Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-27
CHAPTER v.

C~oASAiiA6 bulA uiiu uuot Oy u0y
and sitting air at night made the most
wearisone he thought he had ever trav-
eled, arrived at venneville, the town
where he was to take the stage coach for
Deadman's Flat, about two hours after
it had started on its weekly journey to
that place. The prospect Of spending
week at Venneville, apart from the de-
lay in fulfilling the object of his journey,
was too intolerable to be entertained for
q moment. Further progress, however,
seemed difficult until he fell in with
party Of men who were travelling in
search of "luck," and then he found the
journey as pleasant as he had anticipated.
The out door life, the frank cordiality Of
his companions-who,w while they tacitly
owned him their superior in birth and
education, yet treated him with the
honest independence Of their class
made the time pass most enjoyably, and
he felt quite sorry, when he parted from
them some miles east of Deadman's Flat,
to push on alone, they making their way
farther south.
He entered Deadman's Flat about sun
set, when there was apparently consid-
cradle excitement prevailing in the long,
struggling "High" street. Red shirted
miners were lounging or strolling about;
gaudily dressed or slatternly women
were shrilly discussing some event at
their cabin doors, while the children
were scampering to and fro, getting into
everybody's way. The excitement was
So great that even Jack Newenham did
not arouse much curiosity as he passed
up the street. After inquiring of q man
standing at the door of his store, he
made his way towards the "Red Uni
corn" as being tho only place where he
could get food and accommodation for
the night.
As ho reached the square he came
upon group of men who had just left
the "Red Unicorn" They were the COM
mittee men who had been elected to try
the case of Tom Cairncs' murder. Among
the papers that had been searched dur
ing the first inquiry, to find some clew
to his enemy, ono had been overlooked.
1t had been discovered that afternoon,
and it gave another turn to the affair,
by proving that his enemy was not
townsman of theirs. This discovery was
all the more important, because it led to
the acquittal Of a man who, in the zeal
GUS and unwise haste of one of the COM
mittee men, had been arrested. Now,
as this man was popular among his fell
low townsmen, his arrest had caused
much i'll feeling among them towards
tho unfortunate committee man who had
suggested his guilt. The other members
were all eager to mako some atonement
for their luckless colleagues blunder,
and they were warmly--not to say nois-
ily-discussing the case, when Newen-
ham passed them. Overhearing some of
their words, he stopped before them as
they stood there, looking an excited and
rather wild group of men in the dusk Of
the evening.
"What is that you are saying!" he
asked. SIS that scoundrel Tom Cairnes
dead?'
1t was perhaps an unfortunate way of
putting the questions; but Jack Newen-
ham, tired, hungry, disgusted, was not
in the mood to act cautiously.
There was a murmur Of disapproval
from the men.
Look hyar, young man." growied the
possessor of remarkably forbidding
countcnance-"a man that kin call a
murdered man names among his friends
don't alters find his company pleasin'!'
Murdered! Is that what you call it?
A righteous fate, should say! 1t was
to see him that came here; and don't
mind telling you that it is ten to one that
l should have put bullet through him
myself at the end of the interview"
The tempers of the committee men
having been inhamed by zeal for justice
and the copious draughts of whisky
necessary to make up for the dryness Of
that afternoons proceedings, and being
further irritated by their late failure,
they were not in frame of mind to bear
patiently this outburst of anger from q
total stranger. They felt to man that
the honor of Deadman's Flat was being
outraged in their persons.
Justice is not to be trampled upon,
sorr!' said one, with as much dignity as
strong Irish brogue and a most un
steadily balanced frame would permit.
sour late depoirted and much esteemed
townsman was kilt by his murderer
whom justice seeks. He shall die the
death of dog when he is foundv
PITY that any decent man should
swing for such a brute" returned the
young Englishman carelessly. He began
to see that his position was slightly in
secure, and in consequence became more
dogmatic and daring. "Only set of duff.
fsrs would convict him, to begin with"
This touched the committee men on
their soreSt spot.
"Sorr," cried the Irishman, whose po-
sition as spokesman was upheld by grunts
and growls on the part Of the others,
"you spake like toirant of the toiran-
nical race We come from! What is Eng
land but a tramplin', numbering coun-
thry entoirely! And you, sorr-with
shame let it be spoke-are a blayguard."
The speaker wound up his speech with
SO much energy that his body swayed
forward. and was brought into sharp
contact with Newenham, who, without
waiting to consider whether the blow
might not have been accidental, hit out
straight from the shoulder, and down
Went the grandiloquent Irishman fiat
upon the ground. His body was forgot
ten in the conflict that ensued, for the
sight of their fellow committee man
dropping down like log before the slen-
der, dandy looking aristocrat was more
than they could bear quietly and with
one accord they fell upon him to ayenge
the cause of outraged law and order.
There was a fierce, sharp struggle.
Newenham, with one arm hitting out at
every head that came conveniently with
in reach, and parrying q perfect storm
of savage blows with the other, though
fighting with all the pluck and dash of a
race that has never yet owned itself
beaten, could not have supported the un-