with lee in virginia-第68章

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are　as　likely　as　not　to　have　to　use　them？〃



〃Yes；　we　have　each　got　a　Colt；　and　as　I　have　had　a　good　deal　of

practice；　it　would　be　awkward　for　Pearson　if　he　gives　me　occasion

to　use　it。〃



〃After　what　I　hear　of　the　matter；〃　the　man　said；　〃I　should　say　your

best　plan　is　just　to　shoot　him　at　sight。　It's　what　would　serve　him

right。　　You　bet　there　will　be　no　fuss　over　it。　　It　will　save　you　a　lot

of　trouble　anyway。〃



Vincent　laughed。



〃My　advice　is　good；〃　the　man　went　on　earnestly。　〃They　are　a　rough

lot　down　there；　and　hang　together。　　You　will　have　to　do　it　sudden；

whatever　you　do；　or　you　will　get　the　hull　neighborhood　up　agin

you。〃



On　reaching　Marion　Courthouse　they　sought　out　the　sheriff；

produced　the　warrant　signed　by　the　States'　authority；　and　explained

the　whole　circumstances。



〃I　am　ready　to　aid　you　in　any　way　I　can；〃　the　sheriff　said　when　he

concluded；　〃but　the　question　is；　where　has　the　fellow　got　to？　　You

see　he　may　be　anywhere　in　this　tract；〃　and　he　pointed　out　a　circle

on　the　map　of　the　county　that　hung　against　the　wall。　　〃That　is　about

fifty　mile　across；　and　a　pretty　nasty　spot；　I　can　tell　you。　　There　are

wide　swamps　on　both　sides　of　the　creek；　and　rice　grounds　and　all

sorts。　　There　ain't　above　three　or　four　villages　altogether；　but　there

may　be　two　or　three　hundred　little　plantations　scattered　about；

some　big　and　some　little。　We　haven't　got　anything　to　guide　us　in

the　slightest；　not　a　thing；　as　I　can　see。〃



　〃The　man　who　was　working　under　Pearson；　when　he　was　with　us；

told　me　he　had　got　the　notion　that　he　had　had　to　leave　on　account

of　some　trouble　here。　　Possibly　that　might　afford　a　clew。〃



〃It　might　do　so；〃　the　sheriff　said。　　〃When　did　he　come　to　you？〃



〃I　think　it　was　when　I　was　six　or　seven　years　old。　　That　would　be

about　twelve　or　thirteen　years　ago；　but；　of　course；　he　may　not　have

come　direct　to　us　after　leaving　here。〃



〃We　can　look　anyway；〃　the　sheriff　said；　and；　opening　a　chest；　he

took　out　a　number　of　volumes　containing　the　records　of　his

predecessors。　　〃Twelve　years　ago！　　Well；　this　is　the　volume。　　Now；

Captain　Wingfield；　I　have　got　some　other　business　in　hand　that

will　take　me　a　couple　of　hours。　　I　will　leave　you　out　this　volume

and　the　one　before　it　and　the　one　after　it；　and　if　you　like　to　go

through　them　you　may　come　across　the　description　of　some　man

wanted　that　agrees　with　that　of　the　man　you　are　in　search　of。〃



It　took　Vincent　two　hours　and　a　half　to　go　through　the　volume；　but

he　met　with　no　description　answering　to　that　of　Pearson。



〃I　will　go　through　the　first　six　months　of　the　next　year；〃　he　said　to

himself；　taking　up　that　volume；　〃and　the　last　six　months　of　the

year　before。〃



The　second　volume　yielded　no　better　result；　and　he　then　turned

back　to　the　first　of　the　three　books。　　Beginning　in　July；　he　read

steadily　on　until　he　came　to　December。　Scarcely　had　he　begun　the

record　of　that　month　than　he　uttered　an　exclamation　of

satisfaction。



　〃December　2nd。…Information　laid　against　gang　at　Porter's　Station；

near　Lynch's　Creek。　　Charged　with　several　robberies　and　murders

in　different　parts　of　the　county。　Long　been　suspected　of　having

stills　in　the　swamps。　　Gang　consists　of　four　besides　Porter　himself。　

Names　of　gang；　Jack　Haverley；　Jim　Corben；　and　John　and　James

Porter。　Ordered　out　posse　to　start　to…morrow



〃December　5th。　…　Returned　from　Porter's　Stakon。　Surprised　the

gang。　　They　resisted。　　Ilaverley；　Carbon；　and　James　Porter　shot。　

John　Porter　escaped；　and　took　to　swamp。　　Four　of　posse　wounded；

one；　William　Hannay；　killed。　　Circulated　description　of　John　Porter

through　the　county。　　Tall　and　lean；　when　fifteen　years　old　shot　a

man　in　a　brawl；　and　went　north。　　Has　been　absent　thirteen　years。　

Assumed　the　appearance　of　a　northern　man　and　speaks　with

Yankee　twang。　　Father　was　absent　at　the　time　of　attsck。　　Captured

three　hours　after。　　Declares　he　knows　nothing　about　doings　of　the

