The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-11-05

gether, and follow me. I will shoot the
first man who don't obey, and send him
to hell a-fuking."
Again he led on. We struggled after
in silence-benumbed spiritless, help
less, half dead. Baboon was moody, as
of DID, Scott seemed like child. It
grew dark soon-the most fearful dark
ress l ever saw / heard English call
and curse like madman. There is but
one chance" he said "come UP here
with your horses, and cut off your sad
dies" He got the horses together as
close as possible. and shot them down
throwing away his pistols as he emptied
them. Throwing the saddles on the heap,
he had each man wrap his blanket around
him, and all huddle together on. the
mass.
"No nodding, now! I'll shoot the first
man who don't answer when [ call him"
i truly believe he would have done So
Every man seemed to have given up all
hope, save this fierce man of iron. He
moved as if in his element. He made
track in the snow around US, and kept
constantly moving and shouting In less
than an hour we saw the good effects of
horses warmed US as it rose.
| Suddenly he ceased to shout, and utter
ed an oath of surprise. The storm had
| lifted like curtain, and away IN the
north, as it seemed to US, the full, s ately
moon moved on toward the east. That
moon to US was as the sea to the Ten
Thousand We felt that we were saved
For as the moon seemed going in the
/ e. NG
course, were in the right, and could not
/ be far from help.
When the morning sun came out, our
leader babe us up and follow. | was al
most impossible to rise. Baboon fell, rose,
fell, aud finally stood Oh his feet But
one Of the party-a small German,
named Ross-could not be reused. Eng
lish returned, cursed, kicked and rolled
! him over the frozen horses, and into the
snow, but it was useless. | think he was
already dead; at least he had not moved
from the position we left him in, when
found by the returning party.
| a At eleven in the morning English, who
still resolutely le the party, gave a shout
of joy as he stood on the edge of basaltic
cliff and looked down on the ifurtefre. a
long, straight pillar of white smoke rose
from the station, like column of marble
supporting The blue dome above.
! The dead man and money were
brought in, and in few days the trail
| broken
Baboon stood leaning on the neck of
! his horse, and firing double barrelled dis
charges of smoke across it, as over a
/ barricade. Then he called Scott and
| English to him; told them he knew their
| calling still he liked them that he be-
! lieved brave rubbcr better than many
/ legal thieves who infested the land and
offered them, or any of their band, fair
start in life, to leave the mountains and
go with him. Scott laughed gayly-it
| hattered his vanity; but English was for
moment very thoughtful, Then he
threw it off, and spoke moment to Wa
bash-a quiet, half melancholy young
man, born in the papaw woods of 1ndi-
ana.
wabash has been wanting to quit
and go home," said English to Baboon.
Take him-he is braver than Lucifcr-
and not hair of your head shall be
hurt"
Wabash then solemnly shook hands
with his old companions. and rode on.
|
turned to Lewiston.
We reached Walia Walla safely, and I
never saw Wabash or Baboon again. But
a letter lies before me as | write, post
marked Easton, Northampton county,
Pa, and signed, sold Baboon." This
letter contains tie following paragraph i:
1.-The house stands In this wood of
elms. We have two California grizzlies
and pair of bulldogs. Wabash keeps
the dogs chained, but | let the grizzlies
go free. We arc not troubled with Wis
itors."
Scott, English, and Peoples were ar
rested some months later for highway
robbery, and heavily ironed, were placed
under guard in log house as a temporal
-ry Jail. That night was born the first
Vigilance Committee of the north. Ii
consisted of but six men, mostly Express
men. About midnight, under pretense
of furnishing the guard with refresh
ments, they got hold of their arms, and
told the prisoners they must die. Scott
asked time to pray; English swore furi-
ously, but Peoples was silent. Soon one
of the Vigilantes approached Scott,
where he was kneeling, and was about to
place moose over his head.
Chang me first, cried English, land
let him pray
The wonderful courage of the man
appealed strongly to the Vigilantes, but
they had gone too far to falter now. They
had but one rope, and proceeded to exc
cute them, one at a time. When tn
rope was around the neck of English, he
was asked by his exccutioners to invoke
his God. He held down his head mo.
ment, muttered something, then straight
ened himself up, and, turning to SCOTT,
said
"Nelse, pray for me little, can't you,
while hang D-n if can pray"
He looked over to where Peoples sat
still as a stone, and continued, "D-n if
I can pray, Billy; can your"
/ Peoples died without word or strug-
gle. When they came to Scott, and put
the rope about his neck, he was still
praying most devout.y. He offered, for
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