CHAPTER XII
A MIDNIGHT GUARD
Jack Bracken rolled himself in his blanket on the cot, placed in the room next to Captain Tom, and prepared to sleep again.
But the excitement of the night had been great; his sudden awakening from sleep, his missing Captain Tom, and finding him in time to prevent a tragedy, had aroused him thoroughly, and now sleep was far from his eyes.
And so he lay and thought of his past life, and as it passed before him it shook him with nervous sleeplessness.
It hurt him. He lay and panted with the strong sorrow of it.
Perhaps it was that, but with it were thoughts also of little Jack, and the tears came into the eyes of the big-hearted outlaw.
He had his plans all arranged—he and the Bishop—and now as the village blacksmith he would begin the life of an honest man.
Respected—his heart beat proudly to think of it.