The Land Claim — page 77: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE TRUE CULPRIT. 73 “But how did you find out about him, Squire? Has he been caught ?” “T’}i tell you all I know about it, and how I came to make up my mind. You remember the apparition we saw that night? and that we supposed Ed was asleep ?” “Yes, I remember; I don’t think I shall ever forget that night. You don’t mean to say Ed was vot asleep, and did not dream as he said be did?” “To tell the truth, I had a little suspicion of him all the while—that is, after my mind had time to cool off, when the examination of Newcome was over, and I recollected about the two shots. But I was not certain enough to make it safe to act on the suspicion, and I felt almost ashamed of myself for having it, besides.” “What are you coming to now, Squire? You can not mean you thought he shot the Doctor ?” “Draw your own inferences, Flag, but don’t interrupt me. I was speaking about that night. Well, you know how he behaved—about his dream, and all. Iam not superstitious —though that is what evetybody says—but I did feel that what we saw meant something more than a lively imagina- tion. Whatever it was—ghost, phantom, apparition—call it what you please—it was fearfully real and perfectly distinct. You agree with me about that? . And it pointed to Ed, who, we thought, was sound asleep. Why should the ghost have pointed to Ed? that was what I asked myself over and over again. The question kept in my mind, dogging me into watchfulness. The day the lynchers so nearly finished New- come’s job for him, when I was walking away from the ‘place of execution, Ed came along and complimented me on my success in dispersing the mob, ‘rather sarcastically, I thought; and seemed quite excited about my have urged the people to discover who fired the other shot. I was looking out for him, and accidentally, in the heat of his apprehension I Newcome. the guilty man.’ I asked him quietly how he knew, and, quite thrown off his guard, he replied: ‘I heard you tell Flag so.” I retorted: ‘J thought you were dreaming.’ He gave me a very peculiar look. in a sly way, but I affected not to see my advantage. However, he soon left my suciety, - Conniclbooks.cony) ae