The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1909-08-11
CHAPTER xI.-continued.

Already there were great crowds in
the street, and as l made my way mad
ly toward the Jail, 1 was often i'm
peded. l shrieked, / screamed at the
people, and waved aloft my precious
paper, shouting: Pardon! Pardon!"
The cry was taken up. and swelled in
a great roar that came from a thou
sand friendly throats. As 1 galloped
along on the tinker's horse. through
the crowded streets, an awful unspeak-
able Thing doomed up before me. 1t
was the gibbet. and 1t was empty!
l felt the hot tears run down my
cheeks at this and some recollection of
the God that Overton had preached to
me caused me to utter an inarticulate
thanksgiving, But IL my tongue fal.
tered. my heart did not.
At last l pushed my way through
shouting crowds to the Jail. The peo-
pie parted. and l saw a black cart
drawn by a white horse. and Giles Yer
non, with pinioned hands. sitting in It,
by the side of the hangman. I noticed
as l did all the trifies of that dread
full time-that the jailer was ashy pale
and Giles was fresh-colored. l flung
myself off my horse, rushed toward
the cart. holding the paper above my
head. oh. the roaring and the shout
ing, / thrust 1t in Giles face; the
hangman, in a second, cut the thongs
that bound the prisoners hands. Giles
took the pardon and kissed it, and then
threw his arms around me and kissed
me, and smiled and waved his hat in
the air, while voices Numbered, men
shouting like demons, and women
screaming and weeping. And the next
thing l knew Daphne appeared, as II
dropped down from heaven, and
springing into the cart, clasped Giles;
and Lady Hawkshaw. a little slower
but yet quick. descended from the
coach, in which she and Daphne had
come, and embraced all of us; and
then the cheering seemed to rend the
skies.
In little while, the mood of the
crowd changed. They began to clamor
for the blood of Sir Thomas Vernon.
He was known to be away from home,
but, as II by preconcerted movement.
a dash was made for Vernon court,
which was but five miles away. The
military were called out. and the crowd
stopped; but not without a collision,
and several persons were badly In
jured, which did not tend toward bet
ter feeling for Sir Thomas.
For ourselves. I remained with Giles
until he was duly released by the Of
ficers of the law, while Daphne and
Lady Hawkshaw set off to meet Sir
Peter on the road. They met him.
five miles on and brought him back to
York in their coach. l shall never for
get the scene when they drove up to
the inn where Giles and I were al
ready, the crowd, however, not allow
ing him to remain indoors at all When
the coach hove to, the people, in their
delight, picked Sir Peter up and car
ried him bodily upstairs to an open
balcony and demanded speech. fol
lowed by Parliament! Parliament!
Our next member!" and SO on. Sir
Peter made a speech-the most won
derful ever Notwithstanding with one
hand on Giles shoulder. and the other
on mine, with Lady Hawkshaw and
Daphne in the background.
He began by roundly damning Sir
Thomas Vernon. land lady who shall
be nameleSS. NeVertneieSS, III spite
of some vagaries. the speech was full
of sound sense. and he promised the
people, II they gave him their SURFACES
for parliament he would do all in his
power for the abolition of the bar
barous law from which Giles Vernon
had suffered SO cruelty. He averred
that it was impossible for seaman
alone and unaided, to take care OF him
self on dry land, Jack ashore being a
helpless creature at best. and but for
Lady Hawkshaw he would probably
have been hanged himself long ago
This allusion to Lady Hawkshaw. who
fairly divided the honors with Giles
brought forth yells of delight from the
crowd. Her ladyship appeared and
bowed magnificently, and 1t was a reg
ular triumph for us all. from beginning
to end.
Next day, with Giles. we all started
for London, the happiest coach load oil
people in the three Kingdoms.