Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 295 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

en a om + ce & oe — —e--<-2-—- ——e eee eee ewe eee ee ‘It is a good enougb court for you, young feller,” replied the ruffian who presided, ‘“‘ and the jury is made of squar’ men, chose out of the citizens of Quartzville. You are charged with breakin’ the jail and runnin’ off a cattle- thief. What have you to say ag’inst it.” “Tf this is a lynch court, | suppose you have the business all cut and dried, and it would be useless for me tosay anything. But I have not broken any jail, and have not run off any cattle- thief,” ‘Let the witnesses come forrud!” One of the guards related how he and bis partner had been dosed with drugged liquor; but he said that it was Dan Gilligan who had done that trick, and admitted that he bad not seen the prisoner. There was evidence enough against Bert, however. The man who had acted as sentry at the jail door had retained his senses suffi- ciently to recognize the prisoner as one of the two who pounced upon him and bound and gagged him. A man who had been walking near the jail testified that he witnessed the scene at the door, and saw four men run away from the jail He at once gave the alarm, which was auswered by some mounted men who were coming down the street. Bert’s captors testified that they were of the party that pursued the four men, and that they caught the hindmost one of them, who was the prisoner. Arkansaw Pete then stepped forward, be- stowing upon the prisoner a look of triumphant malice, which Bert returned with a scornful glance. The King of Quartzville said that he was one of the pursuing party, and that he bad_ re- cognized the prisoner among the fugitives. He also knew him as a liar and a bad and danger- ous character. He proceeded to make a short speech, de- claring the necessity of making an example of somebody, for the purpose of terrifying the cattle-thieves, their aiders and abettors. At this the jury, some of whom knew quite as much about cattle-stealing as anybody, looked very solemn, if not very virtuous. ‘‘It is a clear case,” said the ruffian who oc- cupied Toler’s seat. ‘‘ The jury will settle it now inside of five minutes.” The jury retired into a corner, and Bert Otis stood up and looked around the room. In the front of the crowd he saw the young man who had spoken to Rip outside, and he thought that he recognized bim. A scarcely perceptible wink told him that he was right. Yes, it was Phil Henning. It was a consolation to Bert to know that one friend was near; but of what possible use could that friend be to bim? Phil would at least be able to report to his friends that he met his fate bravely. The jury retired to their place, and one of them stepped forward to report their finding. “The jury say that the prisoner is guilty, and must be hung right off!” CHAPTER XIV. A HANGING BEB, Tae verdict of the packed jury excited no surprise. The proceedings had been ordered by the supreme authority, and there was noth- ing for them to do but hang the prisoner, if they had felt inclined to do anything else. Bert was asked, as a matter of politeness, what he bad to say for himself, ‘Tt is late in the day to speak of that,” he replied, “since I have beea condemned witb- out a chance to say anything or defend myself. Wouldn’t it be better to hang me first, and then ask questions?’ ‘This ain’t no jokin’ matter, young feller,” said the Judge Lynch of the occasion. ‘‘If you have got any thing to say, spit it out.” ‘‘There is much that I might say, if there was any use in say it, But I see that neither law nor juetice is to be had here. If Fearless Phil. — oe ee eee me ™ ee any of the respectable citizens of Quarteville were present—” The speaker was interrupted by a howl of indignation from the mob, who rushed upon him, hustled him about severely, pinioned him, and dragged him into the street. There a procession was formed, headed by the man who had acted as judge, and the jury sur- rounded the prisoner, while the ‘ citizens at large ’ joined in and straggled along as they pleased. A rope bad been already prepared, and was carried conspicuously before the eyes of the victim, The business men of Quartzville kept withio doors, and had nothing to say. It would be well for them if the excitement of the hanging should not result in a general row and the gut- ting of some of their establishments. Phil Henning, who had ways of his own of ingratiating himseif with the rough element, mounted his horse and rode on with the rest, He was the only man in the crowd who was not afoot, Rip skirmished about the edges. The procession halted at the edge of a bluff about half a mile from the town, where a stout branch of a large tree extended over the road. It was a capital tree for hanging purposes, and had more than once been utilized in that way. The prisoner was stationed under the branch, with the rope around bis neck. He was pale, but his look was still proud and defiant. Bat it was a hard thing to die when he was full of youth and hope, and yet harder to meet such an ignominious death, at the hands of such a scoundrelly crew. He looked for Phil Henning. There stood Phil inthe front of the crowd, chewing a straw with an air of utter uncon- cern, A man was about to climb the tree with the end of the rope. “T say, boss,” remarked Phil, ‘‘s’posin’ we put the cuss on a hoss, and drive the hoss out from under him. That’s how we do it up Chuckaluck way, and it’s a mighty good me,” Phil bad made several friends in the crowd, and his appearance commended him to the rest, as he had ‘‘all the symptoms” of a hard ease. So his suggestion was received with favor. ‘‘Whar’s a hoss?’ inquired the late Judge Lynch. . pe “Take mine,” replied Phil ‘“Tll fetch him.” fle brought bis horse in through the crowd, and ranged him under the branch at the side of the prisoner. A large and handsome dog quietly followed him, but attracted little attention, owing to the interest that was taken in the preparations for the hanging. ‘“ Lift the cuss up,” said Phil, ‘‘and one of you take the rope up the tree.” “ Ain't you afeard your hoss’ll run away when he scoots out?” asked one, “] kin ketch bim. Never mind the hogs. Anythin’ to make the fun lively.” The prisoner was lifted on the horse, and a man began to climb the tree, Phil stood at the bridle, and it did not need his quick glance to assure Bert Otis that be meditated some desperate deed. Rip stood near, watching him attentively. ‘‘ Ist !” came sharply from between Phil’s closed teetb. Rip dashed at the crowd like a mad dog, snapping and biting in all directions, and scaltering them so that they tumbled over each other. As quick as’ thought Phil jerked the noose from Bert Otis’s ueck, stepped forward, and eut the cord that bound tbe prisoner’s hands with a sharp knife he had concealed in his sleeve. Almost at the same moment he drove the knife into the horse’s haunch, With a snort of pain and fright the animal dasbed away at the top of his speed. eee me os Oe ore ee eee ee + . — ce + ene ee eer ee ss Ore ee Phil burst through the thinnest part of the crowd, and leaped out over the bluff. | Fhe attack of the dog had so disconcerted the lyncbers that this sudden change of scene paralyzed them for the moment, . At first it was not easy to shoot the dog witbout hitting each other; but when they had scattered he was made a target of, and was quickly riddled with bullets. But Rip was not yet dead when bis master escaped, and Bert was swiftly passing out of range when rifles and pistols were brought to. bear vpon him. As soon as his arms were freed he had seized the bridle-rein, and he drove his heels, from which the spurs had not been removed, into the sides of the terrified animal, increasing his speed. i None of the hasty shots. that were fired struck the flying mark, and Bert was soon out of reach of his enemies, among whom there was not a horse for pursuit. Others of the lynchers turned their attention to Phil Henning, though his sudden action and bold leap caused them tv lose several valuable seconds of time. The bluff at that point was some thirty feet high, and atits base lay a piece of bottom land, covered with trees. Phil had not leaped blindly, or without due precaution. He bad looked over the edge of the bluff, fully considered his course, and set- tled on the exact locality where it would be safest to jump off. He alighted on the soft turf, springing asfhe touched it, and thus saving bimself from a fall, while at the same time he increased the dis- tance between himself and the lynchers, He then ran on at the best of his speed, choosing a course at right angles to the bluff, as that gave him the best chance to get, out of range of the rifles that were beginning to rain bullets about bim. Fortunately the bottom at that point was heavily timbered, and the fugitive dodged about among the trees, aiming to keep as many of them as possible between himself and bis foes, and giving them a poor opportunity to prove their skill as marksmen. : Every step he took added to his chances, and — in a very short time he felt himself safe from the bullets of those on the bluff. But a hasty glance backward had shown him a Dumber of men scrambling down the biuff, with the evident intention of following him on foot. With Bert Otis a!l was plain sailing. He was free, be knew his route, and be had a good horse uoder bim, while the enemies from whom he had escaped had none. He had nothing to do but to ride right on and rejoin the friends who were perhaps mourning bim as dead. Only one thing troubled him, but that was enough—what had become of Phil Henning? He had thought of that when the style of ee- cape planned by Phil was suddenly made plain to him; but he would have been powerless then to refuse the aid that was offered, or to stop his friend’s self-sacrificing effort. The work bad been done so quickly that he was off and away before he fully comprehended what had happened. But he hoped, and had reason to hope, that. the young guide, who had shown himself so daring, active and ready of resource, had left. a way open for his own escape. Bert was compelled to admit that he could not imagine what that way was, but in the hope that there was such a way he rode on at his leisure when he was convinced that he was beyond pursuit. | He was right in supposing that he was raourned ag dead by his friends in the cavern. None of them had any hope of seeing him alive again, with the exception of Mabel, who believed largely in the skill and courage and devotion of her friend Phil , The gloomy looks and despondent. tones of the others scarcely shook her confidence, and — she prevented David Darke from setting vut , —==Eom ‘S (E| ooye)