Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-22

Bill Badler"
They then started up the hillside and
were soon lost to sight
! Hitty's head was in whirl, but
the thought, as she hastened on. The
few moments she had been crouched among
the alders proved the condition her feet
were in, yet she scarcely felt the pain.
One thought was tearing through her
brain. These were the men who had COM
mitted the crime for which Luke and
Dick were arrested; she felt sure of it.
How providential that she should have
been at that crossing. But would they
believe her story? She struggled on with
renewed vigor. Would she never come to
the end of her journey?
The sun was getting very low. After
while the road forked, and she was utterly
at loss to tell which was most worn or
which led to the Bar 1t would never do
to go wrong, but what could she do? By
going wrong, Luke and Dick-she thought
of them both now-might lose their lives.
Just then, greatly to her surprise and
relief, she beheld coming along one of the
trails form she at first glance took to be
a little old man, but as he turned bend
and came nearer, she perceived to be boy.
He wore sloHchy old felt hat red tian-
mel shirt and blue drilling pants, tucked
into his bootlegs, the boots being several
sizes too big. When he discovered Hitty
standing watching him, it would be diff
cult to say which was the most surprised.
The boy stared as though Hitty might
have been ghost near some graveyard,
but she spoke Immediately and greatly re-
lieved him, no doubt, by asking which
trail led to Tarantula Bar. "WelI, num-"
said he, you jest go to the right; that's
the trail.n
GLOW far is it?" asked Hitty.
well, it's right smart of ways vet.
When you git to Breakneck Pint, you can
look down into the Bar, pretty near"
But how many miles is it, do you
think ?"
"Well, only a few, 1 guess"
Where do you liye?" asked Hitty.
"Over here, in the holler. Pm goin'
over to Hazelnut Flat to go with the
Bucknor boys down to the Bar, where
there's goln' to be a hangin' tonight. A
couple of fellers killed Hurd Lancy for
his dust, and they've got 'em."
Hltty dared not stop another minute,
she ran for a moment, then stopped sud-
denly and asked the boys name.
my name? Hank Dounce. What's
yoursp
"Southerly," said Hitty, fastening on.
As she turned bend in the trail she
glanced back. The boy still stood in the
same position as when he first discovered
her
Just as the sun was sinking behind the
forest-crowned hills, she suddenly came to
sharp turn in the trail, and there below
her was "the Bar stretching along the
river, which she could see winding miles
away to the west There was no doubt of
it, that was Tarantula Bar.
| From this point Breakneck, probably,
the road was very steep, and Hitty some
times caught to the branches of the trees
to hold on the trail. Down, down, over
rocks and roots of trees She sometimes
felt she would plunge, in spite of herself,
over the precipice, which often in the
windings of the trail yawned below.
Still the Bar was below.
Night was settling down. 1t was sur
prising how quickly darkness came when
the sun had gone behind the hills. AL
ready lights were cleaning at the Bar.
She staggered on as fast as she could
and keep the trail. To her satisfaction
she soon discovered the lights were no
longer below, but seemed to be nearer on a
level with herself Suddenly she heard
shouts and saw string of torches emerge
from behind some buildings. They were
approaching her.
| CHAPTER III.
She wondered what this could mean.
Her first thought was to secrete herself un-
til they passed, when she heard the cry,
Hang 'em up! String 'em up to the first
tree No mercy! Up with 'em w and
realized with tremendous force that this
was one of those dreadful mobs which ex-
ecuted the will of Judge Lynch.
With cry that seemed touched with
despair, and with but one thought, and
that of her brother, she ran with all speed
towards them, and in another minute was
among them, crowding her way to Luke's
side
His arm was bound by cords to Dicks,
and two powerful men, one at each un-
bound arm, held them fast.
| Her hat had been knocked off, and her
long, beautiful hair was streaming over her
shoulders as she cried: "Hold, men, for
Gods sake | can prove them innocent
| Stop stop they are innocent innocentw
| The mob was greatly startled over this
unlooked-for interruption. 1t was SO ut
terly unexpected, so weird, SO strange
scene that all came to halt, and stared in
blank astonishment at the strange girl SO
suddenly dropped in their midst.
Not knowing the direction she had
come, many, verify believe, imagined she
had fallen from somewhere above.
The flaming torches cast lurid glare on
the rough crowd, with Kitty clinging to
| her brothers neck, and made a picture
never to be forgotten.
A moment after, when the strange spell
had in degree passed away, a rough voice
] in the crowd called out:
"Where's your proof? Bring on your
proof! We want the proofw
eyes," said the men about her; "you
must furnish us with the proof of the inno-
cence of these men; hut we don't see how
it can be done. There was no question in
the mipds of the Judge or jury of their
guilt, so if you're got any proof, bring it on
quick"
Hitty still clung to Luke's neck; it
seemed to her if she loosened her hold she
would sink to the ground. She nerved
herself to the utmost, and as the crowd
gathered close about her, eager to drink in
all the strange scene, her striking face and
strangely brilliant eyes, heightened by the |
glare of the torches, made most impress |
i've picture. "As God is my Judge" said |
she, "what tell you is true This man is |
my brother. l accidentally heard, only |
this morning. he had been arrested for |
murder, and have walked more than |
twenty-five miles to-day, alone, over these |
rough hills, to save him; but did not know |
how | was to do it until this afternoon. / |
believe it was God who helped me-"
She told them of the two men she had |
overheard talking of crime at Tarantula
Bar; of one running against door; of one
fiinging a heavy buckskin purse into
bush when hotly pursued, and finally gave
the name of one and his residence. When
she mentioned Bill Badler's name, one of
the crowd shouted out:
:" Bill Badler! l know the cuss; he's
mighty bad eggw
Hitty's story was most impressive one.
There was hardly man there who did
not believe it to be substantially true;
perhaps they were unconsciously Influenced
by the beauty of the plucky and loving
girl, who had acted so nobly, for in their
hearts, though covered by rough and
hard aYferiar thara orIaop,ad nonsto,t l