The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-24


The few remaining retainsrs of the house
Of Harden gave way when they fouad their
leader . captive, and they fed, leaving the
cattle behind them. Sir Gideon Murray,
therefore, recovered all that had been taken
from him; and though he had captured but
two prisoners, the one was the chief and the
other his principal adviser and second ia
command. The old knight, therefore, CON-
manded that they should be bound with
cords together, and In such ruaful plight led
70 his castle st Elihank. It was noon before
they reached IL, and Lady Murray came Gu.
to welcome hin. and congratulate him upon
bis success. But when she beheld the her
OF Harden captive and thought OF how lit
lie mercy was TO be expected from Sir Glide
on. when once aroused, she remembere Cd that
she was mother, and that one Of her chill.
dren might one day be situated as the pris-
ouer then was.
The young laird, with his aged kinsman
and dependent, was thrust into q dark room
and be who locked them up informed them
that the next day their bodies would be hung
on the nearest tree.
"My life and lang fasting Z" exclaimed ST.
mon, ''ye surely w0uldna be speaking g SIC
thing as hanging 10 an auld man like mo.
al | were to be shot or heh1a ied-though
would like nvilh-r the ane or the ither-it
wouldna be thing in particular to DO COM
planned O.. but to be hanged like q dog is so
disgracefu' and uDchristian-like that would
rather die ten tunes 10 q day than feel q
nempen cravat about my neck ance. And,
moreover, | must say that hanging is not
treating my dear young master and kinsman
as be ocht to be treated His birth, hls
rank and the memory o his q cestors and
mine demand mar respec.; and therefore,
say, gae tell your master that, Il be u de-
termined we ars to die-though | nave no
amoI, on to cut my bFeaIh before my time
that | thlnk-as a gentleman-it s his
duty to see that We die the death O. gentle
men.
"SIlence, Simon" cried the young laird,
s'let Murray hang Us IN his h-dchamber, il
be will No matter what manner o. death
we dle, provided only we die like men. Let
hlm hang Us. If ne dare, and the disgrace be
bis that Is coward enough 50 to make an end
Of bis enemy"
80, SIR" said Simon, "that Is poor cons
fort 70 a r:an that mas to leave . small FAM
ly behind him."
''SImonI are you afraid to die ?' cried the
captive laird, in tone of rebuke.
"No, your honour" SAID SimJn-"that ia,
am no more afraid to die that other men
are, or ought to be-but only yen observe,
sir, that nave no ambition-not, as | rlsy
say, to draw my last breath upon q wuddy,
but to have it very unnaturally stopped
Begging your pardon, but you are . young
man, while | have wife and family that
would be left to mourn for mel-and o, SIR,
the wife and the bits O BARNS press unco
sairly upon a mans heart when death tries
to come in the way between him aud them.
In exploits like that in which we were last
night engaged, aud also in battles abroad,
have faced danger in every shape a hundred
times-yet, &Ir, TO be shot 10 q moment, as
1t were, or to be run through the body, and
to die honorably upon the field, is a very diff
ferent thing from deliberately walking up a
ladder TO branch O. tree, from which we
are never to come doun in life again. And
nair than that, il we had been o. Johnny
Faa's gang, they couldns hae treated Us
mar disresprcifully than to condemn US to
the death that they have decreed for u.s."
"Prouding ye die bravely, Smon," said
the young laird, cit is little matter what
manner o death ye dir; and as for your wife
and weans, fear not; my fathers house will
provide for them. For, though fall now,
there will be other heirs left to the estate o.
Hardeo."
TO BE CONTINUED.