Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-10-24

I q stUnteu, crooked m0EnOlijA, ledutuE iaE
to one side, andyhaving branch that ran
out horizontally, about eight feet from the
I ground They danced around the tree IN
I the highest enjoyment of the delightful
preparations which we're conducted 10y
Buck Tony and two or three others
none more happy than Tony himself
/ They tieG one end of the rope to the
/ limb, and secured the other around Tony s
neck,
A tremendous obstacle now obtruded
Itself They had no trap. The lmpro-
vised gallows was failure.
Now, look-a-hyar, said Tony, 81
/ don't want ter be h-hung in dis hyar
style. Et | amt ergwine ter drap day
ain no fun.
You can jump off'n the limb, sng
gested Buck.
This solution Of the difficulty was re-
ceived with the most demonstratiye Joy
Tony sat upon the limb. the rope around
/ his neck,
"AlI right, Tony" said one of the
leaders.
/ One boy armed himself with stick
which he made belief was a knife, and
gave Tony particular instructions to drop
at the moment the knife struck the i'm.
aginary cord that held the imaginary
! trigger. The boy then looked around
solCmnly, made Il grand sweep with
/ his arm, and with a strong blow
upon the trunk of the tree, sprung The
/ trap.
True to the working perfection OF the
machinery. Tony was Launched into
space
A strange and unaccouutable thing had
/ happened. Tony found himself sprawling
/ on the ground. He scrambled TO his feet
with a look Of triumph thar i'll accorded
4 with the establishment visible in the faces
| of the spectators They had committed
| the error Of allowing too much rope for the
/ distance.
"H-hit doan hurtr exclaimed Tony
cause you amt hung Buck quietly
remarked
This abashed Tony, when he had realized
\ the situation He lrawled uuon the limb
again and they contracted tie length of
/ the rope.
All ready again. The knife FELL.
! Tony slipped from the tree. The rope
/ frightened, stopped the upper part of hs
| bo6y with jerk, and then snapped and
threw him violently upon the ground.
1 He slowly and with difficulty raised his
1 head and looked around, his eyes staring
as if he had seen a specter, his mouth
drawn with pain, and the tears Thinking
| down his cheeks.
"Confound that rope" exclaimed
boy.
Buck regarded Tony silently.
whats the matter, Tony?' asked
another boy, as he noticed the remarkable
expression in the negro'S face,
Tony was sitting on the ground careful
! ly feeling his neck all around, and was un-
able to speak for the suppressed sobs that
choked HIM He rose to his feet, looking
ruefully about.
Lets try it again, said Buck
mo you don 7, screamed the colored
boy, with a determination the hrmness of
which could not be doubted He was as
fierce as he was frightened, and occupied
himself with rearranging his suspenders,
which were on the point OF slipping from
4 his shoulders.
why, Tony?"
Yer plays too rough. OATS why
now!"
] dit it hurt?'
"Cours it did!' be said, with a look Of
contempt.
They insisted; Tony refused Oaelittla
/ fellow caught forc.oe hold but Tony threw
him of and boUnded into tho brush They
pursued him, captured him and brought
him back, crying and struggling dercely.
/ Finally they succeeded, after the greatest
difficulty, IN lifting aim from the ground,
while Buck could climb the tree and iethe
rope. There was 40 ceremony about the
affair nog. The work was done silently
and in dead earnest The unfortunate vic
/ tim yelled, but the boys were not to he
cheated ont of TIE fruits OF the first grand
lesson they had learned in the economy
OF government, the protection Of society.
4 tae rope was at length securely tied.
/ The cries of the unwilling victim were sud
4 denly checked as his weight was gradnll lily
/ allowed to fall upon the rope, strar Cling
him They were determined that sud len
/ jerk should not again Illustrate their plans.
/ Throwing his liberated hands wildly about
he cutched boy 10y the hair, and made
him yell with pain. 1t required strong
efforts to release him.
Then they all Withdrew to a snort dis
| lance
Not sound Of any kind escaped the
hanging child. The boys looked 0n
silently, and with grim satisfaction.
/ Tons yainly endeavored TO reach up and
catch the rope that was choking out his
4 life, but there seemed to be a weight up
on bis arms, aud he could raise them no
farther than his shoulders. He kicked to
the right and to the left, and squirmed
and twisted. The knot was behind his
neck. and the rope fell directly across the
wind-pipa and great arteries. The boys
watched the contortions Of his face with