Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-26

'But this man has committed murder
the gravest crime known to the eyes
OF the law. Public safety demands that
we deal with him according to the letter
OF the law" expostulated the leader,
more moved than he cared to acknowl-
edge.
A superb scorn overswept the woman's
features. Bending to touch the dog with
her hand, the huge creature drew him
self erect, angry and bristling, with his
lips drawn threateningly back from his
formidable teeth Then boldly throwing
open the cabin door, she pointed with
appraised finger, still holding the deadly
weapon aimed full at the leaders breast
A scathing contempt rang in her
words
''Does that man look like cut-throat?
Can you all, looking inside this cabin,
tell me that you are afraid to spare him
to his wife and children this one last
night?"
She paused moment, glancing swiftly
around the circle of rough faces pressing
close upon her. The tableau within
showed Lot, crouching upon low camp
stool, pale, disordered, and shaking with
terror, clasping in his arms his youngest
born; the girls, firm an fearless as their
mother, were planted at his knees
while between him and the door, the
ten-year-old, with a dilapidated chair, as
a rest, stood behind his fathers rife
The she bear and her cobs were grit to
the backbone.
"Who are your she cried, eloquently
gesturing to the crowd with her unoc-
cupied hand, ''that take the business of
the Almighty into your own hands, and
send the souls that he has made unbid-
den into his presence, without prayer
for mercy? Which would be the better,
you or him ? Leave him to us this night,
and as surely as there is a heaven above
US, in the morning you shall come in
without hinderance You can guard the
cabin. There is no danger that he will
escape you"
There was a murmer among the ''vig-
ilantes." Their task was harder than
they were prepared to execute; and
perhaps thought of wives and children
at home moved them a little to this I'M
wonted leniency. A brief conference,
and the leader said
''Have your way. Make the most of
your time. Wen not disturb you until
morning"
"You are not deceiving me?" she
said, watching the while with eyes
which seemed to pierce like sharp steel
points.
A hoarse murmur ran through the
crowd.
'No! No. Fair play!
For moment the wOman's strength
seemed to fail, and she leaned heavily
against the Casemement; another and
she disappeared within, the faithful dog
following, protectingly, close behind
her.
The men bivOuackcd around the cabin,
disposing themselves for the night, two
! or three appointed sentinels keeping Wig
| liant watch. The other members of the
camp, unable to sleep,h kept wakeful
| vigil using our little influence aud knOwl-
edge of the accuscd's inoffensive dispo-
sition to mitigate, if possible, the preiu-
dice which we found greater than the
real weight Of evidence against him.
! In an affray, two men had deem stab
bed-One seriously, one fatally; and
| Lots hand held a bloody knife. limo
cent men have been hanged even after
| full judicial trial, under circmnstantial
evidence far less convincing than this.
AS the night wore away l restlessly
| paced the camp. An occasional sound
came from the guarded cabin, but other
wise all was still,
Once, about midnight, after a pro
longed scratching at the door, it was
opened to let out the dog. A stream OF
! light flashed out but caugbtnO GLIMPSE
! of those within. The dog, poor fellow,
as though his canine spirit seemed tC
!
| over those he loved, with drOOping
head, pendent tail skunk through the open
| space.
Good Lion! Poor fellow Come
! here :" | called.
He lifted his head at the sound of my
voice, raised his muZzle mOurnfully il
the air, then dropping it again, went on
soon disappearing in the adjacent chap
arral.
At the first faint streak of day the
''vigilantes" bestirred themselves, and il
knots discussed the grave business before
them. The excitement of the past nigh
had worn away, and in these Calmel
moments not one of those most eager fol-
duty then, but wished himself relieved the
painful responsibility deyolVing upor
him.
There was yet no signof life about thC
cabin.
Never, l think, did the solemnity O
the occasion appeal more forcibly to thu
hearts of the ''vigilantes." They were
confdent-terribly Confident-that thu
prisoner would be found guilty Witt
voices subdued, and quiet mein, they
awaited the action of their leader, wht
humanely postponed to the last possible
moment his official summons.
Jusk as the suns disk appeared abov'
the horizon, three of the committee al
vancing knocked upon the door Witt
eyes red and swollen with weeping
Lots wife opened it wide.
With a sickening sensation | fail t,
describe, awaited what was to follow
A suggestive rope lay where it had beer
thrown, at the foot of tree. With
shudder | recalled the many times LO
had sat under the shadow Of its branch
es, with his children playing about hi
knees.
| Chris and George had followed at tn
heels of the other party.
A resOunding slap upon the shOulde
nearly sent me reeling to the earth.
by the great Moses, that little woman
brick !"
"What is it, Chris ~ | asked in aston
ishment; for his lively tone was anythin
but appropriate for the occasion.
Come and see!" and selling me b,
the arm, and commenced dragging m
toward Lots cabin.
A sudden revelation came to me: Lo
had committed suicide! Well, better s
than than the hangma's moose!
Entering the cabin prison, a singula
spectacle presented itself. The CON
mitttee stood in dismayed groupe i
the center of the room; while Lot
wife, stern and resolute no longer, ben
over the huge dismantled carcass o
Lion. Gone was the nerve, the passio
and power, which had, the night pre-
vious, supported and lifted her above he
sex. Palmer, more meager, if possible
than usual, there was yet somethin
touching in her weakness perhaps be
cause it was so foreign to her nature.
Lifting her woe-begone countenanc
as [ approached, she exclaimed, broker
| = +Lo,, -