The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-25
SAVED BY A BADGE.
A STO by THAT WILL INTEREST ALL
COLLEGE MEN.

~~N@@N-
There Was Rope Round the Gamma
Beta Mans Neck, and He Was About to
BE Strung Up When His College Society
Emblem Was Seen by One Who Knew 1t.
The sixtieth annual dinner of Gam
ma Beta was certainly a great success.
At the long table sat $50 guests, Of all
ages and from all parts Of the land.
The feast was ended when the captain
arose from his place near the head of
the board Straight of figure and alert
Of eye, he bore his go years lightly.
Boys" says the captain, 81 haven't
been to Gamma Beta dinner for 40
years. The last time went l was boy
in college. As look around me I am
glad / am not the oldest alumnus here,
for l feel as young as any freshman.
But came here tonight to tell you a
story, and il you have patience to hear
me may as well begin. Remember,
we old ones arc garrulous at times and
stop MP when you havo had enough.
His audience was all attention, and
the captain lighted fresh cigar, blew
out puff of smoke and began.
II was the first northern man to
plant cotton in Arkansas after the war.
The state had declared for the Union
early IN 1864, but there was plenty of
lawless seeessionism about, and north
erner's life and property were none too
safe. Before l had been long at my
planting got notice from some of my
seoessipnist friends that must stop OPP
erations or leave tho district if 1 had
any regard for my life-in short, they
gave me to understand that if they
caught me they would string me up to
the nearest tree as sure as my name was
Jim Roberts. Now, l didn't intend to
stop planting, and l didn't intend to be
hanged, so went ahead and told them
they could hang me-if they could catch
me.
ABOUT month after that was rid
ing across country one afternoon to get
q LITTLE business done in the nearest
town. As l entered lonely piece of
road a dozen men jumped out of the
woods, pointed their guns at my head
and ordered me to halt and dismount.
| saw j could do nothing but surrender
at dissection, go came down from my
horse and was marched off in silence.
In a few minutes we turned into lane
that lei deeper into the woods and kept
on until we came to little clearing.
One of my friends brought out rope,
slung pne end of it over the limb of a
convenient tree and had the other end
around my neck in jiffy.
Probably none of you has ever felt a
hangmRn 8 rope around his neck, so you
can't appreciate the state OF my feelings
at that time. III tell you, felt pretty
serious aud thought my lease of life had
run Out for certain. But n man clings
to life at such times, and ali at once /
had happy thought. l remembered
that had a package of excellent cigars
in my pocket, and l drew it out.
Gentlemen, / said, with as much
GOODNESS as could muster. L know
that / have but few minutes more to
live. Iwant to ask one favor. Give me
time to smoke out cigar before you
swing me into eternity. Will you join
me? You will find them most excel
lent.
MY captors grimly assented, and we
lighted our weeds together No one
said word. Well, boys, l made that
cigar Hold out, you may depend. But 1t
would burn. Little by little the ash be-
gan to get longer and drop off until
there was Just SO much left. " And the
captain held up his smoking stump,
measuring its small remainder critical
ly with his finger.
Well, thought l to myself, here
goes fpr few more puffs anyway,
and l was just getting the very last of
them when we heard horse coming
through the trees. A fine looking fellow
rode up, who seemed TO be sort of
commander Of the company. Hello,
boysN he called out, 'who'ye you got
hereF We've got Roberts, and we're
going to hang him, said they. All
right, said the officer and came over to
have look at me-
Now, | had on my watch chain this
little badge here, and the captain
touched Jeweled monogram of gold
that hung to his breast, have always
worn II there and expect to as long as
live. My coat was open, and as the Con-
federate came up his eye caught the
badge. Well, sirs, he turned all sorts of
colors, and leaning close to my ear
whispered the name Of our fraternity
at the same time grasping my hand with
the good old Gamma grip. given with
10 bic ,,on ,Ro,s cid 10 .tb;s WOW
is NV friend You must lot him 10
And ID an instant he took the rome from
NV ne4kz led mn NV horse nlled n mir
of nistnls from his nockef and handed
one to me. Now. brother. said he. dc.
fena v burself and get away MS best Won
can't lost no time in following his ad.
vice AZ IA made INV escapo, And here
am tod ay. and that is all. y