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ISSUED SENI'WEEKLT.
t. x ohist's 80H8, Pnbii.her.. t % JUtnspger: jfor <ht promotion of >ht political, Social, glgricaltaral, and Commttcial gnttrMti of <ht fltoplt. {TgBMM?oS0c0opT!r*4'c?^.A"ct'
ESTABLISHED 1855. YORKVILLE. 8. O., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1904. frTO. 89.
^ little
A ROMANCE OF TH
GREAT LORD HAWKE"
i
CYRUS Towr^
Mb Author of "Commodore Paul Jooea,'
of the J
Copjiiftat, 1801, by D. A]
CHAPTER XII.
THE SAILOR AND THE MOB.
. *- IEUT. DENIS DE VITRE
had been in peril of his life
many times during his short
but exciting career, but he
had never come so near death as with*
in the past few months. Indeed, His
Grim Majesty, the King of Terrors,
I : 1 I HS9ES I
THE MAN ON THE STEP.
had stared the young officer full In
the face and his cold hand had teen
fairly clasped around his throat It
would have gone hard with him but
for the timely interference of a friend.
. De Vitre was a hardy, bold young
man, who loved fighting as he loved
sunlight, on account, perhaps, of the
Irish touch in his nature from a faroff
strain of the Emerald Isle on
the distaff side. One of the higher
Canadian noblesse, whose family was
of first importance in New Fraice,
nwnintr wide Dossessions and high in
favor in the governor's court, he bad
received a commission in the navy of
France. While in command of the
boats of a scouting expedition in the
lower St Lawrence he had been captured
by Admiral Durell's squadron.
When the fleet of Vice Adn iral
Saunders entered the river and started
upon that toilsome and dangerous ascent
to Quebec the vice admiral had
required his captives, of whom de
Vitre was chief, to pilot the great ships
up the uncertain river. The ycung
officer, lor one, had peremptorily refused
to do this, and neither threat
nor appeal had induced him to recede
from his position.
The process of intimidation had indeed
been carried so far as to cause
Monsieur de Vitre to be mounted upon
the rail of a ship with a rope around
his neck, the other end of which was
rove through a block at the top sail
yard-arm. Had it not been for the
friend mentioned he would have heen
hanged for his contumacy, and to dis
courage?or encourage?the other pilots,
m4n of less rank and station, who
showed a disposition to emulate his
refusal.
uvnm thta difficult?and. for a man
of birth and station, unpleasant?position
the Frenchman had been rescued
by the intercessions of the young captain
of the ship, a brave man, who
loved courage and resolution even in
his enemies. As his intercession was
seconded by the influence of Gen.
Wolfe, to whose request Admiral
Saunders graciously deferred, it was
efficacious in releasing Monsieur de
Vltre from his appalling and unpleasant
predicament
Other men were found with less exalted
views of their duty to their country
who could be persuaded by the
means which failed so signally in the
case of de Vitre, and the ships were accordingly
piloted up the river. Meanwhile,
his quality having been demonstrated
by his heroism, de Vitre was
held a close prisoner in the fleet. . He
had refused to give his parole, and accordingly
had been closely confined,
and was carefully guarded.
A winning tongue, a little money,
and specious promises of ultimate reward
had made a friend for him
among his guards, and the suborned
soldier had at last found means to
supply' him with a British unu- ?
In the hurry and confusion of the de
barkation of the soldiery for the attempt
on ihe Plains of Abraham, do
Vitre had succeeded in joining himself
to one of the landing parties without
attracting attention. The captain of
the Sutherland, on which he had been
held prisoner, was surprised the next
morning to find the sentry bound and
gagged?by his own collusion, of
course, though that was unknown?in
de Vitre's room and his prisoner gone.
However, there was so much business
of moment on hand the day of
the battle that no search was made
for him; indeed, none could be made,
and the certain fall of Quebec, which
everybody realized must take place
when the news of the victory was
brought to the fleet rendered his pursuit
useless. It was too late for even
a man of his courage to effect anything
of importance then. His knowledge
of British affairs would be of no service
now.
In the natural course of events, too,
de Vitre would fall into the hands of
the English again in a few days.
Meanwhile, as he was a pleasant fellow,
agreeable and debonair, his captors
were rather glad that he had the privi
FRANCE G
E DAYS WHEN "THE
WAS KING OF THE SEA
I SEND BRADY 1
"Ri-uben Jame?," "For the Freedom
iet," etc.
