"
Then another man entered at the open door. It was the sheriff of
Luzerne County. He held the writ of _habeas corpus_ in his hand.
"Why didn't you wait for me," he said, turning angrily to Craft,
"instead of coming here to pick a quarrel with these people?"
"That's none of your business," replied the old man. "You've got your
writ, now do your duty or I'll--" A fit of coughing attacked him, and
he dropped into a chair to give way to it.
The sheriff looked at him contemptuously for a moment, then he turned
to Bachelor Billy.
"This miserable old man," he said, "has had a writ of _habeas corpus_
issued, commanding you to produce immediately before the judge at
Wilkesbarre the body of the boy Ralph. It is my place to see that the
writ is properly executed. There's no help for it, so I think you had
better get ready, and we will go as soon as possible." And he handed
to Bachelor Billy a copy of the writ.
"I ha' no time to read it," said Billy, "but if the judge says as the
lad s'ould gae to court again, he s'all gae. We mus' obey the law. An'
I s'all gae wi' 'im. Whaur the lad gae's I s'all gae. I s'all stay by
'im nicht an' day. If the law says he mus' live wi' Seemon Craft, then
I s'all live wi' Seemon Craft also. I ha' nursit 'im too long, an'
lovit 'im too weel to turn 'im alone into the wolfs den noo."
In a minute or two Craft recovered, but the coughing had left him very
weak. He rose unsteadily to his feet and looked around for his cane.
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