Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-08-24

from hundreds of throats as it became
evident that their victim had only a few
minutes to live Old Dobbles was seen
wildly gesticuiating for silence. and
gradually the noise subsidized sufficiently
for him to make himself heard.
Men," he began, in tone that was
weak at first, but strengthened and be-
came clearer as he went on, II have a
little story to tell you before l 60 to
that place above. had daughter
once, as good and pure woman as any
that can be found outside of Heaven.
She was dutiful to me, and my one am
bition was to see her happy in life.
There never was cloud upon our little
horizon until a man came into our home
one day whom have cursed ever since.
'Men, it was the old story of betrayal
and desertion. My poor darling, once
innocent in the eyes OF all men, and
still innocent in the honesty of mis-
guided love, left my roof and followed
that man. Sometimes she would over
take him, only to be repulsed, only to
follow him again and again, in the
blind hope that sooner or later he
would relent and take her to his heart
once more"
Old Dobb.es paused and looked
around him. Only his eye saw cloud
of dust up the Payson City road, cloud
that dimly enveloped the forms OF APP
preaching horsemen.
well" demanded a burly miner,
''whats this to do with usp''
'Let me finish, answered the old
man, land then do your will with me.
AS my daughter became an outcast
and wanderer, so / too left my lonely
home and followed in her footsteps as
best could. Never once did over
take her, but many times l nearly
found her only to be eluded. Her two
ruling ideas were to join the man she
loved in spite of her wrongs and to es-
cape the presence OF the parent on
whom she had visited so much sorrow
Il followed her west into the mining
camps, but never succeeded in exactly
locating her. / came to Red Star gulch
and discovered, not her, but the william
who had brought all this wretchedness
upon me and mine. He had found
prosperity here, here where his past is
unknown to you. To-day he received
a letter from my Jennie, and crumbled
it in his hands. l was following him
and picked it up. My poor little girl is
in PaysOn City now, pleading that she
may join him.
Dobbles paused again, his voice
choked by sobs, and cast covert
glance up the road. The cloud of dust
was coming nearer. A few minutes
would suffice to bring the horsemen to
the tree. But none except the old man
saw this, so absorbed were the rest in
his words.
1t was plain that he was carrying his
hearers with him, when Maurice Tell
son broke in, impatiently:
"Who is this man you accused Come,
out with it, old man.
ut is your shouted old Dobbles, and
Immediately subsidized into a fit of
coughing
"You lie!" yelled Tellson. Come,
boys, up with the old rascal"
But there was a division of opinion
whether the hanging should take place.
Pistols were drawn, and it looked as If
sides would be formed. Dobbles alone,
of all the crowd. seemed perfectly
calm as he stood upon the barrel,
awaiting the decision of his fate.
Hang him| shouted the superin-
tendent again. Then as many of you
as like may go to Payson City with me,
and If the old mans words are true,
use me as you are about to use him."
This brought back to the miners the
real issue at stake, and several Of them
reached forward to seize the rope and
swing the alleged counterfeiter into
space. But the horsemen had arrived,
they wore blue coats, and at their head
rode sergeant; beside him a man in
plain clothes.
stop" Numbered the officer. 1--WE
want that man, and the troops drove
straight through the astonished crowd
why, it's McCausland himselfF ex-
claimed the man in plain clothes who
had borne the sergeant company
What in the world are you doing up
there, MacP"
And to the astonishment of every
body except the newcomers, old Dob
bles Strengthened up and looked won
derfully energetic and supremely hap
Ply. Those near enough heard him say;
They had me up as the counterfeiter,
and l am afraid they would have hang
ed me if l hadn't known you were COM
ing before shutdown, and so endeav-
ored to hold their interest until you got
here. You see, they went to my hut
and found that coin which had seized
in Tellson's cabin unknown to him.
Really did look like a clear case against
me, didn't itp"
''It certainly did," assented the man
in plain clothes, land I'm mighty glad
we got here when we did You wouldnt
look nice, Mac, dangling from a tree in
this wild West country"
"See here, Dobbles. Mac, or What's
your-name, how about tibet darter OF
your'n in Payson CityP' demanded one
of the miners who had listened to the
above dialogue with great deal OF
curiosity, but not with very much clear
ness OF perception.
"Old DobbIes laughed heartily in