line for John Graham's office and ran every step of the way without looking back.
John was pacing the floor, his heart beating out the interminable minutes.
Alfred burst into the room, his nose bleeding, a gash across his forehead, his clothes torn and spotted with the blood from his nose. He was still wild with the fear of death which had clutched his soul as the light of day faded under Aunt Julie Ann's awful grip on his throat.
He dropped, panting and speechless, on the floor.
"For God's sake, Alfred, what's happened!" John cried, seizing a glass of water and pressing it to his lips.
"Dey kill me, Marse John!"
"Who did it?—what for?"
"De folks at de Judge's."
"Where's my note?"
"Dunno sah!"
"Didn't you deliver it?"
"Dunno sah!"
"Did you go to the house?"
"Dunno sah!"
"Where did this happen?"
"At de gate, sah, dey wuz layin' fer me—De Judge mus' er tole 'em ter kill me."
"Who did it?"
"Ole Isaac and Julie Ann jump on me fust,