J
pplet. in * Co., New York.
lege of a few hours of liberty, especially
as It was known that the Inspiration
ot his escape was the most beautiful
woman In New France.
De Vltre had met with no opportunity
of escaping from the English lines
until the battle was joined. He had
been compelled by the exigencies of the
situation to point his gun at his own
countrymen, and though he took care
It was not loaded with ball, the mere
motion gave him exquisite anguish.
T? "'-n ?nH r>nnfiiHinn of the
Ill LUC oujunv uuu ?
baitlcfleld, however, he at last found
occasion to mingle with the retreating
French. In the panic terror of their
rereat no one In the crowding, pushing
mob paid any attention to him,
an I he gained the city with the rest of
th? fugitives through the St. Louis
ga e. Forcing his way through the
multitude he ran rapidly down the
street toward the place where dwelt
the object of his adoration. He found
her in the doorway of her house,
beudlng over the prostrate form of a
small man in the blue and white uniform
of the British navy.
'Mademoiselle de Rohan!" he cried
in great surprise, stopping short at the
sight. "What is the meaning of this?"
The young woman looked up as he
called her name, rose to her feet as she
recognized him, and with an expression
of withering scorn and contempt deliberately
turned her back upon him.
For the moment the stranger was forgotten.
De Vltre gasped and turned
pale with astonishment.
"Mademoiselle de Rohan!" he cried
again, "do you not know me?'
"I know no one," she answered, halftyrnlng
toward him with the contempt
deepening upon her beautiful features
"who. l>orn In France, wears that uniform,
which even you disgrace!"
"Disgrace, mademoiselle!" he cried,
straightening himself up, bis face
flushing. " What mean you? Oh, this
?why?I "
"By God!" exclaimed a course, rough
voice at his side, "it's dc Vilre!"
The young FiencLmau faced about
and saw bimseii conirontcd by a
grenadier of the regiment La Sarre,
who had stopped and was looking
menacingly at him. He was followed
by three regular soldiers from the various
regiments and a sailor from
Vauquelin's squadron.
"De Vitre, the traitor!" cried another.
"He who piloted the English ships
up the river!" exclaimed the sailor.
"The man who betrayed New
^ aiice!" shouted a third.
The fleeing soldiery stopped and with
s veral gathered about the little group
in the doorway.
"Well, we are beaten now," remarked
the soldier who had first spoken, who
held the rank of a sergeant, "but 1
g less we can hold the town long
enough lo hang you, monsieur. I saw
you in the English ranks when they
charged upon us?curse them! And
you brought up the ships "
"It's a lie, a dastardly lie!" cried de
Vitre desperately. "I "
"What are you doing with that English
uniform on?" asked another, amid
murmurs of Indignation from the
crowd, for the street was now blocked
with people.
De Vitre, seeing the hopelessness of
his situation, backed up against the
wall and instinctively felt for his
sword. Unfortunately for him he was
wearing a private soldier's uniform,
and he had thrown away bis gun in
that mad rush for the St Louis gate.
He was alone, unarmed and helpless
before the mob.
"It's a fearful mistake!" he shouted.
"My friends, I am innocent! I can explain!
Hear me!"
His voice was drowned In yells and
execrations. The soldiers and people
had been so harried and wrought upon
by the defeat of the morning that a
sinister desire for revenge on some
cae was added to the fickle yet malevolent
passions so easily awakened in
the Gallic mob. They wanted a scapegoat,
and here was one to hand.
"Mademoiselle," cried the unhappy
Frenchman, drawing himself up and
turning to the girl, who stood spellbound
before the appalling display .of
the fury and passion of the people, "I
swear to you upon my honor that
1 am innocent! Vive la nouvelle
France! Say that you believe me before
1 am taken! On my soul I believe
this rabble intends to kill me!"
Anne de Rohan hesitated. Honesty
rang in the young man's voice, honor
I looked out of his eyes?and love too?
>et things looked suspicious.
"Well, will you come with us peaceably,
or " interrupted the sergeant,
with a grim and menacing gesture.
"One moment, my friend," cried the
young man lightly, having recovered
, his coolness and having discovered the
folly of expostulation,
j He looked appealingly at the young
. woman.
"I believe you," said Anne de RoI
Knn LMwl/lonlv nvtonrUnc hop hflnH tn
U??i, ouuuviti; vavvuu?w0 ?~ ?
him. "Messeiurs," she cried, turning
to the crowd, "Monsieur de Vitre gives
me his word of honor that "
"Oh, bah!" exclaimed the sergeant,
I "the honor of a traitor to the woman
he loves!"
