CHAPTER VI.
JUDGE LYNCH.
The funeral services of Dr. Edwards' being over, and his body committed to the virgin earth of prairie-land, people dispersed to their homes with minds somewhat softened and solemnized by the scene, always impressive, of a stranger's burial in a strange land, but with their hatred of his murderer by no means lessened.
At the big log-tavern in Fairview, the appearance of the three young men who had acted as chief mourners was being descanted upon by a crowd of citizens, intermixed with a few persons from other towns, and an occasional new-comer to the territory. In a country where the population is made up of new-comers, no notice is taken of such except to endeavor to be the first to sell them some claim of fabulous merits, on discovering a disposition in the stranger to "look around." But to-day even the spirit of speculation was dumb and lame in the presence of the more absorbing theme; and a middle-aged gentleman, of fine looks and somewhat lofty bearing, listened with uninterrupted interest to the free discussion going on around him, which gradually became a running commentary on every circumstance connected with the late tragedy.
"I never seen anybody more tuk down than two of them mourners was," remarked one man. "They couldn't a felt worse if they had lost a brother."
"Yes," responded a second, "them are fine fellars. One is a lawyer, son of old Judge Allen, in Ohio, where I cum from; and t'other is a surveyor from Michigan—I don't remember his name, cause Allen allers calls him Flag, and so he's got to go by that. I don't know much about that other feller-he's somebody that I don't like, nohow."
"No; he didn't shed any genuine tears; all crocodile, every one of 'em. He just sniveled, and looked at the spectators over his handkerchief. He's a-mean-looking cuss, and I wonder at Allen's taking him up so kindly."
"Folks mus'nt be too pertickular in a new country," suggested somebody, whom probably the "shoe pinched."
"Well, the best of them's gone, to my notion. He wasn't quite so peart and full of his jokes, nor so for'ard like as Allen is; but he was the best-hearted, plesantest-mannered young man in the county."
