The Portland daily press., 1893-05-09
She Found Her Boy.

the captain in the cabin. know saw
black cat crouching on his pulseless breast.
She Found Her Boy.
My only companion in the rattletrap
stagecoach was an old lady who was rather
shabbily dressed, but whose face was kind
and motherly. In the course of time we
drifted into conversation, and ] asked her
how far she was going.
''Goin' on to Benson's gulch to hunt up
my boy Ike," she replied. "Mizzury wuzn't
good enough for Ike, as alwus was a right
peert lad, an so he struck for Colerader to
see if he couldn't better hisself. It's near
two year sence 1 saw him last"
How has he made out since coming to
Colorado?' I ventured to inquire.
fright smart, reckon, though I low ]
hev been worrit about him of late, cause
he hain't writ for some time. He writ
reg'ler at first, but business got to takin
up SO much of his time an he wuz shiftin
bout over the country SO much he's kinder
got off the notion of it lately. It's been
near four month sence I've he'd a line from
him."
He may be ILL.,"
'Pve thought of that, stranger, but he'd
oughter send some word eff he wuz. Still
| c'udn't rest easy, an that's what brings
me hyar. He's bin a-promisin to send for
me, but he never has, so scrabbled some
money together an came right along. I
reckon he'll be 'stonished to see his old
NAM"
Her face beamed as she thought of the
joyful surprise she would give her boy.
Hes likely youngker," she went on.
''Never done a mean thing in his life. An
smartl You bet he's a hustlerl He'll be
gov'nor ur hold some high position some
time, I lows I've allus bin proud of my
boy"
''Do you expect to find him at Benson's
gulch2''
II dunno. He wuz thar last time he writ,
an reckoned l c'u'd find sombody'd know
somethin bout him round them diggin's."
Evidently it had not occurred to her that
her son might be dead, and I could not
bring myself to speak of anything SO I'M
pleasant. She talked cheerfully about him
all the way to Benson's gulch, which place
we reached just as the sun was ready to
drop behind the western ridge.
AS we reached the outskirts of the camp
I observed a mob of wildly excited men
who were gathered beneath tree. The
driver of the stage promptly drew up and
sat watching the yelling crowd.
whats the matter?" asked, thrusting
my head out at the door.
''Lynchin bee," was the jehu's reply.
"Reckon they've caught some cuss stealth
bosses"
A great shout went up from the crowd,
and then I saw the body of man lifted
into the air by a rope that ran over limb
of a tree, and I knew the tragic western
lynching had been accomplished.
Suddenly heard shrek of horror at my
side.
my boy-that is my boy KEEP
Then the little old woman burst past me,
leaped to the ground and ran like deer
toward the tree. Several pistol shots were
fired by the lynchers, and knew the end
had come.
I followed the horror crazed mother, doing
my best to overtake and detain her. In this
I was unsuccessful. She burst stagger-
ingly through the mass of astounded men
and then fell unconscious, face downward,
beneath the spot where the victim of Judge
Lynch turned slowly round and round at
the end Of the fatal rope.
A golden ray of vanishing sunlight fell
for an instant on the dead mans face, and
then the shadows of oncoming night began
to gather in the gulch.