The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-22
S}7M
PART l.

the yigilantest- and had left Red Pete,
who had fired it, covered by their rifles
and at their me rcy. For his hand had
been cramped by hard riding, and his
eve distracted by their sudden onset.
and so the inevitable end had come. He
submitted sulenly to his captors, his
communion fugitive and horse thief gave
IN the urotratted struggle with a feel
ing not unlike relief. Even the hot and
vengeful victors were content. They
had taken their men alive. At any time
during the long chase they could have
brought them down by a rifle shot, but
it would have been unsportSmanllke and
have ended in free fight-instead of an
example. And, for the matter Of that,
their doom waa already sealed Their
end by a rope aJnd a tree, although not
sanctifed by law, would have at least
the deliberation OF justice. 1t was the
tribute paid by the vigilantes to that
order which they themselves had disre-
garded in the pursu it and capture. Yet
this strange logic tof the frontier suf-
feed them, and gave Il certain dignity
to the climax.
EFF you've got anything to say to your
folks, say it now, and say it quick" said
the ringleader.
Red Pete glanced around him. He had
been run to earth at his own cabin in
the clearing, whence a few relations and
frends-mostly women and children,
noncombatants-had outflowed, gazing
vacantly at the 20 vigilantes who sur
rounded them. All were accustomed to
scenes of violence, blood feud, chase and
hardship; it was only the srrddenness on
the onset and its quick result that had
surprised them. They looked on with
dazed curiosity and some disappolnt-
ment: there had been no fight to speak
of-no spectacle! A boy-nephew of Red
Pete-got upon the rain barrel to view
the proceedings more comfortably;
tall, handsome, lazy Kentucky girl, a
visiting neighbor, leaned against the
doorpost, chewing gum. Only a yellow
hound was actively perpleXed. lie could
not make out if a hunt were just ovea
or beginning, and ran eagerly backward
and forward, leaping alternately upon
the captives and the captors
The ringleader repeated his challenge
Red Pete gave a reckless laugh and
looked at his wife.
At which Mrs Red Pete came forward
1t seemed that she had much to say
incoherently, furiously, vindictiyely-to
the ringleader His soul would roast in
hell for that days work. He called him
self man, skunkin' in the open and
afraid to show himself except with a
crowd of other 'sKi-ye's" around a.
house of women and children. Heaping
insult on insult, inveighing against his
low blood, his ancestors, his dubious orr
gin. she at last flung out a wild taunt
of his invalid wife-the insult Of q wom
an to woman-until his white face
grew rigid, and only that western
American fetish of the sanctity of sex
kept his twitching fingers from the lock
of his rifle. Even her husband noticed
it. and with half-authoritative Let
up on that, old gall" and a pat of his
freed left hand on her back, took his
last parting. The ringleader, still white
under the lash of the woman's tongue,
turned abruptly to the second captive,
''And if you've got anybody to say
'goodby' to, now's your chance"
The man looked up. Nobody stirred or
spoke. He was a stranger there-being
a chance confederate picked up by Red
Pete, and known to no one. Still young,
but an outlaw from his abandoned boy.
hood. of which father and mother were
only an ugly forgotten dream, he loved
horses and stole them, fully accepting
the frontier penalty of life for the inter
ference with that animal on which
mans life so often depended. But he
understood the good points of a horse,
as was shown by the one he bestrode-
until few days before the property Of
. Judge Boompointer This was his sole
distinction.
The unexpected question stirred him
for moment out of the attitude of
reckless indifference for attitude it was.
and a part of his profession. BUTT may
have touched him that at that moment
he was less than his companion and his
virago wife. However, he only shook
his head As he did so his eye casually
fell on the handsome girl by the door
post who was looking at him. The
ringIeader, too, may have been touched
by his complete loneliness, for he hest
tated. At the same moment he saw that
the girl was looking at his friendless
captive.
A grotesque idea struck him.
'Salomy Jane, We might do worse than
come we're and say 'goodby' to a dying
man, and him a stranger" he said.
There seemed to be q subtle stroke of
poetry and irony in this that equally
struck the apathetic crowd. 1t was well,
known that Salomy Jane Clay thought
no small potatoes of herself, and al
ways held off the local swain with a
lazy, nymph-like scorn. Nevertheless,
she slowly disengaged herself from the
doorpOst, and, to everybody's astonish-
ment, lounged with languid grace and
outstretched hand toward the prisoner
The color came into the gray, reckless
mask which the doomed man wore as
her right hand grasped his left, just
loosed by his captors. Then she paused
her shy, fawn-like eyes grew bold and
fired themselves upon him. She took the
chewing gum from her mouth. wiped
her red lips with the back Of her hand
by sudden 1.-THE spring placed her foot
on his stirrup, and bounding to the
saddle, threw her arms about his neck
and pressed a kiss upon his lips.
They remained thus for hushed mo-
ment-the man on the threshold Of
death, the young woman in the fnlness
of youth and beauty--linked together.
Then the crowd laughed; in the auda-
cious effrontery of the girls act the ul-
innate fate of the two men was forgot
ten. She slipped languidIy to the
ground; she was the focus of all eyes