The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-01

panied her anger with food Of tears. The
sight of those glistening drops in her pretty
eyes went straight to his heart. He loved the
bright girl with all the strength and Terror OF
his ample, fearless nature, and the Thought that
he had caused her pain Tortured MIN beyond
measure. With deep sigh he walked slowly
across the plaza ard went to his dull. bare room
in the primitive jail
For the next week when he called Kitty re-
FUSED to see him, and day after day he would
sorrowfully turn away and go mechanically
about his duties All life seemed to have left
him, and he performed his labors without inter
est and simply as amatter of pure habit Then
came the sentencing of Tom--tbe first time that
judicial decree of capital punishment had ever
been uttered in the county. the prisoner
listened to the solemn words of the judge with
out apparent concern. Tom did not believe that
his cowboy friends, or even Sheriff Sandy, would
permit him to be hung He chafed at his con-
fnement, but worried not a whit at what he felt
sure would be its ultimate outcome. This scene
in the court was followed few days afterward
by an attempted rescue of the doomed man. A
party of horsemen had ridden up to the Jail one
night and demanded the opening of the heavy
door.
'Thar's enough O. us here, Sandy" said the
leader ter handle yer pretty lively. an we'll do
it, If yer try any backin' an buckin'. No white
man kin be hung in this valley, less he's sheriff
or somethin' ez bad We won't hurt ye any eft
ye play squar. though thar's few o. US ez amt
~ true, for they were hard lot and most of
them had already passed through the sherih's
hands in punishment for various crimes against
the rights of property.
II reckon, gentlemen, We amt got enough
guns an men yit," said Sandy quietly from the
narrow, iron-guarded window of his room over
the entrance, 'leastwise them's my calculations.
an I've counted ye over twice. Then he pushed
the barrel of his Winchester rifle between the
bars of the easement. he added. in painfully
loud imitation of a whisper This yere house
hold hez retired ter rest, an don't want ter be
'sturbed We're asleep. Our only boarder,
Mister Mason. wud never fergive me eff wuz
ter waken him up at this unreasonable hour O
the night. even ter do the squar' thing by ye
gentlemen. We want ter be perlite an sociable-
like, but yerd better go ternight, an don't make
no noise ez yer mosey long. Call in Their morn
in an we'll hev way up time. Me an Tom ez
alters glad ter see our friends when we're wake.
which ez mostly in daytime. We're all asleep
now-thet's Tom snoring. as profane shout OF
encouragement vas heard from the prisoner,
who had been aroused by the sounds of the new
arrivals and the loud conversation.
Stop yer damn jaw an open ther door afore
we busts it in an fills ye chuck full of lead cried
the leader, impatiently
Hush" cautioned the imperturbable Sandy,
invisible in the darkness within, while the
horsemen stood clearly revealed in the bright
moonlight. I'm alters nervous an trembly
when I'm sleepin', an this gun hez har trig-
ger. MY SQdklQ' HDB6r 6Z Oh III now. 1GS pOlut-
ed at ye Sam Wickers an eff / shud hev bad
dream Pm powerfully afeared somethin drefful
might happen
Sam Wickers seemed to think SO too. for he
hastily wheeled his horse in among his compan-
ions. Sandys accurate Workmanship was too
we'll known.
''Say, look ahere, Sandy" said one of the
party civilly syer Amt intendin' ter string Tom
up fer KILN Greaser be yea"
NO." said Sandy, slowly, "Jedge Lynch strings
up, but we drap down."
ooh, hell" called a man on the further edge of
the group, savagely. 'les bust ther place Open"
Crack went the Winchester, and the mans arm
swung jerkily by his SIDE
''Wait till yer bones ez spliced, Jim. afore yer
try bustin'-it might hurt advised Sandy, cool
another cartridge from the magazine into the
breech. The exploded shell dropped with
metallic jingle to the foot of the wall,
and the rescuers drew further away. There
was too much reality about this excursion. and
Sandy's Winchester had convincing look about
it as it rested on the narrow sill. They gathered
about their wounded comrade and consulted
with each other It was certain death to some
of them if they made the attack and individual
lv they dislked the risk. Suddenly they noticed
the Winchester moving.
''Yeres try for that northeast ear of yourn
Sam, called Sandy. but Sam lodged with alac-
rity, and with wonderful unanimity the whole
party galloped away, Sandy listened until he
heard their horses splash across the Conejos
sGuns ez powerful persuaderS,' he said, and
crawled into bed again.
The next day the sheriff met Kitty on the
plaza. She had heard of the attempted rescue
and she proceeded at once to upbraid her gal
liant lover Cor his fidelity to his charge and his
successful defense of the Jail Secretly she adj
mired his cool courage, but this seemed only to
add sharpness to her words and stings to her
expressions, Sandy listened in his usual meek,
unanswering way, as she poured the walls of her
= l. -
lashings of her tongue without murmur or an
attempt at defense. He knew that he had done
his duty, but he regretted that it had caused her
displeasure. He wished that he could under
stand her. but he felt that this was impossible,
and so he contented himself with Just loving
her-with just worshiping her, whether she was
angry or whether she was pleased. 1t was not
manly devotion-it WAS the unreasoning loyalty
of the brute 1t did not honor his humanity,
but it demonstrated its burning intensity and
all-consuming power. 1t could not be defended;
it could only be marveled at and pitied
s1f Tom Mason is hung she said finally, hay
ing exhausted all her entreaties, commands and
scorn, 'syou are responsible, and will never,
never marry you. You will be cowardly muir
derer, and / will never, never stop hating you
until I de-" and, with this parting shot she
drew her skirts about her lest they might touch
the pain wed man before her, and walked
away. And Sandy went back to his COM
fortress room with a heart heavy as lead and
d
complaining or rebellious thought in his mind
The days passed on, and the fatal Friday was
almost at hand. Already the gallows had been
erected in the walled yard attached to the
prison, and from the dangling end of the strong
hempen rope a heavy bag of sand was kept con-
stantly suspended that the cord Of death might
be fully stretched and tested The huge strap
hinges, and the spring holt of the swinging trap,
had been oiled and worked until they performed
their parts in the ghastly machinery with scarce
ly any friction and no possibility of failure.
Since the attempted rescue and Sandy's prompt
foiling of it, the prisoner had lost his cheerful
air and had become morose ard sullen. He was
realizing that the end was coming with remorse-
less certainty and steadiness, and the thought
was telling on him. He no longer answered
Saady's kindly greetings except to swear, and he
regarded the sheriff now with wild hate in his
vengeful black eyes.
"Ef cud git my fingers on yer throat once"
he often Kissed, I'D be willin' ter dance in ther
air."