"Let us kill him where he stands!"
shouted one.
"To the lantern with him!" roared
another.
"No, my brave friends," said the
sergeant coolly, "order if you please.
He goes_tQ the governor. Come, mon
sieur. Fall back, gentlemen, and give
way. A mol, mes camarades."
"Mademoiselle," said de Vltre hurriedly,
as the soldiers surrounded him
and prepared to force a way through
the crowd, "I can now face anything
with a light heart. You believe in me.
Take care of that gentleman yonder,
he is a friend of mine."
As he spoke, the soldiers seized him
by the arm and hustled him down the
street toward the Chateau St Louis,
the residence of the governor, where
de Ramesay sat in hurried consultation
with the officers over the defense
of the stricken town. The crowd,
after a few curious glances, followed
the soldiers and left the prostrate En
glishman alone on the doorstep.
The young woman turned again to
the man on the step. He was wounded,
I perhaps dying. The bullet which
I struck him In the back had passed
completely through his shoulder, and
his shirt was stained with blood.
There was a deep cut through the
sleeve of his coat also, and his arm
lay in a little pool of the same deadly
fluid. His face was covered with blood
from a slight wound on his forehead,
and earth-stained as well from the
muddy unpaved street where he had
fallen. He was a hideous spectacle.
Yet, though a foeman, he was wounded
and helpless.
She knelt beside him, and seeing
at a glance that the wound In bis face
was superficial, with not unskillful
fingers she rapidly opened his waistcoat
and tore open his shirt Yes,
there was the dangerous wound. Blood
was still oozing from it She had assisted
the good sisters in nursing the
sick and wounded during the siege,
and the gruesome sight was not unfamiliar
to her. The wound must be attended
to at once. Raising her voice,
she called through the little hallway:
"Josette! Jean-Renaud, hither!"
Immediately a buxom young woman
made her appearance at the door In
obedience to her mistress' call.
"Water, quick, Josette, and get JeanRenaud!
Here is a gentleman wounded,
a friend of Monsieur de Vitre."
"Jean-Renaud is not in the house,
mademoiselle. He went to the St
Louis Gate to?"
"I am here," exclaimed a deep, rough
voice, as a burly old man wearing the
livery of the de Rohans came around
the corner. "We have lost the battle.
Monsieur de Montcalm is mortally
wminrieri as is Monsieur de Senezer
gues. and Monsieur de St. Ours is
killed."
"Peace, Jean-Renaud. I will hear
your news in a moment. Meanwhile
carry this gentleman to my chamber."
Jean Renaud stooped down and
lifted up the slight form of the stranger,
who lay in his arms as if he had
been a boy. He carried him upstairs
and deposited him upon a great bed
in a low-ceiled chamber lighted by a
dormer window. While his mistress,
with the assistance of Josette, busied
herself below in preparing such homely
medicaments as their experience
could devise, Jean-Renaud removed
the clothes from Grafton and put him
rdgularly in bed. Then he examined
his wounds with the skill of an old
campaigner.
Presently mademoiselle, followed by
the maid, entered the room. With her
own hands she assisted in washing
the wounds and putting on some temporary
bandages. As she did so she
did not fail to note around the neck
of the young Englishman a little chain
of gold from which was suspended a
leather case, evidently containing a
locket
"Shall I take this off also?" asked
Jean-Renaud, lifting the chain, as they
passed the bandages.
"No, leave it there. 'Tis probably
the picture of one he loves. Will he
live, think you, Jean-Renaud?"
"I know not, mademoiselle. Tis
a rough wound, and he has lost much
blood."
"A pity. But let us hope," murmured
the girl thoughtfully.
The place where the bed stood was
far from the window and in a subdued
light, so she had not yet had a
fair view of the face of the wounded
man. Indeed, they had been so busy
that they did not have time to wash
his face, hence she had not recognized
him.
"It were best to go for the surI
geon, mademoiselle," remarked Jo|
sette, gazing at the Englishman with
sympathetic interest, as Jean-Renaud
tied the last bandage about the cut
in bis arm.
"A good suggestion. Go you, JeanRenaud;
and Josette. lock the streetdoor
and see that things are looked
after downstairs. 'Tis like to be a day
of trouble. The soldiers are filling the
street, and we had a sample of their
temper but a moment since. Beg Dr.
