And it happened he wux took a little over a mile from us, and he wuz brung right by our door.

There wuz some officers in the party, so they interfered and kep the mob from hangin’ him right up by the neck.

They said they had to hold that saloon-keeper to keep his hands offen him, and they said that in spite of all he did git the rope round him.

But the officers interfered, and after that they had to hold the saloon-keeper to keep him from the prisoner.

And I sez, when Josiah was a-praisin’ up the saloon-keeper’s zeal, and how the officers had to hold him—­

I sez, “It is a pity the officers didn’t hold him in the first place, and then all the horrer and tragedy might have been saved.”

But my pardner wouldn’t even notice a thing I said.  He felt, I could see, that my remarks wuz indeed beneath his notice.

Wall, I stood and see this poor, weak, despairin’ victim of rum dragged off to a felon’s doom, dragged off to the scaffold, and one of his chief draggers wuz the one that caused his crime—­caused it accordin’ to law.  And the rest of his draggers wuz the ones who had voted to have the trade of murderer makin’ and child killin’ and villian breedin’ perpetuated and kep up.

And the Goverment of the United States hung him, the same Goverment that wuz in partnership with that saloon up in Zoar, and took part of the pay for makin’ this man murder that innocent little girl.

Wall, Josiah and me, we went to that funeral.  I felt that I must go, and so did he; it wuz only about five milds from here, in the Methodist Episcopal Meetin’-House up to Zoar.

Her father and mother wuz members in good standin’.  Lots of Jonesvillians went to the funeral; there hadn’t been such a excitement in Zoar and Jonesville sence Seth Widrik murdered his wife’s mother with a broad axe (and that wuz done through whiskey, so they say; it wuz done before my time).

The Meetin’-House in Zoar wuz crowded to its utmost capacity and the ceilin’.  And seats wuz sot in all the aisles, and the pulpit stairs wuz full of folks, and the door-steps, and the front yard wuz packed full.  We went early, and got a seat.

[Illustration:  Wall, Josiah and me, we went to that funeral.]

All the ministers of Zoar, and Jonesville, and Loontown, and Shackville wuz there, and of all the sermons that wuz preached—­wall, it wuz a sight.  The tears jest run down most everybody’s face, and when the mourners wuz addressed, why, big, hefty men all round me jest boohooed right out.  Why, it wuz enough to melt a stun.

Then the preacher depictered that little golden head that had made sunshine in her home through the darkest days, as bein’ brung low by an asassin.  Then he spoke of that sweet little silvery voice a-ringin’ through the home and the hearts of her father and mother, of how it wuz lifted up in vain appeal to her slayer that dretful night.