The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-01-25

the Little Christsbsl wore as a minin
camp.
But one day there came bit Of new
to the camp that enragsd the men from
good natured, easy going. jovial fellow
to angry. determined men.
There lived on claim near the Littl
Christabel sn honest, hard-working an
thoroughly good man. very popular will
all who knew him, and unusually s
with the men employed at the Littl
Christabel.
Fortwo years he had worked bard ii
poverty aud deprivation, developing
claim Lhst was generally believed to b,
worthless.
But fortune plays strange freaks il
mining camps. and Capt Toms unprom
ising mine one day revealed spiendi'
vein ofrich silver ore. He caue dow
to the Little Christabsl jabilant over hi
good fortune. He returned home to fin,
his claim 'jumped" by two or three men
led by fellow Of unslyory reputation
known as Dec. GTigson.
Grigson and his confederates were in
possession of Capt, Toms two years o
labor, and cody ordered him to "clesl
OUT when he appeared at the door o.
his own cabin, the order being empha
sized by threats Of Toms immediate an
initiation if lie tarried long on the ordeI
Of his going.
This mine jumpiag' process is one
cannot give in detail here. Suffice il
to say that possession is even more than
'nine-tenths Of the law when applied to
unpatented unrecoried mining claims
There was nothing for Capt Tom todo
alone as he was, but to vaeate the premi-
ses. This he lid, going directly back to
the Little ChristabeI and laying his
grievances before his friends there.
Capt. Toms story ofhis wrong created
intense excitement at Che Little Christa-
bel. 4 meeting was at once held and a
plan Of action decided upon.
Miss Iillicent was kept in ignorance
ofthis meeting.
"Women don't want to be mixed up
with such things -lestwisea women like
her" said one ofthe men.
Soon after supper that evening the
men began leaving the cabin on various
v.-ot..,-,- 81 :, q -F,o~k ss,,e NJ NrsFI.
cent was alone. This was an unusual
proceeding on the part Of the men, but
Miss Millicent was wholly unsuspicious
Of irs import.
An hour later, while sitting before the
fire mending eoA. belonging TO one of
the men, Miss Millicent threw aside her
work and said
There if | haven't entirely forgotten
TO give Mr.. Vance that LIST Of things /
want from down in Crystal City, and he's
going to start for there before breakfast
in the morning, and breakfast at the
stage Office. I'll Just run down to the
shaft-honse and hand .he list to Tom
Dolan, and he can give it to NJ. Vance
in the morning"
Tom Dolan vas the engineer at the
Little Christabel The shait-house was
out short distance from the boarding
house. Throwing shawl over her head
Miss Millieent went out hurriedly, step
ping lightly down the trail made in the
leep snow. The night wa5cioudless and
made woadrous fair by fGn moon and
of shining stars.
She reached The shaft-house door. The
engineer and another man, unaware of
ler approach, were talking. A name
hey spoke caused her to stop suddenly,
With her hand to her heart and strange
ook in her face.
81 feel sure II is Silas Hoover" the
engineer was saying. "Hs changes his
name bout ev'ry camp he goes to, and I
reckon Doc. Grisson suited hi bout as
we'll as any other name while he was
here"
well, he won't change it again very
'oon,' said the other man with snort
augh. The next time the rolls called
he'll answer up to his name, I'm think
ng"
Hoover may be his real name" the
engineer said. "He swore it was when I
moved him two years ago over TO Para
iise Gglch. But he was 2 scoundrel
here and just got away with his neck.
knowed him soon as 1 see him down
n Crystal City Que day last fall. But l
never told anybody that his name wasn't
irigson. Where did you say the boys
Intended fixing him ~
~Down the gulch here, bout two miles
It that place where the big boElderis
hat they call Hanging Rock Freekon
heyII make short work ofhim."
"Oh, sure" saidthe engineer with
augh, "they,i n hang him, as he deserves,
without hardly time for his prayers"
The other man glanced carelessly at
lis watch and said
"And it's almost time they went at it.
Zen o'clock was the. hour agree on, and
is after nine now"
Neither of them hearI the half sup
'Fessed cry Of the woman standing just
'uiside Of the engine room door. Could
hey have seen her face in the moon
ight they would have seen it drawn and
I'd and CHASTITY in its terror and agony.
Her limbs trembied under her, and her
'loodless lips moved in silent prayer.
For a moment she stood so, and then,
till praying for courage and strength,
he ran silently but with all speed down
he trail leading from the camp aud tow
I'D the gulch. The trail was rough, and
be stumbled and fell again and again.
he ran with all speed when she could
10 so, and the fear she might be too late
aused her heart to almost stop its furi-
US beating.
She could see the Hanging Rock ahead
# her some moments before she reached
t. Dark forms were moving around,
'oing to and from the mighty rock, and
he pines few yards from it.
The light of one or two lanterns fash
d in the dark depths of the forest She
leard the shouts of the men as they as
embed from sll directions, fiendish
houts they seemed to her.
When near enough to make her voice