Arnoux to come quickly, Jean Renaud,
and hasten yourself, for when you return
you must accompany me to the
governor In behalf of Monsieur de
Vltre. Hand me that basin, Josette,
and the cloth. I will wash this blood
and earth from the face of the poor
man."
to be continued.
Hissss When He Kills.?"The Filipino."
said a young Philadelphian
whose term of service In the army has
expired and who Is glad to get back
home, "is a curious mixture of the
human being and the reptile. I think,
however, that the reptile predominates.
The Filipino can crawl noiselessly
on his stomach, just as a snake
can, and most of the human attributes
are lacking In his makeup. But
the thing that Impressed me most was
the snakelike hiss that he Invariably
emits before he strikes. This seems
to be just as instinctive with him as
it Is with a snake. There Is a sharp,
indrawn breath that comes as a warning
and gives a man a second's time
to drop flat or throw up an arm if the
antagonist is within strllking distance
with a knife. That hiss, is not
restricted to the Filipinos. I am told
that it is characteristic of all Orientals.?Philadelphia
Record.
Sttisffllancous Reading.
NOTABLE FLA8HE8 OF WIT.
Some Sayings at Which Whole Countries
Have Laughed.
The striking of mind upon mind in
a duel of words leads to brilliant
flashes of wit, comparable to the
sparks struck from the flint by the
gleaming steel. . Many such scintillations
of witty reply or sharp, sudden
retort are imbedded in literature,
where nevertheless, they retain much
of that unstudied grace and conversational
form which smack of their origin.
Here are some clever replies and
retorts that history says are accurate:
Cicero, the great Roman orator, had
a raartv wit. TTnnn nna nr>r>anlnn at a
? ? - w ? ? - dinner,
the host offered Cicero some
inferior Falernlan wine, saying, "It
Is 40 years old." To wjhlch Cicero replied,
"It bears Its age well."
The French are famous for their
leux d'esprlt.t "I was mounted on the
very smallest mule In the world," said
Bassompiere, French ambassador to
Spain, as he described his entry Into
Madrid. "Ah!" exclaimed his auditor.
Henry IV, "what an amusing sight, to
see the biggest ass mounted on the
smallest mule!" "I was Your Majesty's
representative," was the sharp reJoinder.
To Frenchmen of a later period belong
these spirited bits of repartee.
An advocate greeted Voltaire with
high-sounding flattery: "I salute,
thee, oh light of the world!" The famous
writer replied, "Madame Denis,
bring' the snuffers." Talleyrand, the
far-sighted minister of Napoleon, was
asked by a man who squinted: "How
are things going in the political
world?" The diplomat answered:
"As you see!"
In the time of Charles II In England,
In an age of wits, the grand master of
the art of retdrt was the crippled first
Earl of Shaftesbury. "Shaftesbury,"
?ald the king fto him one day: "I believe
that thou art the wickedest dog
In all my dominions." "Of a subject.
Sire, I believe I am," was the reply.
While speaking against the test bill
In the House of Lords the Earl overheard
an Indolent churchman say, "I
wonder when he will have done
preaching." The orator whispered loud
enough to be heard by all, "When I
am made a bishop, my Lord."
Dr. Garth, a witty jphyslclan of the
court of Queen Anne, had prescribed a
nauseous dose for the great warrior,
Duke of Marlborough. When the duke
objected to following the directions
'he sharp-tongued Duchess Sarah
broke in by saying; nrll be hanged If
It does not cure you." "There, my
Lord," Interposed Garth, "you had better
swallow It; you will gain either
way."
The frequent collisions of lawyers In
the courtroom sharpen their wits, so
that many of the best examples of repartee
come from the gentlemen of
wig and gown. Lord Mansfield, the
famous English judge of the second
half of the eighteenth century, listened
to an argument of the Insolently proud
Sir Fletcher Norton, upon a case Involving
certain manorial rights. "V
Lord," said Norton, "I can Instance the
point In person. Now, I have myself
two little manors." "We are well
aware of that," said the judge, smiling
kindly.
"Do you see anything ridiculous In
my wig?" said a Judge to the famous
Irish barrister, John Curran. "Nothing
but the head," flew back the retort.
une iaie tinier justice rtusseu was
hearing a trial for bigamy. "What's
the extreme penalty for bigamy?"
whispered a barrister. "Two mothersin-law,"
said Russell.
