Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-02-07

preacher sort had never been strong.
He's an ungrateful robber,' Pay
master Bill added
Hang him' yelled man in the
crowd.
The excitement increased like the
roar of the wind through the gulches in
the coming of storm. A minute more
and the infuriated mob who, in the alb
sence of court, had tried, convicted
and sentenced the accused was eager to
execute tho sentence of death.
Like wild men they flew to the upper
end of the camp, dragging the parson
with them. Convinced of his guilt and
maddencd by thoughts of his ingrati
tude. no hand could stay them.
Quickly the preparations for the exc
cution were made. Two barrels, each
of which supported an end of a broad
plank, placed under the stout limb of a
great tree, formed the scaffold. One
end of the rope was fastened to the limb,
the other formed into a moose and placed
over the head and around the neck Of
the trembling paIson.
Air ye ready?' cried the leader of
the mob to the two men who were sta
toned at the ends of the plank ready to
lift it out from under the feet of the
doomed man.
Give him one more chance to tell
who robbed him. demanded Paymas-
ter Bill.
Standing there upon that plank, with
the death rope around his neck, Parson
Toms memory returned. The ugly face
of his assailant, which he could not see
the night before in the darkness, was
now plainly visible, and the crouched
form of the robber appeared as plain as
on the day he had sneaked out of camp
at the command of these same men.
The crowd waited almost breathless-
ly.
"Quick'' shouted Big Frank, who
was leader.
Saddle - Horse = Pete!'' almost
shouted the parson.
The crowd broke out in jeers.
"Oh, mol" they said; "that can't be.
He was drove out, All he's not likely to
show his head anywheres roun this
camp. That won't do. Guess ag'in.'
"Once ag'in. Air ye ready?" shouted
Big Frank.
Yes came the calm but deter
mined voices of the two men at the
ends of the plank.
"Give him time ter pray begged
an unwilling participant.
Pray, then!' shouted the leader.
Parson Tom stood erect, with bowed
head Slowly and with firmness he
lifted his voice Suddenly he faltered,
turning his face toward the mountain.
Hark! 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 death s clutch. The
tongue of him whose word was law was
paralyzed. The sound which filled their
ears carried more terror to their souls
than the awful roar of battle, the rush
sea and the rumbling of an 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 hum
dred feet above the heads of the fright
! ened witnesses. Great clouds of snow
filled the air and hid from view the sur
rounding mountains.
Not a man in that group, all huddled
together like so many frightened ami
mails. but comprehended the situation
in an instant.
These men, who were brave enough
of heart to have fought with the inspi-
ration Of patriotism on the field of bat
tie, OF faced with fearless courage the
oceans wrath, or listened without the
faintest dread to the earthquake fear
full rumblings, stood trembling like lit
| tie children in the face of snowslide!
Swift as meteor it came, and like
the bursting of thunderbolt had spent
! its wrath, and its dreadful harvest lay
| scattered far and wide, like dead and
! wounded soldiers on battlefield.
And when the sky had cleared there
lay, at the feet of them who held a life
within their grasp, dead and frozen
human form. Tight against the breast
the clutched and stiffened fingers of the
dead held the buckskin bag of money
| the evidence of Parson Tom s innocence!
The crowd fell back aghast.
It was Saddle Hoss Pete!-Lewis FL.
Eddy in San Francisco Argonaut.