The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-12
rAE sAERIFF o. ALoE.

its contempt of a town that presumed
to close it's saloons on Sunday and to
announce that lynchings would nc
longer be considered good form sent a
deputation consisting of Rawhide Pete
and half a dozen boys from the Bare
outfit to shoot out the new town lights.
Subsequently Pete averred that in his
opinion this pretended saintliness was
snare and delusion, invented for
the express purpose Of enticing Sage
brush citizens into ambuscades. Per
haps Petes skeptical view was due to
the length of time his shattered right
wrist remained in splints.
Nevertheless, that there was a spirit
of gentleness lowering over that me-
tropolis of the desert was eXemplified
when Gentleman Dan, having taken an
unreasonable quantity of red liquor
aboard, for no greater cause than that
he was called "a fea-bitten, saddle
CALLED burro," punctuated with "A
the cuticle of Snagtooth Sam in the
region of the left breast pocket. In
stead Of being strung up to the one
tree of the town-the boys afterwards
in a playful spirit taking snap shots
at the dangling form-Gentleman Dan
was arrested by Sheriff Wilson in
manner that the population of Aloe
was convinced would have reflected
credit on Boston itself-Gentleman
Dan being merely shot through the
left shoulder and then lodged COM
fortably in the County Jail.
In due course Gentleman Dan was
convicted of murder in the first degree
and told that he would hang on the
10th day of June
Never before had there been a legal
hanging in the county of Aloe, and
elaborate preparations were made to
accommodate the expected crowds
The Quirt & Spur" imported special
barrel from Louisville, while the
Cowboys Rest announced that on
the suspicious day a white chip, good
at the faro layout, would be given
away with every drink.
It was 10 o'clock on the 9th. The
town seemed utterly deserted or
asleep. The sun cleaned fiercely--
like copper dish pan, the Sheriff
thought, as he stood in front of the
postoffice waiting for the Rawliins
stage The innovations in Aloe had
even extended to a petition for par
don for Gentleman Dan, and it was
possible a reprieve might come by
the tri-weekly mail.
Sheriff Wilson pushed his SLOUGH hat
to the back of his head and mopped
his brow with red bandanna.
Presently a far-off, rhythmic beat
drew his attention, and an approach
ing cloud of dust on the sagebrush
plain told of the Rawlins stage. Ten
minutes later it drew up near where
the Sheriff Stood the lanky driver
tossed lean mail bag to the ground,
then called to a passenger whose head
! appeared from the inside of the
vehicle:
Reckon this is bout thar, lady"
An old lady, with a sweet face and.
white hair, climbed from the stage.
The driver cracked his bull whip, and
! the team started quickly for their
stable. The postmaster had secured
the mail bag and retreated to the
Isemi-coolness of the adobe postoffice.
The little old lady looked at the
Sheriff and smiled shyly. He blushed
and removed his hat while he wished
acutely for his coat. He also felt,
vaguely, that he would like to have on
a collar; there were only two women
in Aloe, the wife and daughter of the
proprietor of the Cowboys Rest"
and Wilson instictively felt that this
little old lady was different. She re-
minded him of his mother, who was
now sleeping back in old Virginia
"Lookin' fer anybody in particular,
marin? Expect somebody to meet
yer?" he asked.
The old lady smiled again. mo,
sub, l was not expectin' anybody to
meet me, but l am lookin for some
one. Perhaps yo could tell me whar
to find him, He is my son, and he has
a ranch somewhere near heah. I did
MT tell him I was comm, because he
never wanted me to come, he thought
the climate would be bad for me, but l
hadn't heard from him fer so long, and
he hadn't sent me no money to pay
my board fer two months, so I knew
he must be sick. I sold my rings that
had always kept to give him when l
was gone, and come. There amt
nothin the matter with him, is there,
suh-he amt hurt bad no way, is he,
Isuh?"
There was a pathetic appeal in the
sweet old voice, the courage that had
brough her so far was almost ex-