Samuel Foote was one of the readiest
English wits of the eighteen
century. A physician of Bath told him
that he had a mind to publish his own
poems, but he had so many Irons in
the fire he did not know well what to
do. "Then take my advice, doctor,"
said Foote, "and put your poems where
your irons are."
"Being at the dinner table one day
when the wine was poured out In very
small glasses, Foote listened to the
host's profusion of remarks concerning
the excellence of the wine, its age,
etc. "But you don't seem to relish it,
Foote," said the host, "by keeping your
glass so long before you." "Oh, yes,
my lord, perfectly well. I am only admiring
how little it is, considering its
great age."
Foote and the great actor, David
Garrlck, were supping together, when
Foote, in pulling out his purse to pay
the reckoning, dropped a guinea und
could not find it again. "Where the
deuce," says Foote, "can it be gone
to?" "Gone to the devil, I suppose,"
says Garrlck. "Well, said David;
you are always what took you for,
ever contriving to make a guinea go
further than any other man."
Returning from dinner with a lord
of the admiralty, Foote was asked by
a friend what sort of a time he had
had. "Very indifferent, indeed," he
said. "Bad company and a worse dinner."
"I wonder at that," said the
friend, "as I thought the admiral a
good, Jolly fellow." "Why, as to that,
he may be a good sea lord, but take It
from me, he is a very bad landlord."
Although the profession of the law
seems to be especially conducive to
skill in fencing with words, the church
has supplied a large quota of men who
delighted in the give-and-take of verbal
warfare. The venerable Dr. Thomas
Fuller, author of "The Worthies of
England," however, met his match once
when he propounded the following
question to a certain Dr. Sparrowhawk:
"Pray, what is the difference
between a sparrowhawk and an owl?"
"Why," came the response, "there is a
great difference. An owl is fuller in
the head, fuller in the body, and fuller
all over."
The eloquent Baptist divine, Robert
Hall, had a caustic wit. A flippant
young: woman, having broken into hlB
reveries, in allusion to his fiancee,
Miss Steel, by saying, "Ah, sir, if we
had but polished steel here we might
secure some of your attention; but?
"Madam," he replied, "make yourself
quite easy; if you are not polished
steel, you are at least polished brass."
On another occasion a member of
his congregation, a capricious old man,
complained that Dr. Hall had not visited
him, saying, "I've been very 111;
I've been at death's door, Mr. Hall."
"Why didn't you step In?" was the
mordant reply.
"What are you going to do In life?"
asked Cardinal Manning of a pert under-graduate
at Oxford. "Oh, I'm going
to take holy orders," was the airy
response. "Take care you get them,
my son," cajne from the prelate.
Home Tooke Is credited with this
daring retort to George III, who had
asked him whether he played cards:
"Your Majesty, I cannot tell a king
from a knave." And again, replying
to a man who contended that only
landowners should be allowed to vote
at elections, he said: "Pray, tell me
how many acres does It take to make
a wiseacre?"
Coming to our own country, many
of the choicest bits of repartee In our
history are to be found In the field of
politics. Every schoolboy Is familiar
with the saying of Benjamin Franklin,
as the group of anxious-faced, yet
loyal men stood around to stem the
Immortal Declaration of Independence:
"Now we must all hang together, or
we'll all hang separately," But the
rejoinder of the signer, Benjamin Harrison,
to the above witticism Is not
so well known. Harrison, a portly
man, looking down over his ample
proportions, replied: "Yes, but when
they drop us ofT at a rope's end, some
of you lightweights will be kicking
and suffering long after I'm done for."
Senator Fessenden of Maine, one of
the giants of the war-time senate, was
opposed to establishing a mint at Carson,
Nevada. A politician, In advocating
that measure, told the senator that
all that Nevada needed "to make it a
good state was "a little more water
and a little better society." "That's
all that hell needs," was the uncompromising
answer.
Senator Call, of Florida, once spoke
In the chamber until all but the presiding
officer had departed. The vice
president, however, remained, Impressive
and dignified In his chair until the
senator had concluded his address. A
friend attempted to make merry with
the senator over such a select audience.'
"I thought It a very distinguished
audience," said Call. "There
was no person there of less rank than
vice president of the United States."?
San Francisco Chronicle.
RU88IA PAYS TWO JAPANESE.
Gives $480 Pensions For Their Services
to Government.
