Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-07-26
saw him look at Towhead's bag. ;


But the rough and unreasonine
crowd would not listen.
Jack she again whispered to the
prisoner, keep up your courage, old
partner, and l II get you out of it yet.
No." said Jack, doggedly, {"
didn't do it. and l won't run. Let
them hang me if they want to.
:" L don't want you to run, Jack, "
she said I'm going after that fellow
myself. Good bye, Jack keep up
your courage"
Mollie kissed him, armed herself
with pair of revolvers, and slipped
out unnoticed. Taking the path, that
Towhead had followed, and speeding
with all her strength, she soon came
to the blood-marked spot of the mur-
derer.
"Of course he ran away" she
thought; and likely he took the path. !"
On she went through the storm,
which still ragged with such binding
fury as to render it difficult to keep
the path. On she went, mile after
mile, until the rapid gait began to tell
upon her strength, and she must drop,
when through the darkness she saw
the murderer lying where he had fall
len, and the blood fresh upon his hands
and shirt. He started up as he saw
her; but a revolver faced him. He
turned to flee, but her determined
voice stopped him.
Move step further, and I'll shoot"
He was entirely unarmed. having
thrown away the bloody knife, and
could do nothing but obey.
" | am going to take you back to the
shanty," she continued. go on
ahead, and remember that a bullet will
be the cost of any attempt to escape.
Go on
The man hesitated moment but,
seeing that she meant what she said,
he suddenly started.
With revolver in her hand, Moll
followed fewsteps in the rear. Once
he turned quickly, as if to grapple
with her and disarm her, but the CLEAN
of the revolver aimed at his head
changed his mind, and he sullenly
started on again. knowing that death
awaited him at the shanty still he
lacked courage to make the only posi-
BILE effort for liberty.
Daylight came as they neared the
cabin, and both could hardly drag
themselves along; but not word was
spoken. As the Gulch became light
ed up, Mollie saw crowd of miners
take the path from the shanty.
My God !" cried Mollie, they are
taking Jack out to hang himl"
The tired girl nearly tainted at the
sight. They were nearly mile away,
and she well knew the promptitude of
border executions. The first tree
would furnish a gallows.
+" Faster commanded Moll.
" | won't" replied her prisoner
It's bad enough towalk to my death,
without hurrying.
He turned and sprang toward her,
but she was ready with her weapon. A
shotrang out, and one of the murderer's
arms dropped powerless at his side.
Without a word he resumed his march,
hurried on by his determined captor.
Meantime, the moose was put around
Jack neck, the rope thrown over
limb, and score of hands lifted the
unfortunate man from the ground.
There being no fall, his neck was not
broken, and his feet had barely left
the ground before he saw Mollie in
the distance
Wrenching his hands from their
fastening, he pointed frantically toward
her and then strangled into uncon-
sciousness. The miners turned, and
a strange spectacle stayed their work.
" Let him down a minute" said one
who seemed to be the master of cere-
monies.
They did so, and Moll staggered into
the circle. The revolver dropped
from her now nerveless grasp, and she
tottered as if about to fall.
There's the man that killed Tow
head" she faltered, then, throwing
herself upon Jack, who lay, still chok-
ing, but slowly reviving, where they
had lowered him, she said Don't
die, Jack p
The miners held hurried consulta-
tion.
The blood stains upon the murder
er were proof enough for them, and he
did not deny the deed. The moose
was transferred to his neck, and the
tragedy suffered little interruption by
the change of actors.