The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-12-30


cold-blooded robbery was the depth of de-
prayity, and Bolus had stolen the bag OF
dust the dead man had carried when last
seen alive
AT least that was the universal opinion
of the camp and universal opinion is law,
or can be very readily converted into law.
Bolus had left the camp very early that
morning on prospecting trip up the val
ley, and no one was stirring to tell him
that dead man, with his skull crushed,
lay in the ravine back of his cabin. He
was gone when the camp awoke; gone
when the body was found; gone when
Shivers crawled out of his little bed in
the loft; gone when all the camp was wild
to find him.
An angry, bowling mob in front of the
cabia was the first intimation Shiyers re
ceiyed that anything was wrong, and he
coald tell nothing of the absent miner
further than that he had gone.
Then the mob departed, and Shivers,
with moan, fell down on his knees and
prayed.
He didn't know why; he only felt that
nobody but the Lord could save Bolus,
and he had his doubts about the presence
| of the Lord in that neighborhood, except
| where the flowers grew and the hills lifted
|
| the camp.
| AT noon the mob returned, and in it's
| midst was Bolus, white as the mist on the
mountains, and shivering as the boy shiv-
| cred that cold day when the miner re-
| christenec him in the Buckingham.
He saw the boy and stretched out his
hands to him in a helpless, blind way.
Shivers was driven into the cabin.
"Stay there" they said to him; "this Is
no boys play. Bolus has taken a mans
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 ravine
where the dead man still lay.
| The flies had already sat down to the
feast.
| A rope was thrown over the limb of tree,
the same under whose shade Bolus and
Shivers had sat and talked every pleasant
evening since the leaves had come out in
the spring and Bolus was told his time
had come.
"May say few words?" he asked of
the leader.
mighty durn few" was the brief re-
Spouse.
II am not guilty." he said firmly, "that
is ALL" and he bowed his head to the
moose.
Something in the mans face, something
in the exceeding briefness 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 callel .lirl, stepped up
on a barrel and spoke.
/ Boys" he said, "'pears to me we're
dom this thing with too much ov a rush;
L Drap hpyx ortiz civ toll ffrhf
in chance; faint hardly squar fer fifty
able-bodied men ter jump onter one, as
we're dom, an thinks as how we orter
do sumpthin' fer the pris'ner the bar"
Hang him! Hang him! that's the thing
ter do" shouted a dozen fierce voices, and
a woman shook her fist at the judge.
mo, faint, boys" resumed the judge:
"Least ways not jist yit. Now, Pve got a
proposition ter make ter you. Way
back yonder in the old French laws,
thar's some section or measure or statoot
or sumthin', no matter what, which says
as how when pris' ner is to be hung, eff
thar's a woman as will marry him, he
don't hang AS betwixt bein' hung an
bein' married, know thar amt much
chico, but Pm one in this crowd, as Eel
give Bolus the benefit ov the doubt"
The judge has been married twenty
years.
His remarks affected the mob visably,
and 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
bow and graceful wave of the hand, ad-
dressing the eight or ten women present,
A. IL. l,N
/ see here Bolus Hankus, with rope
around his neck, about to be strung uI
| for a dreadful crime. Now, ladies', don't
say he done it, but we all think he did
| and thoughts is enough to hang Bolus
unless some ov yer is willin' 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. It's tel
| be weddin' or a funeral, we amt pertic
| lar which, but one er t'other we're bound
. | ter hev, an hev it purity quick. Who
, | speaks? Do hear bid? Goin'-goin'
| What, no lady in all this camp with
, l woman's Observation-Disclosures to come for
| rerd and rescue a dyin' man, an copper
onter fust-class husban', warranted tel
wash? Nary oney Goin'-goin'-"
Not woman spoke; not woman
moved to save. Each one looked at hel
: neighbor and giggled, and the neighbol
, giggled in response.
Bolus stood with the moose about hi.
neck, indifferent to what was passing
His face was lifted toward the cabin, anc
J in his eyes was a searching look, as il
b 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 b goin'. HoI
up on this bar'l to make it handy for the
BOYS. It'll be more comfortable for vel
/ ter drop than it will ter be pulled up from
the groun', an we wants ter do this thing
as perlite ez the concentrations IL 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
boyn shouted the leader. what does
, yer wanter see yer dad hung fer? Hain't
yer got no filial regards a tall? Go back
, thar, durn yer hide, go back"
: II won't" he screamed, "and all of you
/ can't make me. Didn't you say awhile age
: that if any woman would marry Bolus
you wouldn't kill him?"
an course we did," replied the leader
/ "but thar amt lady in the camp as
seems to wanter work in double harness
with Bolus and them rope lines. Go back
now, that's good boy" and the leaders
voice softened
u won't go back. There is woman in
the camp that will marry him, and Shiv.
ers is that woman"
She threw back the lappels of the boyish
jacket, and the soft, white neck and
breast shone in the sunlight like silver
shield.
The crowd was stricken speechless; the
leader dropped the rope; Bolus stared like