in which the judge's
heart stood still. Next a stealthy step sounded in the clearing. The
judge had an agonized vision of regulators and lynchers. The beat of his
pulse quickened. He knew something of the boisterous horseplay of the
frontier. The sheriff had spoken of tar and feathers--very quietly he
stood erect and picked up the stool.

"Heaven helping me, I'll brain a citizen or two before it comes to
that!" he told himself.

The cautious steps continued to approach. Some one paused below the
closely shuttered window, and a hand struck the boards sharply. A
whisper stole into the jail.

"Are you awake, Price?" It was Mahaffy who spoke.

"God bless you, Solomon Mahaffy!" cried the judge unsteadily.

"I've got the boy--he's with me," said Mahaffy.

"God bless you both!" repeated the judge brokenly. "Take care of him,
Solomon. I feel better now, knowing he's in good hands."

"Please, Judge--" it was Hannibal

"Yes, dear lad?"

"I'm mighty sorry that ten dollars I loaned you was bad--but you don't
need ever to pay it back!"

Mahaffy gave way to mirth.

"Never mind!" said the judge indulgently. "It performed all the
essential functions of a perfectly legal currency. Just suppose we had
discovered it was counterfeit before I took it to the tavern--that would
have been a hardship!"

"It were Captain Murrell gave it to me," explained Hannibal.

"I consecrate myself to his destruction! Judge Slocum Price can not be
humiliated with impunity!"

"I should think you would save your wind, Price, until you'd waddled out
of danger!" Mahaffy spoke, gruffly.

"How are you going to get me out of this, Solomon--for I suppose you are
here to break jail for me," said the judge.

Mahaffy inspected the building. He found that the door was secured by
two ponderous hasps to which were fitted heavy padlocks, but the solid
wooden shutter which closed the square hole in the gable that served as
a window was fastened by a hasp and peg. He withdrew the peg, opened
the shutter, and the judge's face, wreathed in smiles, appeared at the
aperture.

"The blessed sky and air!" he murmured, breathing deep. "A week of this
would have broken my spirit!"

"If you can, Price, you'd better come feet first," suggested Mahaffy.

"Not sufficiently acrobatic, Solomon--it's heads or I lose!" said the
judge.

He thrust his shoulders into the opening and wriggled outward. Suddenly
his forward movement was arrested.

"I was afraid of that