The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-16

booty and sudacity In obtaining II had made
his name notorious in the country where no
a rough. bloodstalned bandage around hs
wrist. red blotch on his shoulder where
another shot had struck him. and glowing
brought him to the ground. His basilisk
eyes blinked unrepentant. at the posse, and
mis- left hand snapped his empty and I'M
potent pistol.
"Well?' he said.
Meade .dlsIpounted. Bind up his leg.
boys. before we get to business. Tie up
leather strap was bound around hellys
leg and twisted with stick. Sheehan bent
down 70 mt him into the, wagon, That's
wounded as he was. he climbed into the wagon
and sat waiting for the move
., Better Maa tie his hands like the others are.
No one asked the destinations but Meade
sat on the box Of the wagon with the driver
and the posse followed. They knew the
hang man on the prairie. Two hours
back from where the fugtives had been
taken was little clump Of trees, not more
than three, or four. but then only one was
needed. Through the gathering dusk the
party moved In silence, and after the last
glow Of the sunset had faded out and only
trees doomed in shadowy outline before
them The wagon stopped.
Get out said Meade and as the three
You fellows. he said killed three men.
HEY were all good men especially John;ny
and while he was killed protecting, another
mans property OF rather the ivenhoe Min
ing Company,s PROPERTY; II isn't likely that
nor educate his children. Our hang ing the
three Of you. which we are going to do now,
won't support or educate them either. but
II will prevent you scOundrels making any
more widows or orphans and i viii educate
any others like YOU There might be some
excuse for robbery but there's no excIsG
whom You kill. Which , we Viii be. And now
who has the rope?" asked Meade.
without answering, man with rope end
in the group. Quickly. the line WAS made
fast to a stout, projecting branch, and the
moose, tied with its long cylindrical knot;
been first caught was brought up and made
TO stand in the wagon behind the seat while
his legs were dashed together. The moose
his neck and then the crowd fell back.
Meade took out notebook and stepped beside
What is your name2" he asked abruptly.
William Hamilton" was the answer al
,. ,Htsye ,. yon anything you wish to leave
"Please send my. watch e. to George Hamil-
Have you any message to send to any
one, anything to say" he asked -
Il was led into this thing, began Ham
ed to get away a" 1t a Rss BaoE Kelly done
IL, He put up the whole job. II you would
Drive on" said Meade.
The driver OF the wagon ierked the reins,
the wagon moved from under Hamilton, and
the first OF the trio was hanging in the night;
Amerciiu shot from MInchsster term ter,
in gain from the darkness and waited once
more beneath the CHASTITY moose.
To its suffocating embrace came the second
man He trembled little as HIS legs were
bound together with rawhide thong, gtSped
as the moose fell around his neck and. was
nHa tf bs
What Il your naime?"'
Have you any effects OF property that
NO, sir"
is there any one you would like to send
message to-? mi,
hand OF death was already on his throat.
He was already not OF this world, In a
minute he would be as one thai was not.
on the ground beside the tree. He struggled
To speak and finally his voice unsteady and
high pitched he began, dow, sss v,x vou
are hanging me ! didn't kill anybody. ]
have a wife away back East, wife and
Two s children ns sep aofe mnn
and II you'di. only give me one more chance
And s so Bralthwaite paid his debt to justice,
and the wagon cirCied in the gloom back
to where Kelly lay silent, uncompromlsins
and unnfraid.
leave me alone" he snarled, as two man
made to help him into the vehicle OF death.
81 can climb in myself
Wounded and bound. the ontlaw scrambled
easily behind the driver. and when the wagon
stopped for the brief halt beneath the dang
ling rope Kelly needed not to be turned OF
For the third time Meade stepped forward.
the recording pencil and notebook III his
hand.
Kelly's black eyes were gazing far into the
inHnity of the night He never deigned to
turn his glance.
The cold audacity. the sheer nerve OF tho
answer sent a thrill or animal admiration
through the men The mountain iron in
their Blood rang to the spirit OF the man
stern az they Even Meade himself lost
his self-possession and stood moment
speechleSs.
Red Sheehan broke the silence.
You're good stuff, anyway. Kelly he
cried, and the men began to move toward
the figure that stood silent and contemptuous
OF death in the wagon Meade waved then
We've got to have some sense about this
thing, boys, he said. but the thirst for ven
geanCe had passed in that brief minute. The
tension that moved to stern deeds was loos-
ened, the reaction had come, and no man
After a short discussion, Meade turned
again to Kelly. Kelly. he said you ought
to have been hanged first. You ought to
he hanged now. but it seems as though your
nerve has got you one more chance We're
going to unite you and Siye you,a one-minIte
one minute wen shoot You've got no horse,
no gun. no grub. and you re pretty well hurt.
IT'S l4O milas across to the railroad there's
no water this side Of it, and there isn't chance
in a thousand that you'll reach it; but remem-
Der il we see you after ono minute well
Kelly said nothing. Sheehan unbound his
legs and arms. Meade led him to the edge
of the crowd
forgive us for having mercy on your murder
GUS soul.
Though no man saw. it is certain thing
that lies between the railroad and the trees
the desert laid her hot hand on the parched
throat Of Kelly and the buZzards made merry
on the morrow.