The Lincoln County herald., 1868-06-04

cradle myself. Ysu shall not touch The
poor little thing. Now SIR" she cried
almost choking with excitement, "what
is it?" After having laid the pretty in.
FAINT on its downy place Of rest, she stood
erect and waited the reply.
II am going to kill you" said tho man.
"Kill me-" she exclaimed, her face
growing pale with terror. "Kill me?
What have l ever done to you that you
should kill me p
"Nothing, nothing my dear, only you
know you have seen mo and you will know
me again" And he advanced upon her.
"Oh, sir, let me live. Have you not
done enough to take my husbands mon
ey, without depriviug him Of his wife
too? I will never say . word against
you II you will spare mo, only spare me !"
As she spoke she clasped her hands and
looked imploringly at him.
II am sorry that I cannot safely grant
your request, ihe responded. "There is
no help for it; SO come along out Of
DOORS" :.
Ho reached out his hand to grasp Mil.
ly, but tho instinct Of self-preservation
was too strong upon her. She evadcd
him, few to the chimney piece, snatched
her husbands loaded rife from tho hooks
on which il hung, cooked it and presented
IL at tho breast Of the robber. Her mo.
tons were so rapid that before he could
prevent it, her fingers had pressed the
trigger and there was an explosion. But
with equal readiness tho man had stepped
aside, the ball had passed over his head,
and tho next instant his gripo was on her
throat.
II will teach you to handle arms" he
said. "You would have killed me. would
you? l will show you trick worth two
Of that.
"Mcrcy, mercy" cried the terrified
woman.
"There is no mercy Tor you," ho ejac
ulated. lie dragged her into the entry,
and flung open tue door. "Out with you
into the snow"
"Hold, what is this ?" exclaimed dcep
toned voice. "Unhand that woman, you
A powerful man stood in the doorway.
He dealt tho robber blow between the
eyes which struck him back in tho entry.
His grasp Of klilly was relinquished, and
she fell to the floor.
10, sir" she cried to the conner, "save
man has robbed US, and would
murder me that would not tell Of it,
''Fear not, madam, he shan't harm you,
responded the stranger. "Fellow, surren-
der yourself"
"Get out Of my way" cried the robber,
making rush for tho door, and striking
at the stranger with bowie knife. Civ.
ing back few steps the stranger seized
the robber BY the collar, whirling him
end threw him on his face in the
snow. The robbsr struggled, but the
stranger knelt heavily on the small Of his
back, and grasped his hair.
"Lie still" said the stranger, TOR will |
send bullet through your BRAIN"
The robbcr felt the cold barrel Of .
pistol at his ear, and obeyed. Milly
quickly brought ropes, ut her rescuer's
request, and the robber was bound hand
and foot.
1T was strange providence" tho new
conner said, "that overlook me with q |
snow storm on the prairie, and forced me
an hour ago to take refuge in your smoke |
house, nearly dead with cold"
Milly acknowledged the truth Of the
remark, and she knelt and thanked her |
Father in Heaven for her dsliverance.
Tho next day Milly's husband came
homo, and when he had been told all, he
remarked:
"This fellow was in the tavern at the
village the day I sold my produce. 1t
will learn me lcsson,-never to lot stran-
yers know when money is plenty with mo,
lest they should be tempted to crime and
bring ruin on me and mins."
That day some sixty or seventy men
gathered at tho house Of Mr.. Dean. The
robber was recognized as notorious horse.
thief who had long Infested tho neigh
borhood. There was Q summary trial, |
and then in dogged silence the wretch
who would have burned harmless infant |
and murdered q faithful and gentle wo.
man, submitted to bis inevitable fate. A
rudely constructed gallows and stout
rope ended his existence. 80 on the
.hinly settled frontiers Of tho West do
hey meto out justice to offenders against
property and life.
About seventeen hundred dollars in4
bills were found on the person Of the rob.
Der besides tho gold he had taken from
Mrs. Dean. As there were no other |
claimants for the bills, at the suggestion |
Of the stranger: whose life had been saved
from the anger Of the winter storm by |
The sheltrr he had found in the smoke |
house, thousand dollars Of the sevcntee.
hundred were presented to Milly in con.
of what she had passed through, |
and the remainder was divided around. |
On that very spot there is now thri.
wing town, and one Of the finest residen. |
,cs in the place 10 that place where dwells |
Milly Dean and her husband.