Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-05-03

old, with dllapluateu cnalr, as rest
stood behind his fathers rifle.
The she-bea and her cubs were grit tC
the backbone.
"Who are you?' she cried, eloquently
gesturing to the crowd with her unoccu.
pied hand, THAT take the business of the
Almighty into your own hands, and send
the souls He has made unbldden into His
presence. without a prayer for mercy
Which would be the better, you or him
Leave him to us this night. and As surely
as there is heaven above us, in the morn
ing YOU shall come in without hindrance
You can guard the cabin. There is no
danger he will escape yeu.'
There was murnur among the "vigi-
lantes." Their task was a harder one
than they were prepared to execute; and
perhaps a thought of wives and children
at home moved them little to this un-
wOnted leniency. A brisk conference, and
the leader said:
"Have your way. Make the most of
your time. Well 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 a moment the wOman's strength
seemed to fail, and she leaned heavily
against the easement; another. and she
disappeared within, the faithful dog fol-
lowing, protectingly, close behind.
The men bivOuacked around the cabin,
disposing themselves for the night, two
or three appointed sentinels keeping vigi-
liant watch. The other members of the
camp. unable to sleep, had kept wakeful
vigil, using our little influence and knowl-
edge of the accused's inOffensive dispO-
sition to mitigate, if possible, the preju-
dice which We found greater than the real
weight of evidence against him.
L. an affray. two men had been stabbed
one seriously, one fatally; and Lots
hand held bloody knife. Innocent men
have been hanged, even after full judicial
trial, under circumstantial 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 prolonged
at the door, it was opened to
let out the dog. A stream of light flashed
out; but | caught no glimpse of those
within. The dog, poor fellow, as though
his canine spirit seemed to comprehend
the fatal danger impending over those he
loved. with dropping head and 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 mOurntully i'm the
in the adjacent chaparral.
At the first faint streak of day the wig
ilantes" bestirred themselves, and in
knots discussed the grave business before
them. The excitement of the past night
had worn away, and in these calmer mo-
ments not one of those most eager for
duty then, but wished himself relieved
from the painful responsibility devolving
upon him.
There was yet no sign of life about the
cabin.
Never, think. did the sOlemnity Of the
occasion appeal more fOrcibly to the hearts
of the ''vigilantes." They were conf
contident-that the prison.
er would be found guilty. With voices
subdued, and quiet mien, they awaited the
action of their leader, who humanely
to the last possible moment,
his official summons.
Just as the suns disk appeared above
the horizon, three of the committee ad-
knocked upon the door. With
eyes red and swollen with weeping, Lots
wife opened it wide.
With sickening sensation fail to de-
scribe, | awaited what was to follow. A
suggestive rope lay where it had been
thrown, at the foot Of neighboring tree.
With a shudder | recalled the many times
Lot had sat under the shadow of its
branches. his children playing about his
knees.
Chris and George had followed at the
heels of the other party.
A resOunding slap upon the shoulder
nearly sent NE reeling TO the earth.
''By the great Moses, that little woman 9
a brick!"
.Wnat is it, Chris?' I asked in aston
for his lively tone was anything
but appropriate for the occasion.
"COme and see :" and seiZing me by the
arm, he commenced dragging me toward
Lots cabin.
A sudden revelation came to me. Lot
had committed suicide! Well, better so
than the hangman's moose!
Entering the cabin prison, a singular
spectacle presented itself. The commit
tee stood in dismayed group in the CEN
ter of the room; while Lots wife. stern
and resOlute no longer, bent over the
huge dismantled carcass of poor Lion.
Gone was the nerve, the passion and
power, which had, the night previous,
supported and lifted her above her sex.
Palmer, more meager. if possible, than
usual, there was yeta something touching
in her weakness perhaps because it was
SO foreign to her nature.
Lifting her wOe-begOne cOuntenance as
l approached, she exclaimed, broken
ly:-
"I'd Almost rather died than a. done it ;
hut there wasn't no other way!"
Hardly had the news of the escape
spread through the camp, when horse
man, riding at break-neck speed, came, in
the midst of a cloud of dust, flying up the
trail. In his hand he Dore white signal,
which he persistentlv waved as he had
advanced. Dashing into camp, he threw
himself breathlessly into the midst of the
"Vigilantes."
"where's the man you were going to
hang?'
Escaped"
udnk OOu IOI uo uluH uOU. + TTlS
co Bill has confessed the deed!'
Then the cheers that rang out might
almost have rent the heavens in twain
but Lots wife, alone with her sleeping
children. crouched in mOurnful silence
over the form of her poor. dumb sacrifict
silent and faithful even unto DEATH
Lakeside Monthly.
PICKLES, according to DR.. Hall, ar
good for those who crave them. He rea
sons that often the system needs an acit
that acids promote the secretion of bile