The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-09-22

and that was the name he had in camp.
| In his pocket he had fairsiZed bag of
gold dust, which he incautiouSly dis
played several times during the even
/ ing.
AT u O'Clock Towhead rose To go;
/ but first he called Jack Jeptha outside
the door aud placed the bag OF dust in
his hands.
"Thar's my pile, Jack" he said,
"an' want yer TO keep it till to-mor-
row. I'm n little too drank to take 1t
along with me, an thar might be some
body as would follow me for it,"
Jack slipped the bag in his coat, and
both returnedto the bar-room.
Soon after the party broke up and de-
parted. Towhead's way led him soil
| tary walk of mile or more and As he
/ left his companions the form of a man
skulked after him in the shadow. Thus
followed, Towhead staggered along UNI
til his path led him through deep gul-
/ ", which had been dubbed the Devils
/ Glenn. Then and there his follower
stealthily advanced from behind and
killed him with murderous dirk stab.
A hasty search of the victims pockets
convinced the murderer that the prize
for which he had committed the villain
Gus deed was not there. Them the cow
ardice of the man showed itself. A
storm had been coming up, and now,
as il burst forth in thunder, lightning
and flood, he shivered. With blood on
his hands, with horror in his eyes, and
with the dreadful mark of Cain brand
ed indelibly upon his brow, the wretch
ed man fled, clutching his breast with
his pale, talon-like fingers, as if TO tear
hence his cowardice. On he went, fly
ing over rocks and chasms, and uproot-
ed trees-on, on, still on, unable 10 stop
until he sank exhausted beneath huge
pile of rocks. The storm was madlv,
wildly cannonading against the recks,
as if il would tear its way TO where he
lay, and boldly engulf him; but he heard
nothing but an imaginary and unearth-
" cry of " Murder !''-saw nothing but
the cold, still face and lifeless form of
his victim.
Towhead had not been murdered
more than fifteen minutes before
his body was discovered by a party of
miners returning from midnight ca
rouse. They carried il back to Jack
Jeptha's shanty, amid threats Of ven
! geance on the murderer. Arrived
I there, they laid the body on the floor,
while one of the party went behind the
bar to help Jack fix up dram, in the
vain hope of reviying the murdered
man. His eyes fell upon the bag of
/ dust, with TOwhead's mark upon the
side.
"What this?' ne said, holding it up.
THAT'S Towhead's ~ replied sever
al.
" How did it come here?" asked 9TH
| ers.
Jack Jeptha turned pale as he real
1 lied the predicament in which he was
I placed. He gave the true version OF the
Affair, but they would not believe it.
I They were anxious to fix the guilt upon
some one, TO hang somebody, for Tow
head had been pretty popular among
them. Several remained as guard over
Jack, while several went out 20 collect
the miners for the immediate holding
of trial. Judge Lynch allows no de-
lays, and there was every prospect of
hanging in the morning.
Mollie Jeptha had come in on the ar
rival of the corpse. and her eyes had
closely watched Jacks face; but she
believed his version Of the story.
Jack she whispered, 81 believe
you," and then added aloud 81 be-
lieve | know who did this. There was
a stranger here among the rest, drinking
last night, and more than once | saw
him look az Towhead's bag"
But the rough and unreasoning crowd
would not listen.
Jack" she again whispered to the
prisoner, "keep up your courage, old
partner, III get you out OF it yet"
"No," said Jack, doggedly, IL didn't
do it, and I won't run. Let 'em hang
me if they want to-"
81 don't want YOU 10 run, Jack" she
said, "I'm going after that fellow my
self. Good-by, Jack; keep up your
courage"
Mollie kissed him, armed herself with
pair Of revolyers, and slipped out un-
noticed. Taking the path that Tow
head had followed, AID speeding along
with all her strength, she soon came to
the blood-niarked spot of the murder
"Of course, he ran away" she
thought, h" and likely he took this 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 rap
i'll gait began to tell on her strength,
and she thought she must drop down,
when through the darkness she saw the
murderer where he had fallen, and
the blood fresh upon his hands and shirt.
He started up when he saw her, but a
revolver faced him. He turned to flee,
hut hnr. Lnt nrrr,irnI r.nil.l, nAr,nr.nl hir.,