CHAPTER XXX.--SURPRISE FOR HURLEY'S GULCH.
On hearing the cruel sentence, something like a gasp of pain came frommany of the men who most firmly believed in the guilt of the prisoners.
No man can ever become so degraded and hardened as not to be moved bythe approaching death of even a perfect stranger.
Badger alone was delighted at having something to do with the trial, forit was the sheriff's duty to attend to the execution.
With the death of these two men, the work which he had pledged Shirleyto do would be completed.
More than this, with the death of these two men he felt that all dangerto himself would vanish and all suspicion be allayed.
"It's mighty hard lines, Mr. Willett," said Hank Tims as he shook hisfellow-prisoner's hand, "but one has to die sooner or later, and itshould comfort you and me at this time to know that we can leave thisworld and stand in the presence of the Great Master and Chief of all,feelin' that we ain't never done anythin' that should bring a blush ofshame to our cheeks nor a pang of regret to the friends as is leftbehind."
"True, Hank, true," said Mr. Willett as he stroked his brow. "Since Ihave come to feel that my boy is dead, life has lost all its charms forme and death its terrors. What is there to live for since he is gone?Nothing!" and with a sigh of resignation Mr. Willett let his hands fallheavily by his side.
Badger, judging by his conduct on this occasion, must have had no littleexperience in lynching affairs. He appeared before the prisoners withropes, and as resistance would have been useless, Mr. Willett and Hankpermitted the heartless wretch to tie their hands tightly behind theirbacks.
This over, he went to the members of the vigilance committee, who wereengaged in earnest conversation outside the tent.
Having told them what he had done, Badger asked for instructions.
"We're in a kind of a fix about this onpleasant business," said one.
"Wot's the trouble?" asked Badger.
"Thar ain't no trees big enough for the purpose within twenty miles ofthis," said the man.
"Then why can't they be blindfolded and shot?" asked Badger.
"'Coz the judge said to hang 'em."
"Wa'al, I don't think thar'll be any trouble in gettin' him to changehis mind," said Badger. "You see he must 'commydate the sentence to theplace."
The vigilance committee meant to do right, and they were determined toerect a scaffold on the cliff above the creek, and carry out thesentence as it had been ordered.
By the time these preparations were completed the sun was well down thewest.
Another hour and darkness would fall upon the world and on the lives ofthe condemned men.
With more thoughtfulness than might have been expected from men of theircharacter, the crowd withdrew from the place in which the trial had beenheld, leaving Mr. Willett and Hank alone.
It is not for us to attempt to describe the secret thoughts and feelingsof the condemned men.
They spoke but little.
Once Hank looked about him and said:
"I wonder what's become of Collins and Si Brill, they were kind to us,and I'd like to shake hands with them and thank them before the indcomes."
"They must know how we feel toward them, Hank, and as to their absence,it is my belief that they have gone away to avoid witnessing thedeath--the murder of two innocent men that they are powerless toprevent," said Mr. Willett.
"Yes, that must be it. Wa'al, I never saw a lynchin' nor took part inone, but I must confess I'd die a sight easier if I only knowed thatthem two critters, Badger and Shirley, was sure to meet up with the indthey deserve."
"You may be sure, Hank, that justice will overtake them in the end.Standing as you are, on the edge of the grave, would you exchange placeswith either of these men?"
"No, not if they was to throw in all the gold in the world to boot,"said Hank earnestly.
"Then you see there is something which a good man dreads more thandeath, Hank."
"Yes, Mr. Willett, it's a black character and a black heart."
Hank had just uttered this when the flap of the tent was pushed asideand Badger entered, followed by a number of the committee.
"Wa'al, gents," said Badger, "we're all ready."
"And so are we," said Mr. Willett, as he and Hank rose to their feet andstood side by side.
"This ain't pleasant work," said one of the committee with a face andmanner that told he was heartily ashamed of his part in the business,"but it's got to be did."
Neither Mr. Willett nor Hank made any reply.
Badger and the members of the committee were all armed to the teeth, andforming about the prisoners, they marched them down to a platform thatprojected over the cliff and from the further end of which two ropeshung down.
About this platform every man living in and about Hurley's Gulch,excepting Si Brill and Collins, had gathered, even Frank Shirley, weakand wicked, could not resist the temptation to see his cruel workcompleted.
The ropes were made ready and the condemned men were told they couldpray for five minutes.
Instead of kneeling down both turned their faces to the setting sun, andin all that crowd no one was calmer than they.
Suddenly the painful stillness was broken by a cry that came from thewestward and the crowd, as one man turned in that direction.
There, like a silhouette against the red face of the setting sun, theysaw a lithe figure, in the picturesque garb of a Ute Indian boundingtoward them.
"It is Ulna!" some one shouted, "Ulna coming from the direction of thegreat canyon!"
"Hold! hold! hold! for your lives!"
This was shouted by a dozen stalwart horsemen, Collins and Si Brill inthe lead, who came galloping to the place of execution from the east.
As these men flung themselves from their saddles, Ulna, with compressedlips and flashing eyes bounded through the crowd.
At a glance he took in the situation, and then in a voice that rangclear and high as a bugle blast along the cliffs he called out:
"Sam Willett lives and he has the paper!"
"And these men shall not die, if me and my friends can help it, andwe're inclined to think we can!" thundered Collins, as he drew Mr.Willett and Hank back from the platform and severed the cords that boundtheir arms.
"And my boy still lives?" cried Mr. Willett, as he reached out his handsto Ulna.
"Yes, he lives; I left him this morning, and----"
Mr. Willett heard no more.
The resolute heart that could face death without a tremor, was allovercome by this joyous revelation, and he fell fainting to the ground.
"That's a Ute lie!" hissed Badger, to whose side Frank Shirley had come,pale and trembling.
While Hank and Si Brill were restoring Mr. Willett to consciousness,Collins called out:
"We'll see if it's a lie. Come, Ulna, my boy, tell us all about it, andif any man tries to stop you I'll give him a chance to bite the end offmy revolver."
The coming of the young Ute, being unexpected, caused more of asensation than the execution of the prisoners would have done.
The mob with bated breath gathered about Ulna, and though he was weariedwith his run of fifty miles over a rough, trackless country, he told themain points of his thrilling story in a way that convinced everyone ofthe truth of his report.
For men to go down to death is an old story, but when those mourned foras dead appear in the flesh, even those not superstitious are inclinedto wonder and to feel that a miracle has been performed.
"Do you believe that young Indian's story?" asked Shirley after he hadled Badger away from the crowd.
"I am afraid it's true," said Badger.
"Then we're beaten!" groaned Shirley.
"Not yet."
"What can be done, Badger?"
"If young Sam is alive he will try to reach here."
"Yes; there can be no doubt of that."
"Then he should be met on the way."
"By whom?"
"By us."
/> "If so, we should start at once."
"Yes, Mr. Shirley, there is not a minute to spare. Let us get our horsesand start as soon as it's dark," said Badger, with unusualdetermination.