The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-02-21
THE INFANTS APPEAL.

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mpch irccnsed BY the dcproin'ons nr n
band Of horse thieves who infested rhot oor.
ION OF the country. Every exnrtion bad
been made to discover the men cn"ng"d in
this nelarioUs irnnsaCtion. but hitherto in
vain, ana valnnbIr animals were stolen. md
'st TO their owners, in defiance Of the IT.
most vigilance and care.
During such 4 state Of nflairs, the cj'iznos
tns. pIli,jn he region 4 the THEY ir.Aa'
/ ihroughty eXcled. and were wouah ~ T."
such pitch Of Indignation, thata body Of
men were formed styled Rangers, whose cx-
p'.r.t duty WAS to cxpunge the distric' of al
suspicious characters, and endrnvo, TO PIT
stop to the deprFda'ions Of the horse thieves.
Shortly after tins band commenced opera.
| lions, word was conveyed 10 the leader Of
the Rangers ihnt Il valuable horse which
hud been stolen tie night prcvOrs, co"'d
IL be found on The premises Of nnn
nnmed Bart, locked up in the Stable. Al.
lhpugh Bart h,d heretofore been onard npnn
rs an homes, men and an nnrigh' citizen.
ye; The Captain deemed it his 1u'y to nj
least examine his farm and learn the truth
or ia!,ry Of the re?or.
Accordingly b. sunmCnrd some hnf
dozcn Of his Rangers 10 meet him nt II spot
MI Tar f'om Bars honse. .air! fore morn
L.
Daylight vas hut barely d;scornab'c in the
rnst. and the hazy '.h, Ct coming dawn bad
nat yet, penetrated he bottom, where the
>uspicl"ned rnan resided. n. the hangers,
charged with thelr f,nrful mission OF life or
death. silently approached, oud surrounded
'h' dwelling. Leaving three rf the bnnd 20
.nard ihn entrance, the Captain proceeded
9th the offers 10 the stable. broke open the
io"l. aud found the mr.sing horse. n. he
lad be, II reported, ss'cIY stalled inside
Not n llrgr-lng doubt nuw remained of
hurt'< ru t, md with e'~.. contamination
to nahn >"r" a. Example Of h'm as would
,i.,,y "Fhc's from lk" 'rnns'ctio,,, the
Rang, rs tciu'u'd 10 the house. T., The
J mr'n'im", Gur' bod arisen. ar upon CONS
.ug 10 thr door, va. -ri2'd by tho>" III
Najtir., and upon demanding tie reason,
vn- iniurinrd TIA, .iu'er animal was
fnrrl in hi> .'nhlr nrd tia, he was cyn>id.
cred lhl,f. Mr''crlug something ohOui
abe knew, rU.rud com" to lhrs nj last " he
qr,rrIy Suhn,r'c. to vhstcvcr his car'0rs
tad in >ror" Gof hiG.
4 >hor' con,u''a',,n was held. AMI it was
,plsrd TO hacg lhr criminal upon large
In tree. tia, grew in front at his oNn
hom', it hcinr dprmrd that such mn eci
would .jriao terror and d!>msy into tie
ranks rI the horse h'e"rs
Bur- hnt asked h,lt,n hnur 10 pr"Prre
rur .'saih aud lhn >nn had rI,rn in n hls
grid.n rn"siY ere the 'n,ni moment rfriv-
el @hich wou'l l1unch h,m into eternity.
In :a,n h2d h- gray headed father md
mtri.rr p.ra,,G fer hi- i'". wiil trembling
'nn.uas-thc Old lady t"'rcrnr forth from
,hr dwelling, anl kureIiug in supriiru'
rn.d to hiS 'pparrr,'y mrfci'"-- c'r'"-'.
IL vain hnd The e, of hls hc-nrH Sur.l IN
tears of ag"uy. and cnlren'rd thorn - tn>>
bands - spoi. h> ll,.--r"r each Ha"r'' ',nH
.u.i",cd nl,,r or .s>S N p"r.rn. sud jiUy
fnruru iir t2.'n, ah."'u'"!y u"r"-sury to
.,'.r c''er.; "rd j, seemed ~ hou- h Iuri
uo.' ."Iri de.
T,,,ra atfu' urrpr-a'icus w0rH Cnwp'"t"d
the h'lf hour hod nxnir'i--nnd IL" ,ri'ni'
nnl arravcd under liu.b 81 stout elm.
over winch r"po was rhroNn, "nc rrd be-
ing no"-c,l around hc pris ,ncr'S neck, nut
!Ir ohcr h, d by three Of he Rangers.
Then cane n moment Of drcadfni slrnr';
:hatnuial stiffness, which pyr.u+cs 'hc
'f,.urning Of = irluw being iHin iuiur"
cXi-lsncc-Nhi'c The three strong mrn vi"
held he rorc'- end, cnzrd liXcdiy upon the
Ca?,rln for 'hr In'a' signal. II VA. gwen
by ,a,-irg the right arm; and a'r'ahy the
uDusc WAS ti.hicnlng around Ia" d"nW'c
mans neck, when the wi'r uf Bat Issued
forth ifou III" house holding an infant, /"
lite more ihau year old. ~ he arm.
Rushing forward. She :cl an her knees
directly in front Of The c,ptair, aud instantly .
raising III. child, with arms our>'rc'r''d.
towards him, she exclaimed in 'on"- that
would bave pierced heart of s'c'I:
"lf you VII not spare GIm for IN" Hske oi
his greg haired sircs. Or the si'c o' has
bosom. spare h,m. in the name OF Sod, for
th. sake OF his Inisnt boy ~
Another .icnd silence reigned Ike n pail /
over the spot, then, as though inspired by /
heaven it.clf, tho child also out. stretched IT,
,i,llc arms full towards iis parent. tuG OK.
aimed. ~ voice hear! by all, lne sing
WORD:
Father"
The muscles of the Csp,nin's face qniver.
ed IN ever, fore, aud the men who held the I
rope slowly relaxed the pressure around the
neck uf Burt; men again the infant u,sered,