Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-02-24

Pete, who had ted II, covered by their
rifles and ut their mercy. for his hand
had been crnmped by hard riding and
his eye distracted by their sudden on
set. and SO the Inevitable end had come.
He submitted sullenly to his captors.
His companion fugitive and horse
thief gave up the protracted struggle
with feeling not unlike relief. Even
Me hot and vengeful victors were con.
tent. They had taken their men alive.
At any time during the long chase they
could have brought them down by q
rife shot, but II would have been un.
sportsmanlike end have ended In free
fight instead OF IN example. And. for
the matter OF that, their doom was al.
ready sealed. Their end by rope and
a tree. although not sanctioned by law.
would have at least the delibcration of
justice. 1t was the tribute paid by the
vigilantes TO that order which they
themselves had dlsregarded In the pur-
suit and capture. Yet this strange
logic Of the frontier sufflced them and
gave certain dignity to the climax.
"Ef you've got anything to say to
your folks. say II now, and say 1t
quick" said the ringleader.
Red Pete glanced around him. lie
had been run to earth at his own cabin
In the clearing. whence a few relatives
and friends. mostly women and chill.
dren. noncombatants. had overflowed,
gazing vacanuy at the 20 vigilantes
who surrounded them. All were nc.
customed to scenes of violence. blood
feud. chase and hardship II was only
the suGdenness of the onset and Its
quick result that had surprised them.
They looked on with dazed curiosity
and some disappointment. There had
been no fight to speak Of. no spectacle.
A boy. nephew of Red Pete, got upon
the rain barrel to view the proceed
ings more comfortably. A tall, hand
some. lazy Kentucky girl. a visiting
neighbor. leaned against the doorpost.
chewing gum. Only yellow hound
was actively perplexed. He could not
make out II hunt were just over or
beginning and ran eagerly backward
and forward, leaping alternately upon
the captives and the captors.
The ringleader repeated his chal.
ienge. Rcd Pete gave reckless laugh
and looked Mt his wife. at which Mrs.
Red Pete came forward. II seemed
that he had much to say, incoherently,
furiously. vindictively. to the ringlead-
er. His soul would roast In hell for
that days work! He called himself q
man. skulklng In the open and afraid
to show himself except with crowd
Of other "kiyis' around a house of wo-
men and children. Heaping insult on
insult. inveighing against his low
blood. his ancestors. his dubious orl-
gin. she at last flung out wild taunt
Of his invalid wife. the insult Of a wo.
man to woman. until his white face
grew rigid and only that western
American fetch of the sanctity Of sex
kept his twitching fingers from the
lock Of his rife. Even her husband no.
ticed it..and. with half authoritative
Let up on that. old GAL" and n pat of
his freed left hand on her back. took
his last parting. The rlngleader. still
white under the lash of the woman's
tongue, turned abruptly to the second
captive. "And. Of you've got anybody
to say goodby to, now's your chance"
The man looked up. Nobody stirred
or spoke. He was stranger there. be.
Ing chance confederate picked up by
| Red Pete and known to no one. Still
young. but an outlaw from his aban.
doned boyhood. 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 interference with that AMI
maj on which mans life so often de
PENDED. hut he understood the good
points OF a horse, as was shown by
the one he bestrode. until few days
before the property OF Judge Boom
pointer. This was his sole distinction
The unexpected question stirred hin
for a moment out OF the attitude OF
reckless indifference. for attitude Il
was and part OF his profession. bu
II may have touched him that at tina
moment he was less than his compan
Ion anu his vrago wife. However. h'
only shook his head. AS he did SO hi
eye casually fell on the handsome cir
by the doorpost. who was looking a
him. The ringleader. too, may hav,
been touched by his complete lonell
ness. for he hesitnted. Al the SAM
moment he saw shat the girl was look
ing al his friendless captive.
A grotesque Idea struck him.
"Salomy Jane. you might do wors
than come yere and say goodby TO
dyin man, and him a stranger" b
said.
There seemed to be subtle strok
OF poetry and irony In this that equal
ly struck the apathetic crowd. II wa
well known that Salomy Jane Cla
thought no small potatoes Of hersel
and always held OF the local swai
with n law. pynDhlIkp RcOrn NpveI