The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-27

Only one shot had been fired. 1t had
gone wide of its mark-the ringleader
of the Northumberland had left Rel
Pete, who had fired it, covered by their
rifles and at their mercy. For his hand
had been cramped by hard riding, and
his eye distracted by their sudden on
set. and so the inevitable end had come.
He submitted sullenly TO his captore;
his companion fugitive aud horse-thief
gave up the, prOtracted struggle with a
feeling notflnlike relief. Even the hot
and revengeful VictorS were content.
They had taken their men alive. Al
any time during the long chase they
could have brought them down by a
rifie-shot, but it would have been un-
sportsmanlike, and have ended in a
free fight, instead of an example. And,
for the matter of that, their doom was
already sealed. Their end, by a rope
and a tree, although not sanctioned by
law, would have at least the delibera-
ton of justice. 1t was the tribute paid
by the Vigilantes to that order which
they had themselves diSregarded in the
pursuit and capture. Yet this strange
logic of the frontier sufffced them, ana
gave certain dignity to the climax.
Eff you've got anything TO say TO
your folks, say it now, and say it
QUICK, SAID the r1ngleader-
Red Pete glanced around him. He
had been run to earth at his own cabin
in the clearing, whence a few relations
and friends, mostly women and chill
dren, non-combatants. had Outfiowed
gazing Vacantly at the twenty Vigi-
lanteS who surrounded them. All were
accustomed 10 scenes Of violence, blood
feud, chase and hardship; it was only
the suddenness of the onset and its
quick result that had surprised them.
They looked on with dazed curiosity
and some disappointment; there had
been no fight to speak Ono specta-
Gle! A boy, nephew of Red Pete, got
-sIpon the rain-barrel to view the pro-
ceedings more comfortably; a tall,
handsome, lazy Kentucky girl. a visit
ing neighbor leaned against the door
post, chewing gum. Only yellow
hound was actively perpleXed. He
could not make out if hunt were just
over or beginning, and ran eagerly
backwards and forwards, leaping alter
nately upon the captives and the cap
tors.
The ringleader repeated his challenge
Red Pete gave a reckless laugh and
looked at his wife.
At which Mrs. Red Pete came for
ward. 1t seemed that she had much to
say. incOherently. vindictively. to the
rinSleader. His soul would roast in hell
for that days work. He called himself
man, skunkin' in the open and afraid
to show himself exceat with a crowd
of other ''Kiyi's" around a house of
women and children Heaping insult
upon insult, inveighing against his low
blood, his ancestors, his dubious origin
she at last flung out a wild taunt of his
invalid wife, the insult of a woman To
woman, until his white face grew rig
id. and only that Western-American
fetch of the sanctity of sex kept his
twitching fingers from the lock of his
rifle. Even her husband noticed it, and
with half-authoritatiVe let up on
that, old gal" and a pat of his freed
hand on her back, took his last part
ing. The ringleader, still white under
t\e lash of the woman's tongue, turned
abruptly to the second captive. "And
If you've got anybody to say 'good-by
to, now's your chance"
The man looked up. Nobody stirred
or spoke. He was a stranger there, be-
ing a chance confederate picked up by
Red Pete, and knOwn1to no one. Still
young. but an outlaw from his boy
hood, of which father and mother were
only forgotten dream, he loved horses
and stole them, fully accepting the
frontier penalty of life for the interior
ence with that animal on which a
mans life so often depended. But he
understood the good points of a horse
as was shown by the one he bestrode-
until a few days before the property OF
Judge Boompointer. This was his sole
distinction.
The unexpected question stirred him
for a moment out of the attitude OF
reckless Indifference, for attitude il
was, and part of his profession. But
a.
moment he was less than his compan-
ion and his virago wife. However, HI
only shook his head. AS he did so hi.
eye casually fell on the handsome cir
by the doorpost, who was looking a
him. The ringleader, too, may have
been touched by his complete loneli-
ness. for he hesitated. At the same
moment he saw that the girl was look
ing at this friendless captive.
A grotesque idea struck him.
"Salomy Jane, We might do worse
than come yere and say 'good-by' TO 8
dying man, and him a stranger he
said
There seemed TO be a subtle stroke OF
poetry and irony in this that equally
struck the apathetic crowd \ 1t was
we'll known that Salomy Jane CLAY
thought no small potatoes for herself
and always held off the local swain
with lazy nymph-like scorn. Never
theless, she slowly disengaged herself
from the doorpost. and, TO everybody's
establishment, lounged with langufd
grace and outstretched hands towards
the prisoner. The color came into the
gray reckless mask which the doomed
man wore as her right hand grasDed
his left. just loOsed by his captors
Then she paused; her shy. fawn-like
eyes grew bold. and fixed themselves
upon him. She took the chewing-gun
from her mouth. wiped her red lips
with the back of her hand, by a sud
den 1.-THE spring placed her foot on his
stirrup. and, bounding to the saddle
threw her arms about his neck anC
pressed kiss upon his lips.
They remained thus for hushed mo-
ment-the man on the threshold o.
death, the young woman in the fullnes:
of youth and beauty-linked together
Then the crowd laughed; in the auda
cious effrontery of the girls act tn,
ultimate fate Of the two men was for.
gotten. She slipped languidly to In,
ground: she was the focus of all eyes
she only! The ringleader saw il and
his opportunity. He shouted: Time.
up-Forwardi" urged his horse beside
his icaptives. and the next moment tho
whole cavalcade was sweeping over tn
clearing into the darkeninE woods.
Their destination was Sawyer
Crossing, the headquarters of the com
mittee, where the council was still sit