The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-12-25

At the suggestion of John Brown,
his wandering powers took cohe-
rance and example, and he remem-
bered the manner in which old
Brown had met his faith, and Booth
tried to be his pupil.
Captain" called Booth, assum-
ing hollow, theatrical voice, "give
me a living chance; Withdraw your
men 100 PAGES from the barn, and
I'll come out and fight you"
This had been John Browns re-
quest when entrapped in his en-
CINE house, and Booth aspired to
die like Brown.
He repeated the request, and
thought it quite unmerciful that he
was not accorded a little stage
space to die effectively in.
well waste no more time," the
civil officer spoke in a tone of dis
gust.
The Katydid or cricket never
ceased to call its resounding beads,
and "Pray, pray, pray"
Booth searched the heavens and
the world for some intcrcessor, and
fetched from weakness his mothers
name. By that saint he asked for
fifty yards and for little more time.
Everything was refused.
"Now, then, my brave boys" he
declaimed, in the tones of the stage
again, prepare stretcher for me J"
"Stretchers were the canvas
biers to carry out of battle wounded
men. Notwithstanding to. the
end-would appear to be a veteran
entitled to the honors of war.
He raised his carbine, feebly re-
solving to kill some one, or to fire
it off, at least, and as he stepped.
on foot and crutch, toward the CEN
ter of the barn, to be farthest from
mems aiming, a friction match was
scratched behind him as if his
broken bones had rasped each other,
and sent a cold chill up his spine.
He turned, and saw the barn on
fire
A lighted whisp of straw, twisted
by some one without, had fallen
into loose hay. and some brush,
piled against the outside of the
barn, was also afire. The warm
fame for single instant carried
the odor and crackle of his fathers
log cabin to his heart, and he
shouted, as his crutch fell from un-
der his arm and left him helpless !:
captain, do it quick Now shoot
me through the heart J"
The cricket ceased to sing, though
everything beside came forth in the
bright light, till what had been the
throne of gloom stood revealed in
the blessed implements of husband
ry, and there were wasps flying
around their nests in the roof, scent
ing flame. and in the litter of the
floor ran rats in single file, all sly
/ ly, as from a sinking ship, and one
souealed as it crossed his shadow
like an old witch in an incantatlon
scene.
The plow and harrow-teeth took
a ruddy gleam; some swallows IN
the timbers flew round and round,
blinded by the fire, and the pegs
for tobacco end the burning tobacco
leaves grew to be ferns and scallops
of gold, as they hung, like gilded
scenes in spectacles, around the
desperate man.
He had seen fires upon the stage
and helped to stamp them out, and
he limped toward the greater flame
nearer a corner; but suddenly q
great togue of fire licked him and
singed him and singed him as u
Cerbcrus at hell's door had fondied
on him with furnace-tongue A!
Fear seized him, and he ran TO-
ward the door on misstitting bones
the door held open as if by some
invisible angel-and, as he ran, th'
ponderous beams and trees in TN
structure seemed to fall upon hi
skull and mash it like an egg.
Booth next felt water in his face
E and two men were holding him vi
and searching his body and putting
: their fiugcrs in his brain.
"It's here" said one, ,"rlgn
! where he shot the president. behlnt
the ear, and on the same side' AM
here it's coming through"
In gagging torments he disosrne' sst
before him two men IN con'euo1Hrs -
dress. all shown by the light q -
, L.~r wh1rh Was r0G9oS