Courier Democrat., 1916-12-28

1nere IL no pOSSlOll1ty or mis-
take
What will you do with me?'
'Your sentence is DEATH" told him.
For single instant his dark face
lit up.
You think SO?" he flashed.
Hurry" urged one OF my compan-
ions.
With one man OH either side and an
other behind revolvers drawn, we
marched our prisoner In double quick
time past the rear Of the stores and
| saloons to the agreed rendezvous.
There we found Danny Randall and
his committee with Morton Within
the next few moments. in rapid sue
cession, appeared the others with Scar
face Charley, Crawford and Jules.
The camp was already buzzing With
excitement. Men poured out from the
buildings into the streets like disturb
ed ants. Danny thrust his prisoners
into the interior Of the cabin and drew
us up in two lines outside. He i'm
pressed on us that we must keep the
military formation and that we We're
TO allow no one to approach. Across
the road about twenty yards away he
himself laid Il rope
That's the dead line" he announced.
Now, you keep the other side
In no time Il mob of 800 men had
gathered They surged restlessly to
and fro. The flash OF weapons was
everywhere to be seen. Cries rent the
air-demands, threats, oaths and in
suits so numerous and so virulent that
| must confess my heart failed me.
AT any instant | expected the mob to
open fire. They could have swept us
away With Il single volley. To my OK
cited imagination every man of that
multitude looked rutfian. We seem
cd alone against the community. I
could not understand why they did
not rush us and have it over with. Yet
they hcsitatcd. The fact of the mat
ter is that the dcSperadoes had no CO.
hesion, no leaders. and they knew
what none of us knew-namciy. that
a good many of that crowd must be
on our side The roar and turmoil
and heat of discussion. argument and
threat rose and fell. In one of the
lulls an Irish voice yellcd
Hang them
The words We're greeted by sullen
asserting roar. Five hundred hands,
each armed. We're held aloft This
unanimity produced an instant silence.
Hang who?" Il truculcnt voice eX-
pressed the universal uncertainty.
Hang the road agents. yelled back
the little Irishman detiantly.
Bully for you, Irish. That took
nerve.' muttereu Johnny at my elbow.
Fifty threats were hurled at the bold
speaker, and the click of gunlocks pre-
coded Il surge in his direction. Then
formidable muttcring Of warning. No
individual voice could be distinguish
ed, but the total effect OF dead resist
ancc and determination could not be
mistaken. Instantly at the words so
vuliantly uttered the spirit Of cohesion
had been born, the desperadoes check
ed in surprise. We had friends. How
lllull VI uo" SlIouS l!o oilc Soulu
guess, but they were there, and in case
Of a battle they would fight.
On our side the line was q dead,
grim silence. We stood, our weapons
ready, rigidly at attention. Occasion
ally one or the other of us muttered q
warning against those who showed
symptoms of desiring to interfere.
In the meantime three of our num-
ber had been proceeding methodically
with the construction of Il gallows.
This was made by thrusting five small
pine butts, about forty feet long, over
Il cross beam in the gable Of the cabin
and against the roof inside. Large
dry goods boxes were placed beneath
for the trap.
About this time Danny Randall. who
had been experimenting the construc-
ton, touched me on the shoulder.
Fall back" he said quietly. "Now,"
he instructed several Of us after we
had obeych this command, II want
you TO bring ont the prisoners and
hold them in plain view. In case of
rescue or attempted escape shoot them
instantly Don't hesitate"
81 should think they would be safer
inside the cabin l suggested.
"Sure," agreed Danny, "but l want
them here for the moral effect"
We entered the cabin. The five pris-
oners were standing or sitting. Scar
face Charley was alternately BIAS
pheming violently, upbraiding his COM
panions, cursng his own luck and ut
tering frightful threats against every
body who had anything to do with
| this. Crawford was watching him
contemptuously and every once in
awhile advising him to ''shut up"
Jules was alternately cursing and cry
ing Morton sat at one side quite calm
and very alert. Catln stared at the
floor
With revolverS drawn we marched
them outside \ wild yell greeted
their appearance. The cries were now
mixed in sentiment. A hundred voices
raised in opposition We're cried down
I