The Lamar register., 1902-07-30

confronted the clamoring multitude
that struggled up the stairs.
"You are men, not brutes." he
shouted, "civilized citizens and not "A
barbarian horde!" He had used that
speech once in his callow youth for
school defamation, and he poured
forth that much of it with all H.
power. 1t sounded well. caught the
cnrs of the unruly townspeople, and
proved the entering wedge for lit
tie reason. "Look!" Guy waved the
key. 1--WE have locked Col. Dingle in
closet, and II you will appoint some
one to guard him, some one whom
you can all trust. we will proceed to
debate this question and decide. as
dispassionntely as we cnn. what shall
he done with our prisoner. Don't be
like ravening wolves"-more of the
decla ma tion-''but prove that you are
reasonable beings. Let us go down
into the Office and reason together"
Herbert has got the right end of
the stick" seconded Judge Waffle.
lifting up his voice from the top of
the office counter. "Do as he says
and let's have a concsnaus of opin-
ion.-
"Thnt 10 my wish," shouted Col
Keever from the foot of the stairs.
Come down, fellow citizens. come
down and we will talk the matter
over"
To have their leader add his per-
sonal request settled the matter. and
tha r;o,nn, c,t,yans m the stairs hS>-
gan to descend.
"Who shall guard the prisoner7"
asked Guy. "Mr. Pedro SMITH"
"No," Numbered Keever; ''lst
Sampson stand in the hall before the
door"
Sampson pushed up the stairs with
alacrity, took the key from Guys
hand and proceeded at once to his
post. When all the others were on
the Office floor debate as to the
punishment which should be meted
gun.
A few suggested hanging in no
equivocal terms; large number
were of the opinion that tarring and
feathering was as far as they should
go, while conservative element be-
licved that Col. Dingle would suffer
sufficient punishment IL he were set
astride a pole and ridden out of town.
There was but one point on which
the agreement was anything like be-
ing unanimous, and that was that
Dingle, before he was dealt with in
any manner whatever. should go
down on his knees to Col. Keever
and implore his pardon.
Guy was against this and so was
Waffle. and. of course, Bill Comfort.
Arguments pro and con came fass
and furious and an hour passed with
out bringing the dissenting factions
any closer together than they were
at first. Misunderstanding began to
crop out and more than one harsh
word was banded back and forth.
just when 1t seemed that the
wrangling citizens would come to
blows u despairing cry for help float
ed down from upstairs. 1t was Samp-
sons voice! What had happened?
In a flash every voice was hushed
and the crowd caught its breath.
Then came the slamming of . door.
followed by crashing sound and {
hollow groan.
Guy led the rush for the SECOND
story and found, when he reached ths
top of the stairs, that the close,
door was ajar, the prisoner gone anc
Sampson lying in q huddled heap q
the floor without sound or move
ment.
The astoundod citizens looked from
one to another, and. a. they looked
the swift fall OF horses hoofi
echoed up from the street. accom-
panied by shrill and triumphant
yell. With one accord the crowd
fiocked to the windows and caught 9
fieeting glimpse OF Col. Dingle ca.
reering madly in the direction OF
Harmony. He was mounted on the
horse which Guy had ridden the night
before. and wns waving over his head