The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-04-24

hlSnteous wrath is making demon of
me! If were to swoop down on that
misguided man nothing would be left
to tell the tale" 49,, H.
"Let him go!' cried Dingle, frantic
ally; II dare you to let him go!" e.,
"A Harmony mani" howled the, cit
liens, pushing angrily forward and
surrounding the diminutive person
with the glass eye. <.5-. E.
HE must be spy!" roared voice.
Stirring him up!" echoed another.
Lynch him! lynch him! lynch
him!' swelled the chorus. D..
| t'Stand back!" shouted Guy, shout
dering his way to Dingle's side.
Get rope!" fumed the crowd.
Next to Vlandingham he's the worst
enemy this town has got! Make an
example of him!"
Guy halted in front of Dingle and
kept the crush back with his strong
arms.
"We must get him out of here,
Pedro,' said Guy, breathlessly IF
we don't, some of these hot-heads
will get us all into trouble. Where
can we take him."
i've got room upstairs that we
can lock him in," replied Pedro, and
the people, catching the last words,
voiced the fierce demand:
'Lock him up! Put him under lock
and key until we decide what to do
with him"
Il want to help you, Dingle." said
Guy, in the little mans ear. "Don't
be foolish, go with us and We'll do
what we can for you.'
Dingle was sullenly defiant, but he
yielded to Guy and Pedro and accom-
panied them into the hotel and up the
broad stairs leading to the second
floor, the crowd pushing and plung-
ing after them.
Rumors of the excitement had
spread to the four quarters of the
town and citizens came running from
every direction, adding their numbers
and their excitement to the tumult-
uous gathering in the hotel.
'Give the man a show!" cried Chris
topher Waffle, shrilly, springing upon
a chair in the office. 'Don't act like
a lot of hyenas! There's law in this
town and Waffle knows how to deal
it out!"
'Down with old Waff1e!" beloved
the crowd; "let's take the law into
our own hands!"
The mob swarmed about Wafae's
chair, overturned it, and the judge
went down and was lost in the hui
man wave that rolled over him.
Meantime Guy and Pedro had been
doing yeoman servict in behalf of the
headstrong Dingle. The little man
had been crowded into a five-by-
seven linen closet off the upper hall
and the door locked on him. Guy,
the key in his hand, turned away and
confronted the clamoring multitude
that struggled up the stairs.
"You are men, not brutes,'' he
shouted, "civilized citizens and not
barbarian horde!" He had used that
|speech once in his callow youth for
a school defamation, and he poured
forth that much of it with all his
power. 1t sounded well, caught the
ears 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 if 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
dispassionately as we can, what shall
be done with our prisoner. Don't be
like ravening wolves"-more of the
declamation-"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 concensus of opin-
ion."
THAT is 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
the riotous citizens on the stairs be-
gan to descend.
"Who shall guard the prisoner?"
asked Guy. ''Mr. Pedro Smith,
"No," Numbered Keever; "let
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 a debate as to the
punishment which should be meted
out to Col. Dingle was at once be-
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
60, while a conservative element be-.
lieved that Col. Dingle would suffer
sufficient punishment if he were set
astride pole and ridden out of town.
There was but one point on which