Dave's been selling liquor."
"He hain't," interrupted the old mountaineer. "He didn't bring
that liquor over hyeh. I know who done it."
"All right," said Hale; "I'll take your word for it and I'll let
him out, if you say so, but---"
"Right now," thundered old Judd.
"Do you know that young Buck Falin and a dozen of his gang are
over here after him?" The old man looked stunned.
"Whut--now?"
"They're over there in the woods across the river NOW and they
want me to give him up to them. They say they have the sheriff
with them and they want him for shooting a man on Leatherwood
Creek, day before yesterday."
"It's all a lie," burst out old Judd. "They want to kill him."
"Of course--and I was going to take him up to the county jail
right away for safe-keeping."
"D'ye mean to say you'd throw that boy into jail and then fight
them Falins to pertect him?" the old man asked slowly and
incredulously. Hale pointed to a two-store building through his
window.
"If you get in the back part of that store at a window, you can
see whether I will or not. I can summon you to help, and if a
fight comes up you can do your share from the window.
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