Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-05-11


BILE lives, because Bess didn't love
them.
But Lee thought he had more phil
osophy than he really had, and one
day the crowd found it out. The
blows and the taunts hurt little bit
too much and Lee came to his senses
to find that he had thrown an iron at
one OF his tormentors and very nearly
killed him.
That settled Lees account with the
town.of McCook.
The Vigilance committee sat as
grand jury and heard the preiudiced
witnosscs. Loo WOO doomed. ab
first there was lynching in the air and
it didn't improve the atmosphere very
much either. Then some of the more
merciful thought out better scheme.
The result of it was that Lee was or
dered to get ready to leave town.
They offered him the four corners of
the compass. Lee choose to leave
town by way of the Superstition Noun
tains. Away down in his heart he had
vague idea that out in the noun
tains he might find refuge with some
Of the miners. Up on top of all his
other thoughts was the one that per-
haps he might catch a sight of Bess
as he marched past her mothers
cabin.
| The procession formed and the or
der to march was given. Followed
by hooting mob, Lee began his pill
grimage. Then the mad indignity of
it all forced its way into his untutored
soul, and when he reached Besss
home he hung down his head and
scurried by, ashamed to look her in
the face, afraid that her eyes, too,
might condemn him.
Without much thought of anything
except to get away as far as possible
from McCook, Lee stumbled along
over the rocky hills. Finally worn
out and weary he threw himself down,
not caring much whether he lived or
died.
Then down in little valley he saw
a light. He knew it came from a
miners hut, and with one last idea of
food and lodging he made for the
light.
He had almost reached it when he
heard fearful shrek, and then the
door of the cabin burst open and out
of it poured half dozen fends in
carnate.
A moment later the cabin burst into
flames.
Lee knew at once what had hap
pened.
Covering behind great rock he
watched the Apaches as they danced
about the burning cabin, waving in
the air what he guessed to be the
CORY scalps of their victims.
Then from their actions Lee saw
that the Indians intended to descend
upon the sleeping town from which a
few hours before he had fed.
A fierce glow thrilled his heart, all
his wrongs and hatreds came back to
him. Now he would be avenged, he
thought, and in his soul he rejoiced
that his tormentors were also to be
prosecuted.
Then in the midst of the glare of
the burning cabin little face stood
out full and clear; and Lees heart
thumped fercely in his throat, and he
swore that though little Bess might
have believed him guilty and justly
dealt with, he could not let her meet
such a death. For the others he did
not care. They had almost taken his
life, but Bess-she had not wronged
him.
So he hurried back to the town.
With quick and stealthy tread he
made his way to the Widow john
sons cabin. He knocked at the door
and in a few seconds the woman
opened it for him. She cried out
when she saw him and dragged him
into the cabin. Then in few words
he told her what he had seen.
"We must be of, he cried, "they
will be here in few minutes.
The woman awoke Bess, who, as
soon as she saw Lee, few to his arms.
.sYou have come back" cried the
child. 81 knew you would not leave
me without saying goodbye. :"
"We are going away together, "
whispered Lee in his pigeon English.
"And so you came back to warn us
after the way you were treated here?'
''No, no." cried Lee fercely.
"Only you, onlyl The rest must diel
''That is. not right" Bess ex-
, claimed.
Lee looked at her with wondering
eyes.
"No, no, no." cried Lee fiercely, as
he saw the sweetness of revenge slip
ping from him.
II love you, so what does it mat
ter?" the child said, s"because they
are bad is that any reason why you
should be, too?"
The proposition had never suggest
, ed itself to the outcast's philosophy.
But Bess had said it, and so, with
downcast eyes, ashamed that Bess
, should have had to rebuke him, Lee
, Toy surrendered.
i An hour later when the Apaches
broke in upon the town they found ii
, barricaded and we'll defended.
The first attack was aimed at a
IL - Il.~