The Tupelo journal., 1906-01-05

think much OF 1t was certain.
amy luck?" asks Threefinger Bill,
when johnnie strolls into Big Mikes
about six o'clock.
Nope" says Johnnie. didn't see
nothing but a Chink all day; it was
the only chance | had, SO | took it.
Wasn't a bad shot, neither-from clean
across the gulch to in front of Casey's."
When Stoessel heard about the
shooting he looked very grave, and
calling Johnnie over from the bar,
asked him if it was true that he had
killed All Sam.
81 amt sure" says Johnnie, "but I'll
bet a hundred / did"
yep. he did," says Abe Fenton, who
was standing nea Il just come from
up there"
Then 1t ISIS murder" says the judge.
II like you, Chonnie, but it ISIS muir
der. l will hang you, Chonnie, says
he, looking very sorrowful. Next
Tuesday. a week. l will hang you"
eff that's the case, judge" says
| Johnnie, kind of embarrassed, have a
drink on me-"
Of course we wasn't going to let
Little Johnnie get strung up-not us.
We didn't see, though, how we could
make it all right with the judge unless
Johnnie got out of town for a spell.
But Johnnie said he'd be hanged afore
he'd leave town.
81 have it," says Threefinger Bill;
well get a pardon from Sacramento.
| know a party over there who's a law
yer, and he'll draw us up a better par
don that the governor could. The
judge amt much on law, so he'd never
know the difference"
But the pardon didn't show up. The
day before the time set for the hang
ing come round and still it hadn't ar
rived. We learned afterwards that the
party Threefnger had wrote to didn't
get his letter, owing to his being in the
pe~nitentiary under a different name at
the time.
When Charley Casey come home he
was mad as hops about All Sam. 1T
amt him, but his cooking" says he,
when Threefinger Bill asked him what
he was throwing such a fit over a dead
Chink for.
On the day set for his hanging, John
ME was on deck, having explained to
the boys beforehand that if they found
the judge really did mean business
there would still be plenty of time for
him to get away.
"All you'll have to do" says he, sis
to have a horse ready, and then, if
things go different from what l think
they will, I'll just ride over to Dry
Rock and stay there till the pardon
comes"
The boys was lining up at Big Mikes
for a last drink with Johnnie, as they
called it. They had lots of last drinks,
and was all in a good humor, except
Johnnie, when the judge, looking as if
he hadn't slept all night, come down
the hill, pushing a w~heelbarrow with
two ropes and a cracker box in it.
Johnnie had settled on the tree he
wanted to be strung up to some time
before; it was a sycamore o~verhanging
the trail leading to Dry Rock, and not
far from camp. So as soon as the
Judge come down the hill we started
out, the judge heading the procession
with his wheelbarrow, T%hreefinger Bill
next, astride the horse Johnnie was to
! ride to Dry Rock On, and the rest of us
following OF foot.
When we arrived at the tree the
Judge takes a rope and ties Johnnie's
arms down to his sides.
tits all right" says Johnnie. looking
over at Threefinger Bill, who was get
ting restless.
81 hate to do it, Chonnie," says the
Judge, "but it ISIS the law"
Don't mention it," says Johnnie.
Now" says the judge, pointing at
Threefnger Bill, sit ISIS for you to tie
the rope on the tree"
Eyes, do" says Johnnie.
cts gone far enough" says Three
finger.
Don't be a fool, Bill! Tie the rope"
says Johnnie.
So Bill he rides under the tree, and,
standing up in his stirrups, fastens the
rope according to instructions, the
moose having been already arranged
by the judge.
"You will now on the box stand,
Chonnie," says the judge. And john
ME, being still game, steps up on his
perch while the judge slips the moose
over his head.
And then, the first thing anybody
knew. the box was kicked out from I'M
der Johnnie's feet, and we was all of us
facing two six-shooters in the hands
of the judge, who was saying: "If
YOU stir a lid of the eye I will shoot.
Charley Casey told me how it ISIS you
plan, but there ISIS what ISIS greater
than you-it iss the law"
Threefinger Bill he prayed and swore
alternate, and 1 was that sick I could
hardly stand. But the judge just stood
and covered us-the judge was a dead
shot and we knowed it-while Johnnie,
our little Johnnie, swung over the d.
vide, clean into the mex world.
Then, dropping his two guns, Stoessel
throwed hisself down by the cracker
box Johnnie had stood on and cried
like his heart would break.
MEANING OF SURNAMES.
Derivation of Some Of the Family
Names Familiar in
Our Day.