Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-07-16
CHAPTER xvI-contlnued.

1t UP.
Don't give the old woman time to
warn EN-"
Jim Farthin2's the man. Dang
him.
Hes the murderer
Hang the hell-hound-hang him be-
fore ne has time to kill somebody else
Lynch himt"
the whole damn bunch OF EN-"
A few mad spirits can make a mob
of any multitude, and a mob is a
piece OF hell.
"Shoot 'eml"
Hang 'em!"
Lynch emf"
Here. get the ropes; somebody get
some halters."
"Cut the rope off'n that rig"
Come on; well learn the hell
birds"
The mob frenzy had seized the
crowd in full grip. In a yelling, curs-
ing, boiling mass they swung out OF
the barn and up the trail toward the
Gap, cruel as wolves on a scent and
as hot TO destroy. The sheriff pleaded
and argued n threatened, but he
might as well have argued with the
freed waters OF a dam.
What is it?' What's the matter?
Where're you ~going?" demanded Mrs.
F'arthing helplessly, standing by the
gate and wringing her hands in grow
ing terror. A hideous yell, mingled
with insults and curses, was the re-
ply.
"Oh. don't be hastyl oh, please
don't, gentlemenl There's some mis-
take. oh, my God, don't do It'll Oh
sheriff, stop EN-. Don't let EN- do 1t.
My God, stop, men; don't do it," But
they swept by her like wolves. Who'll
~ beside herself now with terror, she
ounde after them, begging and de-
handing, laying her hands on the
shoulder Of this man and that In wild
entreaty. Bat they pressed on, heed
less OF her anguish.
Tom F~arthing, standing on a freshly
felled tree, heard the roar coming up
the Gap and paused 10 listen.
What's that, JIM"
Sounds like q crowd They both
listened intently. Their father had left
them an hour before for the Wild
Meadows to examine some trees to
What's a crowd coming up here
for?'
Say, tain't Fourth of July is it?'
Why, no; today's only the second
Suddenly a woman darted out of
the bushes and made straight for Tom.
Why, Iona"
Quick. Tom. Rum" she painted.
RUM
They're after you-you and Jim.
They've got ropes. They'll hang you
both. Come-uuick."
But we haven't done anything. Why
should we run?"
That don't make any difference.
Quick. They won't listen TO anything.
Hear that? Oh, comet"
If we run, 1t viii be confessing we
done something"
IF YOU don't youth be hung In w
minutes. oh Pom
A hideous yell arose below them.
They had caught sight OF the boys
through the rhododendron and had
broken into a mad rush like a pack
OF hounds at the sight of their victim.
Quick, Tom she gasped. For my
sake, Tom" Her panic was contagious.
He looked into her eyes IN instant and
turned with her. Jim still wavered,
but a fresh yell from behind sent him
after Tom and Iona Then the wild
panic OF the animal that turns its back
came owe them-that mad, unde-
Enable Q that grips the heart as
with iron and sends the fugitive on
and on till he drops In his tracks. They
ran for their lives, spurred on by the
yells that came up from behind.
The mob had again caught sight
sof them and II was straining every
nerve In mad pursuit. the younger and
more active in the lead. They crashed
through the rhododendron snar like q
stampede OF cattle, tripping and pitch
Ing headfong, bruising themselves or
the rocks, and tearing clothes and
hands and faces in their pursuit. The
fugttives had cleared the brush line
and were In plain sight now among
the rocks half way up the ridge. The
:sheTiff, forgetting his duty to restrain
tho mob, In the excitement Of the
chase drew his revolver and fired.
Halt" he cried. stop In the name
OF the law but they Elected on.
Take EN- dead or alive" he reared.
emptying his revolver In mad fusil-
1ade.
There were three figures, as there
should have been, but one, as he stood
for an Instantly sharply cut against
the sky line. seemed to look queer,
II was rs II he were a woman, but
they were too excited TO speculate. 1t
was Allen Farthing and his boys. No
n dreamed of anything else. At the
top they caught sight again OF the
trio almost down to the tree line.
Suddenly, Just as the three came
TO the turning point. whore, TO reach
the Gap, they must turn sharply to
the right. the pursuers saw them come
10 a full halt. II was as IL they were
weighing the chances between the Gap
n the road to the pike. For a single
3AHtAtAA titt GU III iiuGGESlOD, L0en
they turned sharply to the right.
Could the mob have known il. that
pause and hat sudden decision marked
the crisis In the life of Iona Heller.
m the turning point In the valleys
history.
We've got 'em," yelled the sheriff.
Here. six or eight OF you cut across
70 the pike and head 'em on" They
were indeed gaining on their prey.
When the foremost runners reached
the scrub oaks at the border of Poppy
Miller's farm they caught what seemed
like glimpses OF a single fleeing fig
ure almost in the entrance OF the run.
They redoubled their yelis and flew
down the rocks.
The fugitiyes had disappeared.
They ran quickly TO the mouth OF
tile Run: no one had gone through.
They spread out in a large circle and
surrounded the whole area OF Poppy
MilIer's farm. II was evident that the
three had hidden somewhere among the
brush and rocks. They slowly closed
IN. searching every inch OF the place,
IN 10 minutes they met In the center.
They had found no trace OF the
tFarthinxs.
They looked into each others faces
Yn wordless amazement. The detach-
-<~t f1,of had 6o@u sent 1(lWu the nike