The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-04


 so; but you know me well enough, ma'am, to allow that I'd take nothin' out of this house ez I didn't bring into it."
 She tried to say something. but her voice failed. He went on:
 T was on the hill this mornin'. seed ye with a stranger. Then I seed chap dodgin' around behind the trees spyin' on ye. I laid my hand onto him and he stayed"
 There was something so unconscious 1y large and fine in the slight gesture of the great fellows hand that his wife was thrilled by 1t.
 "Wot that man said to me- bein' fiustered and savage-like along O be- in oh oked hard, ain't fur me to say. That 1t wuz the truth, I read in your face now, ma'am. I've drawed up a little paper here ez I'll hand over to a lawyer, givin' you all as had here or ever expect to have. I don't agree with that Mexican that 1t belongs to me because it was give to my sister Grace by your husband. And if that child is alive I don't think that she'd tech 1t either!'
 She wanted to throw herself at his feet, embrace his knees and beg him to stay with her. But she could not move or speak. At the door he turned once more, and her heart beat as if 1t had never beat before in all her adventurous life. But all he said was, falteringly;
 "Wherever I've been. I've always kept place ready for Grace. If she should ever come here, I-I-shouldnt like ye to turn that innocent. unsuspecting child away from the house thet she might take to be mine. Ye needn't let on about anything that's gone-but just take her in and send for me. Lawyer Maxwell will gin ye my address"
 She held out her arms and began to speak, but he was gone.
 At 10 o'clock on the second night after Gabriels departure he sat beside the Sheriff of Calaveras county a pris- oner in the upper story of the court house in ne-Horse Gulch, charged with the murder of Victor Ramirez, who had been found under the pines with knife in his heart.
 Men had seen him throtting the Mexi- can; others had seen him leaving his house soon afterward dressed in his old clothes. When the man was found dead next morning almost in the spot where he and Gabriel had been seen, posse fol- lowed at once. They caught up with him at the next settlement .and he returned quietly.
 During the next few hoursz mounted men began to drop into the town and the word was passed around that the Vigi- lantes had arrived. No one knew that their coming was simultaneous with some telegraphing that MT. Dumphy had done when he heard of the murder.
 One by one the sheriffs posse left him. At last the sheriff sat alone with his charge deserted but defiant, behind bar ricaded doors with pistols in his belt and no hope in his heart, with only one idea to die behind those bars in defense of his prisoner, whom it was his duty to keep for trial.
 Suddenly he said: "Listenl They are comingP'
 Gabriel nodded and said tranquilly: f"Don't you do anything ez will git ye into trouble on my account. But if ye do feel obligated, why, I'm with ye. I'm tharl You understand mel
 There was roar and rush at the door below. From the landing the two besieged men watched. They saw it yield bit by bit. Gabriel gathered all his strength and pushed the long. heavy court room table down the narrow stair way as a barrcade. As the door fell in- ward he dropped beneath the table and waited. The lynchers rushed upstairs.