For twelve years, two Japanese belonging
to a very humble class of
workers, have been drawing a pension
from the Russian exchequer, says London
Answers. The payment has been
suspended on account of the actual
state of war between Russia and Japan,
but will certainly be resumed when
peace Is proclaimed, when also the accumulated
arrears will be handed over.
Twelve years ago these men, Kitagaichl
and Mukobata, were Jlnrlksha men,
making their living by running between
the shafts of those light-wheeled
chairs which are the hansoms of
Japanese cities. In May, 1892, the
present czar, then heir to the Russian
crown, was making a tour of Japan,
and the two men were selected to pull
his imperial highness through the
streets the day he visited the town and
temples of Otsu, near Kioto. Mukobata
and Kltaglchl relieved each other
In running between the shafts of his
carriage.
Elaborate precautions had been taken
to protect the imperial guest of
Japan during his tour, but at Otsu he
had a narrow escape of his life.
Among the police on duty was one
Eanzo Tsuda, a fanatic hater of the
foreigner. Derhans a little Insane on
this point. It was a danger against
[ which no ordinary precautions could
avail. Tsuda suddenly drew his short
sword and rushed at the prince. He
had wounded him slightly and would
have killed him but for the two Jinriksha
men, one of them grappled with
the assassin, while the other, by a
swift movement, turned the little carriage
aside.
In grateful recognition of their services
the Russian government awarded
a yearly pension of 1,000 yen (about
?100) to the two men. It was paid
regularly to them through the Japanese
local authorities. Japan is a
country where wages at\d prices are
both much lower than in Europe. For
a Japanese workman a yen goes as far
as or farther than a half-sovereign
goes with the man of the same class
in England. So Kltaga and Mukobata
found themselves suddenly comparatively
rich and promptly retired.
They are still living, but the contrast
between the present position of
the two old comrades Is one more
proof that money counts for less than
character as an element of a successful
life. Kitagichi has managed to live
comfortably In retirement on about
200 yen per annum, banking the remainder
with the pension office, so
that he is now worth 10,000 yen, a
small fortune. He tells his neighbors
that he does not complain of his pension
being stopped, for "war is war,"
and he has enough to live on in investments.
He has even sent 500 yen as
his contribution to the war fund. His
comrade Mukobata has always been a
poor man. He has spent his money as
quickly as he received it.
Intelligence of Doos.?A shepherd
In Scotland, to prove the value of his
dog, which was lying before the fire
In the house where we were talking,
said to me In the middle of a sentence
concerning something else: "I'm
thinking, sir, the cow is In the potatoes."
The dog, which appeared to
be asleep, immediately jumpea upturn,
leaping: through the open window,
scrambled up the turf roof of the
house, where he could see the potato
field. He then, not seeing the cow,
ran and looked Into the byre, where
she was, and finding that all was right
came back to the house. The shepherd
said the same thing again, when
the dog once more made Its patrol.
But on the doubt being uttered a third
time It got up, looked at Its master,
and when he laughed, growled, and
curled up again by the fire.?Wild
Sports of the Highlands.
TALES OF BORDER JU8TICE
How Burl Yarboro Guaranteed Condamned
Prisoner** Appearance.
Of all *Squlres" whose virtues should
survive the past, Pat Tompkins stands
pre-eminent. Back In the early
eighties, and prior, "Squire" Pat Tompkin's
Court was held at Red River
Station, an outfitting post just 43 miles
from a railroad, in the heart of the
cattle country. Thus circumstanced,
the "Squire" was a law unto himself,
and felt that he was responsible to
the state and to Providence for the
welfare of the wayward knights of the
lasso. With a fatherly instinct he
exercised a supervision over his constituents,
and would, not Infrequently,
send an admonition to some high-spirited
youth who gave evidence of a
strong desire to get beyond the pale.
"Officer of the Court," fie would remark
to the Constable, "tell Tom
Scruggs I hear*n of him makin' Deacon
Gill Davis cuss Parson Farmer at the
p'lnt of a six-shooter, and I don't 'low
to hold him guiltless at his next appearance."
While breaches of the peace committed
along the outer edges of the
"Squire's" district might be regarded
with considerably leniency, woe betide
the bold spirit that exhibited wanton
hilarity within the precincts of the
"Squire's" office. Summoning the
culprit before him, he would say:
"Young man, you have sinned against
God and man, and in my sight, God
blast ye! Now give the Constable $10
and go back to the ranch."
