Parson Tom

Saddle Hoss Pete's record ia themining campa of tho San Juan district was aa unsavory as his crouching form was nnsightly and his hoarse voice disagreeable. Ho was a short, thick built man - if man he really was, tor he had more the appearaiice of a "ioy- wuo shuffled about and leered at you with a devilish grin which made you teel uneasy in his presence. His brain was quick, thoiigh bis pbysical movements wero slow, and he was strong as a beast. His record was that of tin horn gambler and all round thief. Added to this be bore the repatation of having been run out of Leadyillo for horsestealing, and having escaped frem Tombstone's ready made justice, charged witb a like ofïense. Thus he carne to the mining camp lying in a pretty basin under the shadow of old King Solomon, one of the grandest monntains of southern Colorado. Nine-tenths of the popuJation had departed before the first storm had come, as was the custom in new eamps in the early days before the railroads had broadened the trails 9nd 'opened the passes through the Rocky mountains. Ouly about 100 men and woinen remamed in camp that winter, and they had little else to do than amuse theniselves. They were law abiding and had little use for peace ofncers. So the town and county officials took their usual I cauon wun otaers wuo día iiot feel Jiko facing tüe rigid winter which was pre1 dicted. Saddle Hoss Pete did not goout vrith the majority. In faet, Pete seldom acted with the majority. He usually forrued a niinority - of one. Eut ha was uot disappointed at their leaying him. He thought he wonld be able to stand it for one season. But Paymaster Bill and. Big Frank, who seemed to be looked upor as guardians of the affairs of the camp, plainly told him that he must get out- that the penalty of liis return wonld besudden death. So Saddle Hoss Pete departed before the second storm had come - 'Whitheispobody bnew. Parson Torn had come to the camp in the previous spring and had made a good impression on his-own kind of people, though the present remaining population knew little of him and did not care whether he remained or not. None of thein were churchgoing people. But as the parson said he had no idea of i-ieaching nobody objected to hisstayin in camp. He gave as a reason for og that in case of death bis servio would beneedod. Beyond that he wonld not intrnde his officeá; The extreme length of the winter hac! led Paymaster Biil to inquiro into the parson 'a riuances, and learniug that there was a probability of his running short before his parishioners should return Bill proposed to the men in tbs camp that a pnrse be raised. His suggestion was acted npon, and i-ayiiiasier nm mmseir presentecl me hatful of money, accompanyingthepresentation with an appropriate extempore speech, in which he advised Parson Tom of the appreciation of the donors. Parson Tom declared he conld not accept the raone unless heshouïö havo an opportunity to earn it. "But we don 't none of us want ter die," objected Bfll, "jist ter give ye a chance ter earn the money. We'd rivther pay ye ter pray fer our contimied good health, jist as we drinka ter your good health w'eu we makes up tliat purse." Parson Torn lar.ghcd and said he had no desire í'or the demise of anj' one, bi?t rnerely wanted to give tbem some j turn for the tnoney. That night Parson Tom appearcd i i Big Franlrs saloon, where the entire male population was endéavorfng to break the baaL-, having cleaned up the j corner saloot: early in the evening. The appearanco of the parson created a flntter, and one or two 8uperstiii(is players lost everj' bet they inado for the balance of the deal. When the end of the deal had been reaehed, the parscn asked their atieution "for a few minutes. and mounting the platform which held ! the loökout chair he thanked thein kindly for their generous donation and said ir tney wou ld come to me httle schoolhouseon Sunday evening forabalf honr he would endeavor to entertain thcm ithout preaching a sermón. He deslared that he could not accept their money without earning it. The invitation was accepted, and tho parson wasasked to have a cigar, wbich he lighted, whilo the crowd drank '"to the health of Parson Tom." Ho bowed his aeknowledgments without further interruption of the gaaic. Opon entering hiscabin, Parson Toin stirred the fire, thinking of his visit, and aíter sitting by its warinth til! he had thawed himself he went to his trunk, which held his treasure, to look at the little hoard of gold and silver wbich these rongh men of the mountains had so kindly donated. It was not therel Perhaps in his j citement at bi good fortune he liad bidden it f'rorn hiinself and forgotten the niding place. But, no, it was not in the cabin! The parson m trouliled. He could not believe that any of the men who had been so kind tobim would begnilty of robbery. Año yet thé rnoney was gone. The long buckskin bag in which he kept bis ïnoney and wbich liore his naine worked in silken thread he found bchind the trunk. When he met Paymaster Bill on tho following morning, he mentioued his loss. Bill was astonished. He did uot ' believe that auy man in the cainp was meun enough to steal, "at any rate, not a parson 's money." The story of the loss of Parson Tora's iDoncy was tokl about the camp, and wbilo it was a mystery to soiue the inore irreverent smiled and said they gues.sed the parson was excitéd and that it wouííi torn up all rigbt in time. On Suüday.the san