Year: 1879

long time ffullltkS III iefTetlhR pub tho
miscreants engaged in this thieving pur-
suit and valuable horses were time and
again stolen in tpite Of the most vigilant
e1ertions and care.


Pending such condition Of affairs,
public Indignation was aroused and a
general and generous effort was made to
defect the guilty persons and extirpate the
foul evil from the community. Citizens
convened, talked over the matter, and
finally resolved to organize body OF
Rangers, whose duty it was to put full
stop to further dep, edation. against hon
est rights by administering summary
justice to the horse thieves as soon as they
could be detected.


Shortly after the Rangers began their
wise scru tiny, word came to their leader
that valuable horse, then but recently
stolen, could be found on the premises Of
person calling himself Burt, secured in
his stable. This man had always been
looked upon as upright and honest the
captain, however, considered the line ef
his duty-went and took a view of the
premises, and finally decided to shirk no
responsibility in the matter but sturdily
test the truth or falsity of the report.


Some half dozen OF the faithful Rang
ers were duly summoned to join the cap
tain and, at very early hour one
morning the coterie were collected at n
designated locality near to the abode of
Burt. With the dawn of the day came
the Rangers, charged with terrible mis-
sion TO outlaws and, before the sun had
fully revealed the morning light, the
Rangers, had encompsssed the suspected
mans dwelling. Ingress and egress ful
ly under guard, the captain, with two or
three attendants. made his way to the
stable and forced open the door-and 10 !!
the missing horse was found as stated =,
securely stabbed inside.


Doubt now vanished and certainty was
palpsbie as to guilt and with firm will
TO make an example of the thief so rs to
deter other mscreants from sim liar deeds,
the Rangers returned to the house. BY
this time Burt had arisen. and, as he
emerged from The door, was well pinion
ed by those in waiting. Upon demand
ing the cause for his arrest, be was told
that a stolen animal was found in his
stable, and he was answerable as the thief.
Muttering something about he knew
'twould come to this at last passively
yielded TO the DEGREES Of those who had
detected and captured him.


A short consultation followed, when it
was duly resolved to hang the criminal
up on large elm tree that stood in front
Of bis bDuse-sueh an act being considers
ed necessary to punish so 6pgrant a crime
as the one he had committed and to
spread dismay and terror among all who
might have, ike him, entered the ranks
Of those who are horse e-thieves.


Burt solemnly asked half an hour to
prepare for death. The sun, meanwhile
arose in all its grandeur. and the fatal
moment would speed ily came to launch
the doomed man TO that distant bourne
whence no horse thief returns. In vain
did Burt's gray headed father and moth
er plead for their sons life with tremb-
ling tongues-the old lady tottering forth
from the house and kneeling in beseech
ing mood to her sons relentless captors.
In vain knelt the wife OF his bosom in
tears Of agony, and entreated them as
husbands to spare Burt's life for each
Ranger had suffered more or less in per
son, from the mischieveus depredations
they were bent on dssipating, and an ex
gressors.


The dreadful preparations were pro-
gressng-the half hour was nearly up
and the criminal must die. The horse
thief was placed under the limb of the
elm over which rope was thrown, one
end being noosed around Burt's neck,
and the other held by three of the Rang
ers.


Now follows a moment OF solemn ST.
lence that awful silence which precede
the launching of fellow creature into
eternity while the three strong men who
hold the ropes end gazed fxedly upon
the captain for the signal. 1t was to be
given by raising the right arm and al
ready the moose is tightening around the
doomed mans throat, when the wife of
Burt again emerges from the house hold
ing an inlant,a little more than a year
old, in her arms.


Rushing forward. she ia lis on her knee.
Immediately fronting the captain, and,
raising the child with arms eutstretched
towards him. she exclaims in tones that
J. would pierce heart of steel!-


" 1t you will not spare him for the sake
of his gray haired sire, or the wife Of his
bosom, spare him, in the name Of God


for the sake Of his infant boy i"


Another dead silence reigns like a pal
over the scene then, as though inspired
by heaven itself, the child stretches ou
its arms towards its father, and exclaims
in voice heard by all, the single word
! rather ~


The muscles of the captains face quiv
cred in every fibre, and the Rangers hold
ing the rope, slowly relax the pressure
around Burt's mock, when the infan
again utters in distinct tones


Father Father =


And then, as though despairing o
success, huddles into its mother's bosom
and bursts into sobbing cry.


Such appeals as these were more thar
the Rangers could contend against and
after brief conference. the rope wa,
taken from the crjninal,s neck. and In.