American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-08-14

distant West, it was understood that
when | had found it and put it in
order, she was to share it.
"Lite in the forest, though soil
tary, is not necessarily lonesome
The kind of society afforded by Ma
ture depends much on ones self
AS for me, lived more in the future
than in the present, and Hope is an
ever-cheerful companion.
cat length the time came for
making the final payment on the
house which | had bought. 1t would
hencetOrth be my own; and, in a
few more months, my simple dwell
ing, which l had spared no pains to
render inViting, would be graced by
its mistress.
"At the land office, which was
some sixty miles off, | met my old
friend, George c.. He, too, had
come to seek his fortune in the
West; and we were both delighted
at the meeting. He had brought
with him, he said, a sum of money
which he desired to invest in land,
on which it was his purpose to set
tie. l expressed a strong wish to
have him for neighbor, and gave
him a coNial invitation. to aceOm-
pany me home, giving it as my be
lief that he could not make a better
selection than i'll that vicinity.
He readily consented, and We
set ont together. We had not rid
den many. miles, when George sud
denly recollected a commission he
had undertaken for friend, which
would require his attendance at a
public landsale on the following
day.
Exacting a promise that he
would not delay his visit longer than
necessary, and having given minute
directions as to the route, | c0ntin-
ued my way homeward, while he
turned back.
Il was about retiring to bed, Oh
the night of my return, when q sum
mons from without called me to the
door. A stranger asked shelter fol
himself and horse for the night. /
invited him in. Though a stranger.
his face seemed not unfamiliar. He
was probably one of the men | had
seen at the land Office, a place at
that time very much trequented.
'sOtfering him a seat, went tC
see to his horse. The poor animal
as we'll as | could see by the din
starlight, seemed to have been hard
ly used. His painting side bore wit
@ ness to merciless riding, and trem
ulous shrinking, at the slightest
touch, betokened recent fright.
"On returning to the house,
found the stranger was not there
His absence excited no surprise ht
would doubtless soon return.
WAS a {lit ale >sin gHlar, however, tina
he should have left his Watch lying
on the table.
h "At the end of an hour, my CUES
not returning, ! went again to til,
stable, thinking he might have fOunC
his way thither, to give his persona
u attention to the wants of his horse.
"Before going out, from mer
force of habit-for We were as ye
y unintested by thieves or policemen
!. i took the precautiOn of putin!
the strangers watch in a drawer il
which | kept my own valuables.
found the horse as l had left him
and gave him the food which he wa
now sufficiently cooled to eat, bu
his master was nowhere to be seer
GAS / approached the house,
II crowd of men on horseback dashe
e. up, and | was commanded in II
tt gentle tones to !Standt In anOthe
moment | was in the clutches {
"a those who claimed me as their pri.
e oner.
n was too much stupetied at frs
5 to ask what it all meant. l did S
at last, and when the answer came
~ it was terrible:
"a "My friend, with whom / had S
so lately set out in company, had bee
Is found murdered and robbed nea
III the spot at which l, but l alon'
or knew we had separated. was til
last person known to be with hin
1T and l was now arrested on snspicio
II = of his murder.
II, "a search of my premises was in
III mediately instituted. The watch W;
:, found in the drawer in which | ha
IL Just placed it, and was identified ;
e; the property of the murdered ma
I'll His horse too was found in my st
BILE; for the animal | had just pl
II there was none other. | recognize
10 him myself when l saw him i'll Il
IL light.
a "What | said, | know not. NJ
d' confusion was taken as addition
eS evidence; and when at length d
eo command language to give an int
ol ligible statement, it was receive
Ill with sneers of incredulity.
T. "The mob spirit is inherent
man-at least in crowds of men.
III may not always manifest itself
al, physical violence. 1t sometimes 60
ed tents itself with lynching a chara
IN ter. But whatever its form. it is ;
ne ways relentless, pitiless, cruel.
eu GAS the proofs of my guilt ol
ny after another came to light, low mt
ch terings gradually grew into a clam
for vengeance; and but for the fir
as as ness of one man-the officer WI
III, had me in charge / would dOul
I'd less have paid the penalty of Il
rs rs supposed offence on the spot.
" - 1t was not sympathy for me tn
actuated my protector. His hca
ire was as hard us his office; but lie l
presented the majesty of the la
Ter and took a sort of grim pride i'll |
, position.
ne GAS much under the glance of ]
eye as before the muzZle of his p
'''f tol. the cowardly clamOrerS drt
back. Perhaps they were not SUI
ciently numerous to feel the full
ny feet of that mysterious reflex inf
icG ence which makes crowd of IN
IL" at times so much worse or SO mu
better than any of them singly.
I
"At the end of some months, !
IN" trial came. 1t could have but 0
rad result. circumstances too plail
ht- declared my guilt. | alone KIN