slione out bright and clear, and okl Kíing Solomon waa as gloriovw ;i sigbt as oné inight wish to see. llis Biblícal lüunesaJío va all bis reputed glcry ponld not bae ítimisbed a grander inspiration. But Parson Toin had promised i;ot to preach. Besides, he was not quite aure tbat the incredu. lity concerning tbe Ios3 of bis money hal ; entirely disappeared. So lio must ba i careful what ho sbowld say to tbem tbat . night. Every male person was promptly on hand that night at the Jittle schoolhouso, and thero was a sprinkle of the otbor sex - women who had not listened to a preachers voice since they were little girls. The hall' hour was devoted to réading 6tories which were responded to by hearty laqghtér and a few pathetic exclamations, When Pöïson Tora had finisbed and was about tosay good night, Paymaster Bill aróse and rpininded his companions that on the night tbe parson had called on them it had been proppsed that a fnnd be started townrd building a church. Then he added : "I don't reckon none of ye has qot a notion o' backin down ou thet tber' propersition. Ef ye has, let's hcar ifc." There was not a dissenting voic-e, thoogh the amoiuit of gold and silver dropped in tho parson 's pretty buckskin bag was not so large a3 it might have been had the parson not ' ' lost his fh-st winnin." The moon had dropped down behind the peak of King Solomon, leaving tho camp in darkness, while soft snow feil with that steady mcmotuny which indicates a heavier fall to come. Parson Tom had just opened thé door of his cabin to step in vhen a heavy hand was laid npon his throat and a hoaise voico demancíed: "Give me that money! Qnick!" Tha parson was by ïw mcans a cow He struggled with his aesailant, and together they feil into the cabin and rolJed out into the light cover of fresh snow which had fallen on the frozen crnat. Muttered curses" and a tighter grip upon bis throat met his resistance. "D - n thJ3 snow; if this job couM have been dons an hour earlier. I'd 'a' bin all right, " muttered tho voice as the form moved away in the darkness. That was the last the parson heard. The light snow feil straight frora the sky. Thero vas rio wind to öisturb its conrses. and the soft, fine flakes wéïe hardïy pler.tifnl enough to tarnish a bed i'or footprints. Parson Toni knew not how long hc bad lain there, and despite the wanner temperature iio was nnmb with when ha crawled Hito his cabin. Ee j was so coinpletely overeóme by tliu straggle with Bis assailant aiid the coW that he lay npon his bed in a sttipor far into the night. Whci; ho arcas, 't3 . , ■..■ ■,. ., : ing in great sheets like drH'ts fooni the gnlch above. He opened Ajc door umi looked out. He could see cothing brit the blinding storm and the darkness, which was scarcely snl'.dned by the ghastly whiteness of the snow." He dared not venture out. No man cauld live au hour in that terrible storm. Rebuilding the fire, the parson sat down and tried to think- tfriud to think where he bad beaid that voice before it demanded hia money. If he could only recall that, he would bo able to identiry the toan wlio had robbed him. Without that recollection his claim that he had been robbed the seeond timo v.-ould be only laughed at by the men who had been so generous in their gifts. But it wasiinpossible to recaïl it. though he knev he had heard itand remarked its peculiar tone. And there be sat through the long, black night, hoging against hope. It was broad noonday when he awoke, sitting by the dying embera on tho hearth. ïhe sim shone brighter tbaö it had sliono for weeks. lts hot r,ys i melted the sncnv on tho roofs of tbs ! houses, and the day was like a day in ;. Évd it broaght no joy to the i heart cf Parsou Tbm. ïhe habitués of Big Frank's saloon ! had hardly ai ttled themselves down te the pleasures or pastimes of the day i tbeir morning hour bcing tho noontime i - when they werestartled by ' like appearance of Parson ïom. Ia a ! trembling voice he told his story. "He playa it wel]," sneered Eig Frank. "ïhat's a purty good. ïnakenp I be've got on yer face. Ye'd oughter ; ye a performer, there'll be a chance fer ye when the variety show opens up I in ther spring." This speech was greeted with laughi ter by the crowd, and the poor parsou i was dnmb- but not deaf- with morti■ fication. Eow cou'ld he face these men j who disbeheved his voy first utterj anee? líe turned to go. "Bold on ther'!" cried Paymaster j Bil]. "This is twicet yer say yer bin ; robbed in this camp. Both times it : was our money as ye was robbed of - inoney 'at we give y e. Now ye've got ter prove it. fer we don 't 'low no man to accuse noiio o' us o' robbin him the second time 'thout he produces ther proof . ' ' , "Ther proofs w'at we wants!" shouted the crowd: Parson Tüia etood as still as death. He could not [;eak. "An ther's another tbing ye'vo got ter prove, " coi! tinued Bill as hesaw the parson wonld ïiot reply. " Ye've got ter prove thet ye didn't rob some other parties besides yerself. More's one cabin was burglarized lust night, an ef yë ain't ther bnrglar tben - prove it!" But Parson 'Torn could utter no sound, ! save a groan of angnii h. Conld he but recall that vuice! Brit, nol His mernory failed. There he stood as dumb as thongh he had been born without speech, while Paymaster Bi;] dcroanded that herove his innocence, and the crowd, led on by Big Frank, sneered at and reviled the . acousüd. During this trying ordeal for the parson, three men, selected by Big