gang。　　Haverley　and　Corben　were　friends　of　his　sons。　　Came　and

went　when　they　liked。　　Will　be　tried　on　the　15th。〃



　On　the　16th　there　was　another　entry：



〃William　Porter　sentenced　to　three　years'　imprisonment　for

giving　shelter　to　gang　of　robbers。　　Evidence　wanting　to　show　he

took　any　actual　part　in　their　crimes。〃



The　sheriff　had　been　in　and　out　several　times　during　the　five　hours

that　Vincent's　search　had　taken　up。　　When　he　returned　again

Vincent　pointed　out　the　entry　he　had　found。



〃I　should　not　be　at　all　surprised　if　that's　our　man；〃　the　sheriff　said。　

〃I　know　old　Porter　well；　for　he　is　still　alive　and　bears　a　pretty　bad

reputation　still；　though　we　have　never　been　able　to　bring　him　to

book。　　I　remember　all　the　circumstances　of　that　affair；　for　I　served

upon　the　posse。　While　Porter　was　in　prison　his　house　was　kept　for

him　by　a　married　daughter　and　her　husband。　　There　was　a　strong

suspicion　that　the　man　was　one　of　the　gang　too；　but　we　couldn't

prove　it。　　They　have　lived　there　ever　since。　　They　have　got　five　or

six　field　hands；　and　are　said　to　be　well　off。　We　have　no　doubt　they

have　got　a　still　somewhere　in　the　swamps；　but　we　have　never　been

able　to　find　it。　　I　will　send　a　man　off　to…morrow　to　make　inquiries

whether　any　stranger　has　arrived　there　lately。　　Of　course；　Pearson

will　not　have　kept　that　name；　and　he　will　not　have　appeared　as

John　Porter；　for　he　would　be　arrested　on　a　fresh　warrant　at　once　for

his　share　in　that　former　business。　　I　think；　Captain　Wingfield；　you

had　better　register　at　the　hotel　here　under　some　other　name。　　I　don't

suppose　that　he　has　any　fear　of　being　tracked　here；　still　it　is　just

possible　his　father　may　have　got　somebody　here　and　at　Florence　to

keep　their　eyes　open　and　let　him　know　if　there　are　any　inquiries

being　made　by　strangers　about　a　missing　negress。　　One　cannot　be

too　careful。　　If　he　got　the　least　hint；　his　son　and　the　woman　would

be　hidden　away　in　the　swamps　before　we　could　get　there；　and　there

would　be　no　saying　when　we　could　find　him。〃



Vincent　took　the　sheriff's　advice；　and　entered　his　name　in　the　hotel

book　as　Mr。　Vincent。　　Late　in　the　evening　the　sheriff　came　round

to　him。



〃I　have　just　sent　summonses　to　six　men。　　I　would　rather　have　had

two　or　three　more；　but　young　men　are　very　scarce　around　here

now；　and　as　with　you　and　myself　that　brings　it　up　to　eight　that

ought　to　be　sufficient；　as　these　follows　will　have　no　time　to

summon　any　of　their　friends　to　their　assistance。　　Have　you　a　rifle；

Captain　Wingfield？〃



〃No；　I　have　a　brace　of　revolvers。〃



〃They　are　useful　enough　for　close　work；〃　the　sheriff　said；　〃but　if

they　see　us　coming；　and　barricade　their　house　and　open　fire　upon

us；　you　will　want　something　that　carries　further　than　a　revolver。　　I

can　lend　you　a　rifle　as　well　as　a　horse　if　you　will　accept　them。〃



Vincent　accepted　the　offer　with　thanks。　　The　next　morning　at

daylight　ho　went　round　to　tho　sheriff's　house；　where　six

determined…looking　men；　belonging　to　the　town　or　neighboring

farms；　were　assembled。　　Slinging　the　rifle　that　the　sheriff　handed

him　across　his　back；　Vincent　at　once　mounted；　and　the　party　sot

off　at　a　brisk　trot。



〃My　man　came　back　half　an　hour　ago；〃　the　sheriff　said　to　Vincent

as　they　rode　along。　　〃He　found　out　that　a　man　answering　to　your

description　arrived　with　another　at　Porter's　about　a　fortnight　ago；

and　is　staying　there　still。　Whether　they　brought　a　negress　with

them　or　not　no　one　seems　to　have　noticed。　　However；　there　is　not　a

shadow　of　doubt　that　it　is　our　man；　and　I　shall　be　heartily　glad　to

lay　hold　of　him；　for　a　brother　of　mine　was　badly　wounded　in　that

last　affair；　and　though　he　lived　some　years　afterward　he　was　never

the　same　man　again。　　So　I　have　a　personal　interest　in　it；　you　see。〃



〃How　far　is　it　to　Porter's？〃



〃About　thirty…five　miles。　　We　shall　get　there　about　two　o'clock；　I

reckon。　　We　are　all　pretty　well　mounted　and　can　keep　at　this　pace；

with　a　break　or　two；　till　we　get　there。　I　propose　that　we　dism