You see, he come to town the morning after the murder, and told about it, and was out with 'em on the ferryboat hunt, and right away after he up and left.

Before night they wanted to lynch him, but he was gone, you see.

Well, next day they found out the nigger was gone; they found out he hadn't ben seen sence ten o'clock the night the murder was done.

So then they put it on him, you see; and while they was full of it, next day, back comes old Finn, and went boo-hooing to Judge Thatcher to get money to hunt for the nigger all over Illinois with.

The judge gave him some, and that evening he got drunk, and was around till after midnight with a couple of mighty hard-looking strangers, and then went off with them.