Among the cowboys of that section
was Will Mann, a rollicking young fellow
with a good education and affable
manners. His many accomplishments
and his genial disposition made him
a general favorite. Still William was
not above suspicion. It was noticed
that he frequently took trips without
>he formality of saying goodby to his
associates, and upon his return could 1
give no satisfactory account of himself.
After a while it was noticed too,
that one or more "range horses" disappeared
about the same time that
Mann did, but they failed to show up '
again upon his return. He was watched,
and finally caught, dead to rights,
with one of John Campbell's best cow
ponies.
Of course he was taken before 1
"Squire" Tompkins, to be dealt with
according to law. The "Squire's" authority
was limited to acquitting the 1
prisoner, or holding him over to await
the action of the next grand Jury.
But, believing that the law was
either to acquit or hang, the "Squire"
examined the witness closely, being of
the opinion that a man's life hung upon
his decision! There were no lawyers
present to cross-examine, browbeat
or squabble over technicalities. It
was a simple inquiry into a vital fact,
by a tender-hearted man who would
rather have given up all he had than
sentence a man to death but who
would Just as assuredly give up all he
had rather than not sentence to death.
If he thought It was his duty to do so.
Having finished with the prosecuting
witnesses, he called upon the prisoner to
testify. Mann could offer nothing in
extenuation. Whereupon the "Squire"
commanded: "Wm, Mann, stand up."
The prisoner arose. "William Mann,
I have heard the testimony in this
case and find you guilty. I do now,
therefore, by the authority Invested in
me, sentence you to hang in thirty
days. Have you anything tq say why
you shouldn't hang, and may God be
merciful to you, a sinner." The defendant
did not seem to be very much
alarmed at his prospects. Still he was
not defiant, nor did he, by word or act,
exhibit to the Court any signs of
amusement. Presently he arose, and
in a subdued voice, said: "May it
please the Court, I have nothing to say,
excepting it looks pretty tough that
you will hang a fellow without giving
him a chance to tell his old mother
good-by."
"Pris'ner of the bar, give bond for
yer appearance, and you can tell the
old lady good-by."
The young man looked appeallngly
into the faces of those who crowded
the dark little courtroom. *The silence
was becoming oppressive, when
Burl Yarboro, a cattle king and one of
the shrewdest men along the Red River,
arose and said: "Squire, I'll go
this young man's bond."
"I'm agreeable, Burl. Take this here
pencil and write it out."
Yarboro took the pencil and laboriously
filled a sheet of paper with his
writing. Then he tore the page to
pieces and wrote another; then another
and another, but each page was
destroyed as soon as written. Finally,
he looked up and declared:
'Squire, I can't write a bond, but I'm
h?1 on promissory notes."
"Yer note Is as good as this here
Court wants, Burl. Fill out a note."
Again the pencil scratched along
the soiled paper. After a long wait the
Court was handed the following:
Red River Station, Texas,
August 10, 1881.
"Thirty days after date we or either
m rpfurn to Sauar*
ul uo ytx uiiiiuv ? _
Thomklns and be hung for boss steading.
Negoshlble and Pay'ble at the
fust national bank. Montague, Texas.
$ one hang "William Mann
"Burl Yarboro."
"Squire" Tompkins closely scanned
the paper for several minutes and
then remarked: "This Is a good note;
as good as this here Court wants,
Burl, but remember you're puttln*
yer life In the hands of a hoss thief."
"That's a fact, Squar', but I believe
In helpin' boys who remember their
mammies."
The crowd filed out. Principal and
surety mounted their horses and rode
away together, disappearing in the
mellow splendor of a far horizon, off
on the westerly margin of the crisp,
brown prairie. Coming to where the
trail forked, they halted, and the surety
asked: "Where does your mammy
live, Bill?"
"Live? She died before I left Ohio
seven years ago."
"Which way do you go from here?"
"To Ohio. I'm going to marry the
day that note falls due. It was wrong
to rustle horses, hut I was broke, and
Kate had written such pleading letters
since her father died, and she was left
alone. I have kept a list of owners,
and how much each horse was worth,
and will pay up some day. Meanwhile,
they have plenty to use."
"Well, be good to her, and God
bless yob?and, say, Bill, be awful
pertlckler about hosses and slch
things as that, from this time on, fer
you've got the rrakln' of a man In
you, and it's time you wus about ther
Job."
"SJnnlre" Pa* TnmnVIm n&sted the
note in his pocket, and it is there
unto this day, although the "Squire"
is too old to hold office or to remember
very distinctly many things that
occurred in those formative days.
