Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-08-29


the horse and taken inside log house
built so close to the mountain side that
an immense rock formed side wall of
the structure was placed upon a
bench and my hands were united, !
saw around me ten or twelve rough
looking men; heavily armed. They
were fierce in action and determined
in expression. | had pleaded with
them, ere they put the gag in my
mouth, but now they had restored to
me the use of articulation, | sat mute
and almost stupeIied. AT every
turn | saw great copper vessels, and
off to the right, where my eyes inadver-
tently wandered, saw a rude corn
mill and pile of corn.
$50 you've come out here to take
us to the penitentiary, eAY said a
large, grizzly-bearded man, stepping in
front of ME.
"No,' | replied | never heard of you
before. | came to this country to buy
mountain cattle
"'An' l reckin you've foun' more of
'em than you can buy
81 don't understand you. l don't
know why l was brought here |
never harmed any of You, and why
you should iniict punishment on Inc is
something don't understand
"'Oh, he's powerful innocent eX-
claimed a fellow, who looked at me
with an expression of bloodthirsty re-
venge. He don't know what we mean
now because he amt got his crowd
with him.
"'Thats the way he's tryin' to work
it,, exclaimed a man who leaned
against one Of the copper vessels, but
turn him lose an he'd show u.s.
"'Gentlemen, you
"'Gentlemen,' repeated score Of
voices. Did you hear that? He's git
tin powerful meek
"'Young feller,' said the grizzly
bearded patriarch, we're goin' to put
a mighty tellin' lesson afore your eyes
We're citizens of this here Amerikin
government, and don't want to be pes
tered in the exercise of our natrl
rights. Our forefathers fit an bled
fur the Establishment of this Newnitei
States, an we think we've got a right
to make whiskey when an whar we
please
"'Now you're talkin; put it to him
chimed the chorus.
"'You may be a brave man, contin-
ued the patriarch, AN may be discharg-
in your duty, but it's our duty to see
that you don't. We could have killed
you easy enough without putin our
selves to the trouble of fetchin' you
here, but we wanted to furnish an eX-
ample to young feller that turned
traitor. We want to hang you rite
afore his eyes an then hang him.
"A groan arrested my attention, and
looking around, saw young man
bound hand and foot, stretched upon
the floor
"'That young chap continued the
grizzly leader, went down to Little
Rock some time ago, an as we found
out by your raid, turned traitor on us.
Eff it hadn't been for him you wouldn't
now be so close to whar the revpla-
tions of the gospel ends an whar the
real work of eternal punishment be-
gins. Hold the young feller up an let
the sinners look at each other
Gentlemen, never saw the young
fellow before declare. There must
be some mistake here. What do YOU
think my business is, anyhow? For
Gods sake do not act until you know
what you are doing! Heaven knows
| did not come here to harm anyone
THAT talk mout amount to good
deal afore judge an jury, but afore us
it only amounts to what it's worth
"What am | charged with. Give
me chance to defend myself
"It want expected that you'd want
chance. A man that is so bold as to
come rite out as you have done
oughter know that if he's tuck thar
amt no chance fur him. Fetch the
rope. Josiah!
The young man addressed immedi-
ately appeared with therope. begged
and prayed, but they slipped moose
over my neck, and, throwing the rope
over something above, frightened it.
"'Before you murder me- l gasped,
tell Inc what I've done
"'YOu are deputy United States
marshal on the hunt of distillers,' re-
piled grizzly beard.
"l am not. | am q cattle buyer.
No one can prove that / am II deputy
marshall
81 reckin' l kim replied II voice
and before me stood the long-haired
man had met on the train.
"I did not tell you that l was depu-
ty marshall
"No, but yer give me yer ticket
and he produced card bearing the
name and address of y. M. Pelter,
TTnttaI Ctoka, nnn,,@,,