Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-12-27

prisoner, and he was sentenced to be
hung on the following morning, and
given over to "Singular Bilr' for
safe-keeping until time for his execu-
ton.
He was taken into q rude cabin and
allowed to sit down. A blazing fire of
pine knots lighted the building, and
tho boy glanced at the cord which cut
deep into the flesh of his swollen wrists.
"Yes, they're painful, no doubt"
said the jailer; "sin always brings pain:
the way of the transgressor is hard,
and the only way to evade the penalty
is not to transgress. Pm sorry to wit
ness your pain, but il my own boy had
lived to be horse-thief, should say,
let him suffer the penalty; aye, the FIJI
penalty. What did you come here for,
anyhow"
II want 10 find my father" was the
brief reply.
precious little use he would have
been to you ifyou had. If he had been
the right kind Of man you wouldn't
have been here"
~ don't know. l haven't seen him
since was four years old. Mother used
to say that he was cross old brute,
but never believed il. He was the
only person in all this world who was
always kind to me. 1 can remember
yet how he looked when used to hide
behind the rose bushes when l saw him
coming, and wait until he said:
Where's papa's boyp' before ran to
meet him. But he went away one day
and mother took me and ran away.
| hA tn ink I'M of
him, but l could hardly live without
him. fused to cry to 60 to him and
she whipped me, and hard life I've
led ever since. She wasn't like him.
She smothered me with caresses at one
time and vented her wrath upon me
the next. always wanted him. She
said he had gone TO Denver, and who's
/ was fifteen years of age / ran away,
hired out to some drovers and crossed
the plains. But didn't find him. l
went TO every party of miners that |
could hear Of Sometimes l worked
my way with freighting parties, some
times l followed trains on foot. l
found a man. who said he knew him
and that he had gone to the Black Hills,
and came here. heard there was
party of miners over in Rattlesnake
Gulch, but my feet were so sore that
couldn't walk any farther, and found
the horse grazing down there by the
stream and l thought l would ride him,
and if my father was there he would
help me through, and if l didn't find
him didn't care what became of me.
Hang me, il you want to; it won't be
any worse than what l have borne"
The miner pushed the hat back from
the tanned forehead and gazed intent
ly into the prisoners face moment,
then dropped upon his knees beside
him.
"Are your wrists very painful, boyP"
he asked, huskily, as his knife descend
ed, cutting the thongs away and leav-
ing the prisoner free.
"There, let me battle your poor,
swollen hands, and bruised and bis
tered feet ~ and the tears rolled down
the sunburned cheeks and fell upon the
bleeding wrists so recently freed from
cruel bonds. 1--WE always longed for
| justice, and now if the boys will take
me out and hang me, I'll feel as if I'd
had it,"
care you fatherp" asked the boy,
winding his arms around the miners
neck and pressing his cheek against the
bearded face.
Ppm your father" returned the man,
clasping the boy to his bosom and sob
bling convulsively. "Pd have found
you long ago if she hadn't bribed a
doctor to write me of your DEATH"
The next morning, when the men
came for their prisoner they found him
sleeping peacefully, with his head upon
his jailer's' breast and his wrists and
feet bandaged with strips torn from one
of the miners shirts. The father had
not slept, and when he saw the rope
and the astonished faces of the group,
and the full significance of their COM
| ing flashed across his mind, he said
with strong effort at self-control:
"Boys, l move for q new trial. Ii
hadn't known you would treat me with
more kindness than deserve, daylight
wouldn't have found me here, but |
preferred to trust to your generosity
rather than leave you with tho matter
unexplained. 1t is thirteen years since
left my boy, expecting to see him again
after the lapse of few short days, but
for all these years have thought him
dead. / have been bitterly wronged
and it broke my heart, soured my ma
ture and made me hard and stern
toward transgressors. Look" he said,
carefully unwinding the bandagos.
LOOK at the bruised and blstered
feet that have tramped from Illinois to
Denver, and from thence to these re.
gions in search of the father whose face
he had not seen since the day badC
him goodbye, after carrying him down
to the gate upon my shoulders, and
then get your rifles and shoot the
brute that wanted you to hang him just
for borrowing horse to ride over tc
another gulch, after his feet were SC
tired and worn and bruised that he
couldn't walk any farther. If you feel
like hanging somebody deserve il
more than he does, and that rope musn'
be put around any neck but mine. Tel
your own story, boy"
And the youthful culprit told his
wanderings, his hardships, privation.
and disappointments in search of hi.
father, and asked to live, if only for {
little while, now that he had found him
you'll die of old age before VIZ
harm hair of your head" said tn,
Judge, drawing his sleeve across his
eyes and walking away, followed by
the others, leaving the father and sol
alone.
"Are your wrists painful yetP" ask
ed the miner, at length, lifting one o
the bandaged hands tenderly.
1--WE no complaint to make of any
thing now, since l can look upon YOU
face" replied the boy, and tic father
bathed the bruised feet again and Their
prepared their breakfast.
} From that hour his nature seemed e
change. A happy light shone in hi
eyes and q touching tenderness cam,
over his features whenever he met tn,
loving gaze of the boy, who had en-
dured so much to find him. They were
never known to be apart during thei
stay in the mines, and in few week.
the father took the wealth which h,
/ Il n n