Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-04-16
. condition that he pardons poor old

Then and there, on a public train
though we were. Rugged and kissed
her.
She was as good as her word, and
six hours later was on board another
train, homeward bound, and in nv
pocket was reprieve for Duke-the
case against him being so strong that
the governor deemed full pardon
impolitic then.
The reprieve granted him another
three months, though. and by that time
popular sentiment was likely to cool
down sufficiently to make q pardon
feasible.
On the way home I was fairly happy,
and tried to picture to myself Dukes
face when he knew he was safe.
This made me 80 comfortable that I
fell q sleep.
Nothing disturbed my slumbers un.
til the trainmen called out the name of
the junction where / had to change
cars for the branch road which ran
through my town.
And there, to my CONSERVATION, I
found myself unable to move. Men,
tally was awake. Physically was
asleep. I was fully conscious of the
stir and hustle made by those who
were getting on and of the train; but
l could not move a muscle.
With all my might tried to throw
of the trance-like spell that held me,
but all to no purpose. The train
moved on and took me with it.
Cold perspiration oozed out through
every pore. an1 think l would have
gone mad then and there had not utter
Inconsistencies mercifully co me to my
rescue.
1t was more than an hour before /
regained possession of my senses.
BY that time it was impossible to
get back to the junction in time to
catch the hOmebound train on the
branch line.
Springing up, the moment was con-
scious, explained things to the con-
ductor, offering him any price he chose
to demand If he would run his train
back to the junction and take me
home.
That was out of the question. He
could only do such thing on the order
of the general superintendent, and that
perOnage could not be reached, because
storm the day before had blown so many
wires down that all Geographic COM
munication was cut of.
All that could do, then, was to re-
main on board the train seven hours
more. when by tramping IL or Is miles
over a craggy, roadless mountain, /
could probably get home by noon.
Though the probably" discouraged
me, thanked the conductor for his
advice, shut my teeth hard on my
misery and tried to make the best of it.
That was the longest night of my
life. It seemed to me that it would
never end.
Day was just breaking when we
reached the station where I was to
leave the train and begin my foot jour-
ney over the mountain.
Hard as was the ascent of that track
less, precipitious mountain-side, it was
a vast improvement on the train. /
was in motion myself now-doing
something. whether it would avail me
anything or not.
Soon the sun was up, Although too
soon 1t had accomplished half its jour-
ney from horizon to zenith.
1t was then that / reached the noun
tain-top, with a good seven miles of
rough walking still before me.
Duke was to be hanged at noon, un-
less was on time.
At 10 o'clock I was but two miles
away from him; and with all the hor-
rors OF my journey presumably behind
me, l smiled self gratulatively at the
thought of how easy the rest would be,
and how I should disappoint those who
were even then gathering to see my
client hanged.
A vine caught my foot, and threw
me. Falling, sprained my ankle,
and the pain was so intense that had
to exert every atom of my will to keep
me from going into a dead faint.
Breaking forked stick from a sap
ling, presently. 1 extemporized it into
a crutch, and hobbled of as bost I
could.
At the end of an hour I had made
but half a mile, and was so exhausted
that knew another Is minutes would
bring my locomotive powers to full
stop.
Poor old Duke must die. after all.
There was no help for it, and with an
cutlery of utter despair settled on the
ground in heap.
The mental anguish I suffered in the
half hour which followed was enough
to unseat a mans reason.
Watch in hand, counted the feet
ing seconds.
In 25 minutes more my client would
hang, for want Of the reprieve in my
pocket.
And then, joyful sound, heard APP
preaching feet!
A moment later q negro appeared.
He was old, dirty and stupid-entirely
unable to understand NE until l mem
toned money. When said: II will
give you 800 if you will get this paper
in the hands of the sheriff before IL
O'clock" with q yell like a fiend he