The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-06-19
banks friends" I thought to myself,
getting up and walking to the open

VA hA1SAbAcf = piLouSiV w Ii SELL
getting up and walking to the open
door.
There, by the wavering reflections
cast out from the wood-fire in the fire
place inside, I saw ten or eleven men on
horseback facing me, each with a revol-
yer pointed straight at my head.
"Throw up your hands" cried a stern
voice from behind one of the pistols.
I obeyed instinctively, resistance was
out Of the question; I had. FcoHeluded.
fallen into the clutches of road-agents.
We've unpleasant business with YOU
my friend, the leader continued. "You
probably know what's coming-since
you've paid no heed to our warning;"
and he pointed to the placard on the
tree by the shanty.
l utterly failed to understand, or
gain so much as a hint of their mean
ing. Even as the leader spoke, they
ali sprang off their horses, which two Of
their number took to hold; two others,
stepping determinedly forward, seized
me by my appraised arms, one on each
side, while the fifth, whipping a lariat
from beneath his coat, threw a moose
over my head which drew rather IN
comfortably tight and held so.
Inow saw that it was a case of pro-
spective lynching, and that 1 was prob
ably mistaken for some other man
Fairbanks. most likely. l Immediately
and most vigorousl y demonstrated with
them.
"Whom do you take me for?" I ex-
claimed with great heat. "What are
you hanging me for?" etc.
Forward" the leader ordered; and
in the midst of my remonstrant out
cries, | was forced along, out through
the willows to the trail and thence on
ward to a crag beside it, where two ce-
dars grew, overhanging the path below.
My shouts, my frantic denials of hav-
ing been guilty of any crime, and my
not Fairbanks, made not the least i'm
preston on my captors, and were re-
ceived with nothing more than an in
credulous laugh.
The leader now spoke again. Gal
Fairbanks, alias Henry Dothan, alias
Charles Campbell" he said slowly, i'm
placably, 1--WE know all about you. Mon
tana's no further use for we. We gave
you a fair chance; and if you had been
disposed to be adecent man, none of
your old record would have been dug up,
though you were q double-dyed criminal
when you came here. You robbed
sluices at Deadwood and Silver Gulch.
We knew all about We when ye first
came here. But we gave you a chance
for yourself. You would go on the old
road though. Last week you broke in
to a camp at Bannock; and not o month
ago, you shot and robbed o miner not
two miles from here. Fact, we've let
you u altogether too long. If you've
any remarks to make, we'll listen-two
minutes"
Again I protested that I was not the
man, that my name was Stuart, that I
had but just arrived at Fairbanks cabin /;
and for a moment or two 1 hoped that
my frantic asseverations had produced
some effect. The leader took a lantern
which one of the party carried and held
it close to my face. They looked at me
searchingly.
This is Fairbanks fast enough" one
said; the others agreed with him.
Don't waste your breath in USE
less lies about yourself" said the leader
of the committee.
l thought of home, and of my sister,
the only living relative whom l now
had. IF you will murder me, I ex-
claimed, send my watch and my eock-
et-book to my sister. Miss 7. r. s.,
Pennsylvania"
Give that address again, please
said the leader, taking out q notebook
and pencil. l repeated it and he wrote
it down, saying, "All right; they shall
go as you direct"
While he spoke two others of the
party seized my arms. Suddenly they
stopped and spoke to the leader, who
stood in front of me. He went round;
/ felt that they were examining my
wrists. But why?
"W. S. On both of them" one said.
Then I recollected the initials on my
wrists, in Indian ink, with which, when
a boy at school, I had been pricked on
each arm, and along with them an
anchor.
"Those are my initials-for William
Stuart!" Exclaimed. "Thev were put
there years ago. That is my name"
ut is just possible" the leader said
to the others. "We will keep him till
tomorrow"
Forthwith I was hurried back to the
shanty, mounted on a horse and thence
taken, closely guarded, across the coun.
try, by moonlight. to Bannock City.
Here I was thrust into a cellar, and
left in darkness till the following even.
ing, when three men appeared at the
door and babe me come up.
With some natural anxiety I respond.
ed to the call, when a brief apology was
made me for the sinconvenience' tc
to which 1 had been subjected. I was
moreover, advised to keep q close
mouth as to what hal occurred, and al.
so to be more cautious in whose com.
pany [ was found in future.
Fairbanks, alias Campbell never
saw nor heard of afterwards. It is
quite apparent that having received 6
"permit to travel" from the vigilants, he
had seen fit to do SO andleave me to ex.
plain to these summary gentlemen al
best I could.
1 found the law of keeping ones sci
among good associations was the way
of safety ven in q new country, and
was glad enough afterwards to follow
the advice of my new friends, and "tc
be more cautious in whose company ]
was found"
Planting Gardens.
The floating gardens in certain part,
of Mexico are among the greatest curl
nsitieS To ha found in fLat country