Burl Yarboro is still in Texas, but has
never been asked to satisfy the claim.
The "Squire" learned something
before the paper matured. In
speaking about it years later, he remarked:
"Me an' Yarboro might have
been mistaken about ther law, but we
wus dead right about encouragin' boys
to remember their mammies."?Leslie's
Monthly.
A JAPANE8E HERO.
How 8anko Takano Toiled Through a
Frozen River.
Writing of "Japanese Devotion and
Courage," in the November Century,
Oscar King Davis, who has been with
Oen. Kuroki's army almost from the
beginning of the war, says: Sanko
Takano, sergeant-major, special duty,
belongs to the Second Company, Second
Cavalry Regiment, Second Division.
On a dark night in early April,
soon after his regiment had reached
the Yalu river, he and Lance Corporal
Shinobu Watanabe were sent out with
a third man to ascertain the width and
lepth of the main stream of the river
where it flows between two large islands
opposite Wiju. They crossed the
first channel in a boat which the sergeant-major
and the corporal left on
the first island in charge of the third
man. Then the two worked across the
Island to the main stream. The Russians
occupied a little village on the
opposite side directly across from the
place where Takanb and Watanabe
struck the river. It was difficult
to get across without attracting
their attention. Ice was
running in the river, and the water
was bitterly cold Takano thought
that if he tried to swim he would surely
arouse the Russians. So he determine,*
tn nrallr amnai nn the bottom Of
the river, rising occasionally for
breath! They hail a coil of light rope
with them. Tak&no took off his uniform
and fastened one end of the line
to his body. Then he picked up a stone
to help him keep on the bottom, and
waded In leaving the,lance corporal
to hold the rope by which he was to
be dragged back whenever he gave a
signal of two sharp pulls.
Pounded by the Ice and chilled to the
marrow by the cold water, Tak&no
struggled on. The water rose over his
head, but the heavy stone he carried
enabled him to keep on the bottom.
Now he could walk a little faster, for
he was free from the battering Ice;
but as he neared the center of the
stream the current grew swifter and
swifter, until, if It had not been for the
stone he carried, it would have swept
him down. He grew numb from the
cold, and it took all his strength, stout
stoimmer as he was, to rise to the surface
and stay there long enough to
breathe. Yet he dared not drop the
ha Imftw ha nniiM not
down to the bottom again. So he
worked, with Wat ana be paying out the
rope, until he felt the bottom rising
and knew he wan beyond the middle
of the stream. A.most senseless, Takano
stumbled along, striving to carry
out the letter of his orders and reach
the opposite bank. But not even Japanese
ature could stand such a test
and Watanabe, waiting on.the bank,
felt the long, steady pull on the rope
that told him Tukano had lost consciousness.
With all his might the
corporal hauled in the line, and soon
had the unconscious sergeant-major
out of the water.
A brisk rubbing and the contents of
his flask finally revived Takano, who
got Into his warm, dry uniform again
and started back with the corporal
across the Island. But when they
reached the place where they had left
the boat, It was gone. The third man,
concluding that they had been captured
by the Russia-is, had started back.
There was nothing for It but to swim,
so In the two men plunged. The floating
ice hammered them and the cold
water numbed them, so that they could
not make headway against the current
and were carried down stream. But
fortune had not deserted them, and
they drifted against the boat in which
their comrade was trying to scull back
to shore. He, too, had been swept
down stream by the swift water and
the Ice which hindered his sculling.
He hauled them In, and soon they
were landed on the Wiju side, to be
commended by their captain for showing
the real spirit of Yamato Damashil.
A Remarkable; Gux.?The Inventor
of the new American gun is a man
named J. Mammon crown, iuuu?u mc
work of constructing this particular
six-inch experimental piece is 'in
charge of Colonel John M. Ingalls, retired
U. S. A., an artillerist of high
standing and reputation. Despite the
incredulity of contemporary gun-builders,
Colonel Ingalls and the officers
with him assert that this six-inch gun
will throw thirty miles a projectile
weighing 100 pounds, which will pierce
a six-inch steel target. A ten-inch
gun of this construction, with a powder
chamber of 14,259 cubic inches and
using 360 pounds of smokeless powder,
would hurl a 600-pound projectile &
distance, of 59 miles. Increasing this
ratio, a slxteen-lnch gun would have
an extreme range of more than 100
miles, and equipiped with such coastdefense
rifles, England and France
could shell each other across the chanj
j