The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-03-05
SAVED BY A BADGE.
a sTosV THAT WILL INTEREST ALG
COLLEGE MEN.


Beta Mans Meek. and he Was About to
- ssEuag Up When EIs College Society
EmSls@, w@s SSun by o@S we Knsw H.
The Eixtieth annual dinner of Cana
ma Beta was certainly . great succesA
At the long table sat so guests. OF all
ages and from all parts Of the land
The feast was ended when the captain
arose from bis place near the head OF
the board Straight Of figure and alert
OF eye, he bore his 60 years lightly.
"Boys. says the captain, II haven't
been to q Gamma Beta dinner for 90
years. The lEEt time went waa boy
In college. As look around me / am
glad / an not the oldest Alumnus hers,
for feel as young as any freshman
But came here tonight to tell you Q
story, and If you have patience 70 hear
me / may a. well begin Rememper,
we old ores are gaZrulous at times and
stop me when you have had enough
His audience was all attention, and
the captain lighted q fresh cigar, blew
out a puff Of smoke md began
81 was the first northern man TO
plant cotton in Arkansas after the war.
Tine state had declared for the Union
early in 1854, but there was plenty Of
lawless secessionism about, and a north
erner's life and property were none too
safe. Before ] had been long at my
planting got q notice from some Of my
secessionist friends that ! must stop Op-
erations or leave the district IL ] had
any regard for my hfe-in short. they
gave me to understand that IL they
caught me they would string me mp 60
the nearest tree as sure as my name was
jim Roberta Now, / didn't intend TO
stop planting, and didn't intend 70 be
hanged, so ! went ahead and told them
they could hang me-n they could catch
me.
About a month after that was rid
ing across country one afternoon 20 get
q little business done in the nearest
town AS | entered lonely piece Of
road q dozen men jumped out OF the
woods. pointed their guns at my head
and ordered me 10 halt and diSnount
| saw l could dc nothing but surrender
at discretion, so / came down from nv
horse aud was marched of in silence.
In a few minutes we tnrned into n lane
that led deeper into the woods and kept
on until we came TO little clearing
| One Of my friends brought out q rope,
I slung one end Of il over the limb Of "A
convenient tree and had the other emo
slipknotted around my neck Ina n iifry.
Probably ncne Of you has ever felt a
hangman's s rope around his neck, so you
can't appreciate the state Of my feelings
at that time IN tell you. felt pretty
serious and thought my lease Of life hai
/ run ont for certain But a man clings
+ to life at such times, and all at once
/ had q happy thought remembered
/ that hnd package Of excellent cigars
/ in my pocket, and drew IL out
'Gentlemen. said, with as much
I coolneSs rs I could muster. I know
+ that l have but few minutes more &c
live Iwant &. ask one favor. Give me
time TO smoke ont cigar before y0u
swing me into eternity Win you JOIN
lzne? You will find them most excel
lent
My captorA grimly asscnted. and we
lighted our weeds together No one
said a word Well, boys. made that
cigar hold out. you may depend But It
would burn Little by little the ash be-
gan to get longer and drop of until
there was Just 20 much left AND the
captain held up his smoking stump.
measuring its small remainder critical
ly with his fhLer.
4" Wen. thought TO myself. here
goes for a few more pnfs anyway.
and was j1st ger ing tie v,I, last Il
them when We heard q hol.e ,osiir.5
through the trees a GIe .S1Alrg ;e'Icn
rode IN, who seemed 10 lie 4 suGt oi
commander Of the company. Hello,
, boys. ne called out, 'wLo've you GOT
here?' We've got Rolerts, and we've
going TO hang hin, said they All
right. said the officer and came over Il
have look at me-
Now, ] had on my watch chain this
little badge here, and the captain
touched a icweled monogram OF Poli
that hung 10 his breast II have always
worn 1t there and expect 20 as long as
live Ny coat was open, and as tho Con
federate came up his eye caught tbs
badge Well. sirs, he turned all sorts a
colOrs, and leaning close - my eaI
whispered the name Of our fraternity,
at the same time grasping my hand with
the good old Gamma grip. given with
the strength Of giant Then be turne,l
TO his men. Boys. said be, this mai
Is my friend. You must let him 60
And in an instant he took the rope from
my neck, led up my horse. pulled a pair
Of pistols from his pocket snd handel
one To me. Now. brother. said he. de
fend yourself and get away a. best yOu
/ c3nF lost no time in following his nd.
vice and made my escape And here !
am today, and that is all "
There was a storm Of applause when
the captain had finished and had taken
his seat