Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-07-02
pear as unconcerned as possible. As
they came nearer / heard one of them

overlook me, and after they had
taken me, they held short consulta-
ton together, after which the leader
told me that as had but a short
time to live i had better make my
confession; but as l had nothing to
confess, 1 related the circumstances
as l have related them here. But
the leader and spokesman of the
party said "that my story was too
thin And after they had taken a
vote they decided to lynch me; and
as they had rope with them, Gas
the vigilance committees always have
on such occasions), they took me
down the road to piece of woods:
and there made moose of one end
OF the rope and placed it around my
neck, and threw the other end of the
rope over limb, and several of them
laid hold of that end of the rope to
pull me up; but the leader said that
before they pulled me up they would
give me one more chance to confess:
but as 1 had nothing to confess, 1
told them the same story as before.
But this did not have any effect on
them, and they unanimously agreed
that must swing.
No one who has not thus faced
death, can realize the situation. All
my past life, my friends in the East,
and thousand other things, came up
in moment before me. Iplead for
life but they were merciless; and at
word from the leader they pulled
on the rope, and hung suspended
in the air.
But after they had pulled me up,
the leader ordered them to let me
down, and see if would not confess
now; but as l had nothing to con-
fess, / told them the same straight
forward story as before. After this
they held a consultation together,
and the leader said that / might be
innocent; at least that 1 told my
story alike each time, and that 1t
might be true. That he had new
plan anyway; that there were some
old empty hogsheads lying down in
the edge of the woods, about half a
mile from the road; and that his
plan was to take me down and head
me in one of the hogsheads, and leave
me to my fate. The rest agreed to
this plan, which they Immediately
lput into execution, and after they had
iplaced me in the hogshead, and Sc
cureiy headed it up, they left me to
my fate.
At first feeling of relief came
over me, to think that had escaped
death; but after / had lain there till
the next afternoon, and the pangs of
hunger began to be seriously felt, /
gave up hope. As had nothing with
which to cut my way out, 1 could not
see but that 1 must die there by slow
degrees of starvation.
Hay in this position until some
time the next night, when was sur.
prised TO hear steps coming towards
me. AT first / thought that it was
some person, and l called at the tor
of my voice, but the sound of my
own voice, shut in as / was, nearly
deafened me. / then laid still and
z listened; the steps continued tx
I come nearer TO me; but l soon con
cluded that it was some animal
= There was a good-sized bunghole +,
the hogshead left open, or I shoult
have suffocated; and through this
, could see that it was very larg
!. black bear.
At first an involuntary feeling O
security came over me TO think that
was safe from the bear, but soon til
o sickening thought returned to M
n that 1 might better take my chance
q with bear than die by slow degree
where l was
o The bear came up TO the hogshea
II and began shifting around. He i'm
n mediately smelt me and wanted
n get at me, as he continued to sni
d and walk around the hogshead. j
y some unacountable manner, as tll
+ bear was working around the hog.
II head, he managed 10 get his Ia
q through the hunghole of tie hog
20 heat l immediately froze 10 tl,t
- bears tail. You never saw bear &
;, frightened as that bear was. II
q started as fast as he could possibl
N run, with the hogshead after hin
4 and me hanging on to his tail fc
u dear life.
), He took me lin less time than
II takes to tell IT'D over the rocks, au
7 knocking and humping agains: IL
6 trees, down into deep rayine soa
~ 200 or 800 feet below. Inever wal
=, to take another such a ride. But
in knocked the hogshead to pieces ar
no released me, and the last / saw
r. that bear he was running as if Il
~ Evil One was after him, up the o
), posite hill, some half mile away.
az Immediately got up and started f
ed the East, never stopping TO look f
4 my yalisc. / walked 10 the neare
,u railroad station, and there took
-. ticket FOR the East, and have new
i'll since even had desire to GO We.
Il have found it best" obserr,
Green, ''to always tell my wife eve
thing do. 1t kee;s Us happy. al