Year: 1873

s'and 1 want yer to keep it till to-
morrow. Pm a little too drunk ter
take it along with me. and thar might
be somebody as would foller me for
it"


Jack slipped tho 80 in his coat,
and both returned to the bar-room.
Soon afterward the party broke up
and departed. Towhead's way led
him solitary walk of amile or more ;
and as he his left companions, the
form of a man skulked after him in
the shadow. Thus followed, Tow
head staggered along until his path
led him through deep narrow gully,
which had been dubbed the Devil s
Glen. Then and there his follower
steathily advanced from behind, and
killed him with a murderous dirk
stab. A hasty search of the victim 5
pockets convinced the murderer that
the prize for which he had committed
the villainous deed, was not there.
Then the cowardice of the man
showed itself. a storm had been
coming up, and now, as it burst forth
in thunder, lightning and food, he
shiyered. With blood on his hands,
and with horror in his eyes, and with
the dreadful mark of Cain branded
indelibly on his brow, the wretched
man fed. clutching his breast with
pale, talon-like fingers. as if to tear
hence his cowardice.


On he went, flying over rocks and
chasm and uprooted trees-on, on,
still on unable to stop, until he sank
exhausted beneath huge pile of
rocks. The storm was wildly, mad
ly cannonading against the rocks, as
if it would tear it's way to where he
lay. and boldly aengulf him; but he
heard nothing but an imaginary un-
earthly cry of "AIurder !''-saw moth
ing but the cold, still face and life
less form of his victim.


Towhead had not been murdered
fifteen minutes before his body was
discovered by a party of miners re-
turning from some midnight carouse.
They carried it back to Jack Jeptha's
shanty, amid threats of vengeance
upon the murderer. Arrived there,
they laid the body on the floor, while
one of the party went behind the
bar to help Jack fix up hurried
dram. in the vain hope of reviying
the murdered man. His eyes fell
upon the bag of dust, with Towhead' $
mark upon its side.


What's this - he said, holding it
up.


That's Towhead's p replied sew
eral.


"How did it come here:' asked
others.


Jack Jeptha turned pale as he
realized the predicament in which
he was placed. lie gave the true
version of the affair, but they would
not believe it. They were anxious
to fix the guilt on some one, to hang
somebody, for Towhead had been
greatly popular among them. Sew
eral remained as guard over Jack
while others went out to collect the
miners for the immediate holding of
trial. Judge Lynch allows no de-
lay, and there was every prospect
of hanging In the morning.


Mollie Jeptha come into the room
upon the arrival of the corpse. and
her eyes had closely watched jack s
face. But she believed his version
of the story. 72a


"Jack," she whispered. Il believe
you p and then added aloud: Il
believe know who did this. There
was a stranger here among the rest
drinking last night, and more than
once | saw him look at Towhead' s
bag"


But the rough and unreasoning
crowd wouId not listen.


Jack" she again whispered to
the prisoner, ''keep up your courage,
old partner, and I'll get you out of
it yet


NO. said Jack, doggedly, II
didn't do it, and won't run. Let
them hang me if they want to-


81 don't want you to run, Jack"
she said; "rm going after that fell
low myself. Good bye. Jack keep
up your courage"


Mollie kissed him, armed herself
with a pair of revolvers. and slipped
out unnoticed. Taking the path
that Towhead had followed, and
speeding along with all her strength,
she soon come to the blood-marked
spot of the murderer.


''Of course he ran away" she
thought; ''and likely he took the
path


On she went through the storm,
which still ragged with such binding
fury as to render it difficult to keep
the path. On she went, mile after
mile, until the rapid gait began to
tell upon her strength. and she