Frank, bad gone to tho parson's cabin, anc there, npon the floor, had tound a nugget of gold belonging to Big Frank. This they bronght and öouted in the face of the treinbling victim. Well ho know how it had come theie, but it was idJe to assert or protest. His worda - if he coukl have spoken - won ld have been to these infuriated men like the screech of a wild bird borne oii the wind in a howling storm. "Ye hev no proof o' yer innicenee," paid Paymaster Bill hotly, "an we hev this proof o' yer gnilt. Wat d'ye say nowV" Parson Tem saw that all hopo was lost, but with dying hope his speech returned, and he said with mach evident effoit: "GenUeuen, I see fao hopeofestablishing my innocence, but still maintain it. Tbat nugget of gold must have been dropped by the robber in our struggle in the cabin. íf i could rccall the voice, I should convince you. _It was none of you who did the deed, but one who has once lived here among you, though I camiot teil his name! He canuot live far away- perhaps at ono of the ïdlo mines or in some deaerted tunnel. He went toward the gnlch, for had he eome this way be would have had to cross my body as I lay there in ; Uie snow. lliat is all I havo to say. Do i with me as you mnst." It was useleas to search tbe gulch- the heavy siiow would not permit. And then these angry men had no doubt of the guilt of the parson. Only the production of the man he claimed had robbed him would dostroy their belief I in his gniit. The erowd grew angrier j as the minutes passed. I "The parson has lied," cooily re marked Big Frank, whoso faith in the preacher sort had never been étrong. ''He'san ungrateful robber,"' Paymaster Bill added. "Hang Inni!" yelled i man in the crowd. The excitement increased like the roarof the wind tliruugh the gulches in the coming oí' a storm. A minute more and the infnriated mob who, in the absence of a court, had teied, convicted and genteneed the accnsed was eager to esecute the sentence of deatii. Like wild men they flew to the upper end of the camp, draggirrg the parison with them. Convinced of his gnilt and maddeaed by thoughts of his ingratitade, no hand could stay them. Qnickly the preparations for tho execution were made. Two barrels, each ví ivuitii oujjpoitea an enci oí a uroan plank, placed under thé stout limb of a great tree, forined the scaffold. One end of tbe rape vaa fastened to the liintx theotherformed intoa oosound placed over the heacl and aróimd the beek af the trembüag parsoc. "Air ye ready?" cried the leader oi the mob to the two men who were stationed at theends of the plank ready to lift it out trom nnder the f eet of the doomed man. "Givo binj one more chanco to tel! who robbe.l him," denianded Paymaeter Bill; Standiug there upon that plank, with the death rope arourid his neck. Parson Tom's meiñory returned. The ugly face of his assailant, which he could not see the night before iri the darkness, was now plaínly visible, aud the crouched form of the robber appeared as plain as on the day he had sneaked out of camp at the command of these same men. The crowd waited almost I "Quickl" shoutcd Big Frank, who i was leader. "Saddle - Horse - Peto!" alniost shonted the parson. The erowd broke out ia jeers. "Oh, no!" theysaid; " that can 't be. j He was drove out, au he's not likely to show hi hcad any wheres roun this i camp. That won't do. Guessag'iu." i "Opceag'ia. Airyeready?"shouted Big Framk. "Yes," bame the calm but eterj mined voiecs of the two . len at the I ends of the plank. "Gïve hiiii time terpray," begged ' an nnwilling participant. "Pray, Üien!" shouted tho leader. i Parson l'om stood erect, witb. bovved head. Slovly and wlth rirniness be ] liíted hia voice. Sudddnly he faltered, tnrning his face toward the mountain. Hark! Look! The excited group of I men stood there riveted to tho ground. : The hands ei those who held tho plank I wère irozen as if in death's cintel. Tho tongue of him whoso word was law wás paralyzed. Tho sonrid v,-hi'..:h filíed their ears carried more terror to their soula thar the awfnl roar of battle, the { ing of tha mighty waters in a storm at sea and tho rumblicgcf en earthquake, all combined, conld have inspired. On, on it ca me, tearing f rom their roots great trees that had withstood the storms of generations; burlïng heavy branches, Jogs, timbera and rocks a i dred feet above the üeads of the frightened witnesses. Great clonds of sdow filled the air and hid froin view the sutrounding ruountains. Not a man in that group, all lmddled together like so rnany frightened animáis, but comprehended the situation in an instant. These men, srho were brave enough of heart to have fought with the inspiration of patriotism on the field of battle, or faced with tearless courage the ocean's wrath, or listened without the faintest dread to the earthquake's fear. ful rnmblÍDKB, stood trembling like little children in the face of a snowslide! Swift as a meteoi' it carne, and lite the burstingof a thunderbolt had epont its wrath, and its dreadful harvest lay scattered far and wide, like dead and wounded soldiera on a battlefield. And when the sky had cleared tbere lay, at the fe"et of them who held a li'.'e within their grasp, a dead and frozeu hunnm forrn. Tight against the breaet the clptched and stifïened fingers of the dead held iho buckskin bag of money - the evidt nee of Parson Tom -s innocence The crowd fel] back aghast. it was Saddle Hoss Pete! - Lewis H. ' Eddy in San Franoiseo Argonaut.