The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-29

place we see, when we was a-goin
down, where the OIL tree is with the
limb stickin' out as eft was a-waitin'
fer suthin' tn be hung on it. Will
you come back with US or wait here?"
Well wait here" the men in charge
of the horses decided.
Bill Green unsnapped small chain
from Nell's bride. It was five or Six
feet long and had been used in place
of halter.
"We'll use this" he said, "an' we'll
leave it as we use it."
Then they went on down the creek
with the doomed man between them,
and not word was spoken until they
reached the island where the old &C.
dar grew, grim and gray, and gnarled
into fantastic shapes, with long
wreaths of moss hanging to it's
branches, and swsying slowly in the
dumb wind which blew about the
lonesome spot.
Number One," said Bill Green,
like Judge passing sentence Of death
on murderer, as they passed beneath
the outstretched arm of the old cedar,
'it's purity nigh all over with ye in
this world. Hev y anything to say?
Eff ye hev, say it now" -.
''Do what you're going to do, and
have done with it," answered Wayne,
through ashen lips. And that was
all.
The chain was fastened about his
neck, and some of the men lifted him
up while one climbed on the old limb
and secured the fatal links about it.
"Ready9" asked Bill Green, hoarse-
ly.
"Aye, all ready" was the reply.
And them
=
They turned away as silently as
they had come, and left the leader of
the league of six swinging from the
old cedar, whose fate it was to bear
that horrible burden, a CHASTITY, fright
full record of frontier vengeance.
ooh, mother, they're coming at
| l6St! Crlou Nduulo.
'eBe they all there?" asked Mrs.
Boone, family. 49,, "....
eyes, they're all there" answered
Mamie. ""Fsther and Uncle Ezra and
Nell and Doll-and Dickr'
"Hooray! Three cheers fer Dick
Brayton!" shouted the men, as they
caught sight of the women.
The Sabbath quiet was broken by
three hearty, ringing cheers which
echoed far and wide, and were heard
at the csmp-meeting ground, telling
everybody there that the horse-thieves
had been found at last. '.
"Oh, Dick" cried Mamie, throwing
herself into his arms, and caring
nothing if all the world saw and heard
her, "I used you shamefully! I'm
sorry for it! If you can forgive me-"
Il can forgive anything and every
body" he said, and made the asser-
ton emphatic with kiss.
That night the camp-meeting was a
wonderful success. The excitement
of the last few hours had prepared the
way for state of feeling calculated to
make any camp-meeting successful,
and those who had hunted horse
thieves went into religious work with
heart and soul. .....
Deacon Snyder exhorted with Pc
culiar power, bringing in frequent al
lusions to his stolen horses, which
Providence had seen fit to restore to
him, and the result Of the exhortation
was that Bill Green, whose convictions
had been in state of suspense since
last night, took up the matter where
he had left it when he turned out to
look for Mr.. Boone's. horses, and was
converted.
"Ar'. he was converted good an
strong, too" Deacon Snyder used to:
say, in after years, when relating the
events Of this memorable camp-meet-'
ing. He nevSf ceased to look upon
Bill as star in his crown-a brand
he had plucked from the burning.
Samanthy finally overcame her
"baptis'" scruples, and got up in
meeting and "told her experience" to
which she added supplement, mar
rating the trouble she could not get
rid of because of what she had done
on Saturday night.
The elder got up when'she sat down,
and said that he felt, for one, as if she
had done nothing to be sorry for. In
his opinion, she had done just right.
The Lord would surely punish the
transgressor, and sometimes he made
men and women His agents. She had
peen merely an agent in the hands of
the Lord in the punishment OF this
sinner. That was all, and she had no
right to fell like grieving over it. In
his opinion, she had more right to be
proud of having been selected as His
agent in the matter. And he believed
that every person in the hearing Of
his voice agreed with him.
In response to this public vindica-
ton of her act, such a chorus Of eyes,
Lord!" and "Amen!" went up from the
crowd that Samanthy's heart was eased
of its burden. And 80 grateful was
she to the minister that she married
him, six months later, and was ever
afterward known in Brownsville as the
'presidin' elders wife" ;"
Twas in Brownsville last summer.
Stopping over night with one of its
residents, I took the opportunity to
make some inquiries.
"Du I know the Braytons?" ex: