The Opelousas courier., 1894-06-02

II 1t was none OF you VINO dIu Inc ueeu,
j but one whoahas once lived here among
You, though / can not tell his name.
He Fan not'live far away-perhaps at
one of the idle mines or in some de-
serted tunnel. He went toward the
gulch, for had he come this way he
would have had to cross my body, as ]
lay there in the snow. That is all ]
have to say. Do with me as you
must"
1t was useless to search the gulch-
the heavy snow would not permit.
And. then, these angry men had no
doubt OF The guilt of the parson. Only
the production of the man he claimed
had robbed him would destroy their
belief in his guilt. The crowd grew
angrier Ms the minutes passed.
"The parson has lied," coolly re.
marked Big Frank, whosesfaith in the
preacher sort had never been strong.
"He's an ungrateful robber," Pay.
:aaster Bill added.
"Hang him !" yelled a man in the
crowd.
The excitement increased like the
roar of the wind through the gulches
in the coming of a storm. A minute
more and the Infatuated mob who, in
the absence Of a court, had tried, o
victed, and sentenced the accused. wat
eager to execute TIP sentence of death.
Like wild men they few to the
upper end of tie camp, dragging the
parson with them. Convinced of his
guilt, and %maddened by thoughts o.
his ingratitude, NO hand could stay
them.
Quickly the preparations for the ex-
ecution were made. Two barrels, each
Of which supported an end of q broad
plank, placed under the stout limb OF
a great tree, formed the scaffold, One
end of the rope was fastened 30 the
limb. the other formed into a moose
and placed over the head and around
the neck of the trembling parson.
"A1re We ready?" cried the leader
of the mob to the two men wbo were
stationed at the ends of the plank
ready to lift it out from under the
feet of the doomed man.
ssGiveshim one more chance ter tell
who robbed him." demanded Paymas-
ter Bill.
Standing there upon that plank,
with the death rope around his necks
Parson Toms memory returned. Tine
ugly face of his assailant, which he
could not see the night before in the
darkness, was now plainly visible, and
the oouched form of the robber ap-
peared as plain IS On the day he had
sneaked out of camp at the command
of these same men.
The crowd waited almost breath
lessly.
"Quick!" shouted Big Frank, who
was leader.
Saddle - Horse - ete!" almost
shouted the parson.
The crowd broke out in jeers.
ooh, mol" they said, ''that can't be.
He was drove out, an he's not likely
to show his head anywheres 'roun' this
camp. That won't do. Guess agin."
"Ye'u hev to perduce ther body of
Saddle-Hoss Pete afore the court1l
admit Their evidence" said Bill.
"Once agin. Aire We ready?'
shouted Big Frank.
eyes," came the calm but determ-
ined voices of the two men at the ends
of the plank.
'sGive him time ter pray begged
an unwilling participant.
"Pray then! !" shouted the leader.
Parson Tom stood erect with bowed
head. Slowly and with frmness he
lifted his voice. Suddenly he faltered,
turning his face toward the mountain.
Harki Look! The excited group
of men stood there riveted to the
ground. The hands of those who held
the plank were frozen as if in deaths
clutch. The tongue of him whose
word was law was paralyzei. The
sound which filled their ears carried
more terror to their souls than the
awful roar of battle, the rushing of the
mighty waters in a storm at sea, and
the rumbling of q earthquake, all
combined, could have inspired.
On. on it came, tearing from their
roots great trees that had withstood
the storms of generations; hurting
heavy branches, logs, timbers and
rocks a hundred feet above the heads
of the frightened witnesses.
Great clouds of snow filed the air
and hid from view the surrounding
mountains.
Not man in that group, all huddled
together like so many frightened ami
mails, but comprehended the situation
in an instant. Il .
These men who were brave enough
of heart to have fought with the in;
SEPARATION of patriotism on the field Of
battle, or faced with fearless courag,
the ocean s wrath, or listened without
the faintest dread to the earthquake.
fearful rumblings, stood trembling
like little children in the face of {
enow-slide!
Swift as a meteor it came, ard, like
the bursting of a thunderbolt, hae
spent its wrath and its dreadful har
vest lay. scattered far and wide, slike
dead and wounded soldiers on q battle
field.
And when the sky had cleared there
lay, at the feet of them who held q life
II x..lI:- AI1.r = IooI ard Erovar