Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-21

Then the mob departed. and ShlNrr~.
with moan, fell down ON his knees ami
prayed
He didn't know why: he only felt that
nobody but ne Lord could save Bulu,.
and he had his doubts about the prr~ru-r
of the Lord in that ucighburhuud, except
where the flowers grew and the hills lifted
their heads far above the wiCk"duc-s Of
the camp.
AT noon the mob returned. and in lts
midst WAS BuluS. white a. the mist uu he
mountains, and shiycrIng a. the boy ~hiy-
cred that cold day when the miner re
christened him in the Buckingham
He saw the boy and stretched out his
hands to him in helpless. blind way
Shivers was driven into the cabin.
Stay there" they said to him, 'thi. !
no boys play. B"lus has taken q. map :
life and his money, We can only take his
life, and that far he shall pay the pen
atty
The prisoner WAS hurried to the rayine
where the dead man still lay
The flies had already sat down to the
feast.
A rope was thrown over the limb If "a tree.
the same under whose shade BuluS and
Shivers had sat and talked every pleasant
evening since the leaves had come out i'll
the spring. and Bulus WAS told his time
had come
May say few words hr asked of
the leader.
Mighty durn few was the brief re
spOnse.
Il am not guilty" he said firmly. that
is all" and he bowed hi, head to the
moose
Something in the man face, something
in the exceeding hriefness Of his defense
that something no man can explain.
seemed to touch the crowd. TO move it to re
fleet before acting, and an old miner, the
judge, they always called him, stepped up
on a barrel and spoke.
"BOys." he said, pears to me were
doin' this thing with too much uv "A rush.
pears as how we Ortcr give BuluS a fight
! in chance: 'tain't hardly Squar fer fifty
able bodied men ter jump unter one. ,tS
were doin', an thinks as how We urter
do sumpthin' fer the pris ner At the bar. "
Hang him, Hang him, that : the thing
ter do" shouted IA dozen fierce Voices, and
u woman shook her fist at the judge.
No faint, boys resumed the judge:
Least ways not jist yIt. Now. Ir got a
proposition ter make ter you. Way
back yOnder in the old French laws.
thar's some section OF measure, or StatOUt
or sumthin', no matter what, which says
as how when pris'Uer is 10 be- hung. ef
thar's a woman As will marry him. he
don't hang As betwiXt bein' hung an
bein' married, know thar amt much
chiCe, but I'm one in this crowd, as el
give Bolus the benefit Ov the doubt"
The judge has been married swenty
years.
! His remarks affected the mob visably.
and a consultation was held which re
suited in an agreement to adopt the
| judges suggestion.
| The leader took the judges place on the
/ barrel, and announced the verdict.
Now, ladies he said, with a profound
low and Il graceful wave Of the hand. ad
tressing the eight or ten women present,
/ ''loveliest of the plain tBlack~mIthJ, yer
see here B0lus Hauku>, with rope
around his neck, about to he strung up
/ for a dreadful crime Now. ladies. don't
say he done it. but We all think he did
and thoughts is enough To hang Bulus
unless some Uv yer is willu' ter extend
| yer fair and gentle hands ter save him.
| Don't all speak at Onct, Ladies', an don't
/ be bashful if yer wants ter speak. Its ter
be weddin' or funeral. we amt pertic-
| lar which. but one er tOther were bound
ter hev, an hev it purity quick. Who
speaks, Do | hear bid Coin gUin,
What, no lady in all this camp with
woman's tenderheartedness To come for
rerd and Rescue a Gyin' man. an copper
onter fust class hushan', warranted ter
wash, Nary ones Coin -goin'-~
Not a woman spoke; not woman
moved to save. Each ore looked at her
neighbor and giggled, and the neighbor
giggled in response.
Bolus stood with the moose about his
neck indifferent to what was passing
His face was lifted toward the cabin. and
in his eyes was searching look. as if
something were missing, as if somewhere
there might be one friend To say farewell
Well" said the leader, after waiting
patiently for at least five minutes, ~as
there don't seem to be no takers, BoluS,
reckon yer might as well be- gOin'. Hop
up on this barl To make it handy for the
boys It'll be more comfortable for yer
ter drop than it will ter be pulled up from
the groun'. an We wants ter do his thing
as perlite ez the commerdations II al
low"
Bolus stepped up as he was directed,
and the women in the front row pushed
back and turned their faces away.
The mob swung back and forth. parted
and Shivers came rushing from the cabin.
and broke through into the inner circle
Go back ter that cabin, yer miserable
boy" shouted the leader. What does
yer wanter see yer dad hung fer Hain't
yer got no tilial regards a tall Go back
thar dUrn yer hide 20 back"
Il won't" he screamed and all Of you
can't make me. Didn't you say awhile agu
that If any woman would marry Bolu>
you wouldn't Kill him"
~In course we did. replied the leader.
but thar amt lady in the camp a.
seems To wanter work in double harness
with Bolus and them rope lines TO back.
now, that's "A good boy" and the leaders
voice softened.
Il won't =" back There is woman in
the camp that will marry him, and Shiv-
erS is that woman
She threw back the lappels Of the boyisb
jacket, and the soft. white neck and
breast dhone i'll the sunlight ike a silver
shield.
The crowd was stricken >pcechleSs; the
leader dropped the rope; Bolus stared like
a man in a dream, and Shivers stepped to
his side.
Don't you know me, BoluSs"
The voice was a new voice iurNPressibly
sweet and wumanly, and rich with mem-
Ories for Bolus.
Thank God" he cried with streaming
eyes. putting his arms out 10 her, tain
ShiverS AT all; its Mary
Then he told them in little speech,
punctuated with smiles and tears. how
Mary was his sweetheart, how he had
doubted her, how he had deserted her,
how he had suffered, and how he had
been punished.
IL was all clear now, and the camp not
only had "A grand Jubilee over the reunion