was scarcely an issue that
there was not a complimentary reference to the rising young actor, "an
ex-attachee of this paper." The _Clipper_ carried a graphic write-up of
the disrupting of the Potts procession. It was headed: "A Dastardly
Attempt to Defeat Potts by Discouraging His Supporters." "A most
unexpected and unprepared-for assault was perpetrated upon an orderly
procession of Brownsville's honest toilers, who were assaulted in the
darkness of night with murderous missiles and other _things_, in a
heated campaign with momentous issues involved. The hurling of foul
epithets is bad enough but when political opponents hurl such things as
were hurled at the Potts adherents it is time to call a halt. Many who
were injured by the fusillade declare the onslaught was so unexpected;
they were so completely taken by surprise that, had they been killed and
interred the assault would not have been more surprising to them. Among
those who were in the worst of the affray was that gallant soldier and
shingle maker, Peter Keifer. He has also seen service in assisting in
arresting Sam Craft who was drafted. Mr. Keifer will devote his time to
running down the hellish brigands who are a menace to the liberty of the
ballot. Mr. Keifer says he will not be deterred in his purpose."

Among those employed by Alfred's father was one, Node Beckley--"Noah"
was his proper name, but all, including his wife, called him Node. In
personal appearance he was not unlike Palmer; spare and wiry,
slim-faced, a large hooke