The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-16

and the stores will be crowded from
 early morning until the closing hour at
 10 D. m.
 THE GALLONS IN THE GLOOM
 Didn't ever tell you about Cy Pax
 son and the sheriff? No? Well, I'll
 tell you now.'
 There was a heap of excitement
 when Norton was found murdered, and
 as soon as 1t was known that Paxson
 had been with him at his cabin over
 night and had dug out some time be- fore morning a posse got after him, found him on the road to Hunkers, ! brought him back, tried him and con- victed him before the excitement had 1 had time to cool. They was goin' to string him up at once when his wife come and pleaded so hard for little time with him before he left her that | she bein' woman, got 'em 10 give three days. Meantime the prisoner
 was kep' in barn, with two citizens l to watch.
 Ali Baker and me was friends of Norton's, and I was a friend of the l Paxsons. Molly, she come to me, wringin' her hands, and begged me to
 do something. I'd "a taken Cy's place at the end of rope if could, but, of
 course, I couldn't, so I made up my mind to die tryin' to help break jail. I went to Ali Baker who was a level headed sort of feller, to git points how to go to work. He laid out plan and agreed for the woman's sake
 and not believin' Cy guilty to help me out with 1t.
 The first thing he did was to go blustertn, around, sayin' he didn't be- | killin' Norton nofow, and let on as if he 'spected they'd contrive to let him l escape. In this way he got himself put | to watch the prisoner with another man. Durin' the evenin' Ali sent the l feller off sor some tobaccer, unlocked l the door and tole Cy to come out. ] was waitin' in the road with three ! horses.
 There's no doubt we'd a got Cy away | If we hadn't stuck a streak O bad luck. | Fust, my hoss>got a stone into his shoe and we lost all of ten minutes gittin' it | out, Then, the night bein' dark as pitch, we got often the road. By the time we'd lost half an hour more. But what did the business for us was the
 lamin' of the boss Cy was ridin'. This was about three o'clock in the mornin', when We was comin' to the railroad. We pulled up and was feelin' of the critters, leg when we heard 8 faint sound O galIopin' hoofs. It seemed as if the game was up. I heard moan from Cy and saw him starin' at somethfn' loomin' against the sky. looked and saw a gallows with man swingin' to 1t. couldn't be- lieve it. It must a been phantom gallows set up by the murdered man to mock bis murderer.
 "Look!" said in a. whisper to Ali. Alf looked at it for a few moments without sayln' word. Then an idee seemed to strike him, and tellin' Cy to hide In the bushes and me to come along he rides back to meet them that was cornin'. When he was hundred Wards apart he called on 'em to halt. They pulled in and we chinned. They was the sheriff and the man that Ali had sent for tobaccer When he'd gone back and found the barn empty he hurried 70 the sheriff and reported the escape. Then the two of 'en without waitin' for any one else, had hurried over the only road we could well have taken and followed us. Alf tole 'em who we was.
 We didn't believe you meant busi- ness," he said, "so we allowed we'd do
 the job ourselves
 What job?"
 Why, hangin' that galoot Cy Pax son for the murder of the best friend ever had.
 You hanged him?"
 You bet"
 What have you done with him?"
 Hes swingin' jist back there." Well" said the sheriff, after some thought, we'll go and see. If you
 ain't lyin' we'll take the body home."
 You can see if you like, but as to takin' the body back we'll take care O
 that ourselves. You see, we both think heap O Molly Paxson, and, although we hadn't said nothin' to her-hain't made no promises-she's going to have a chance to give the man she loved a Christian burial. Now, we'll show you | the body hangin' to the gallows we
 come out here and set up yiste'day
 But you shan't go @ step furder with
 out promise that after you've seen it you'll go home peaceable."
 Wall, the sheriff he talked awhile,
 but Ali stood pat, and he knowed Ali
 wasn't to be trifed with, so at last it
 was settled. We rode back till we
 could dimly see the thing swingin'. It wasn't A nleaSant sight at that tirna in