CHAPTER XVIII. THERE ARE TWELVE OF US.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1991, 11 April 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XVIII. THERE ARE TWELVE OF US.

The night waved slowly on, and Mr. Pollard, Leonard and Dr. Syme hovered yet around the front of the cottage waiting for the long delayed arrival of Charlie Ellis. They had missed both Loader and Tudy Connor, and did not know what to make of it, and the doctor had just been in to see the sick woman, and was telling the friends about her state. " She lies in a most peouliar state," he explained, "and as I cannot honestly say I understand the case, I have sent to Bowden's for Dr. Crowther. Half the time she sleeps and then only she seems conscious, dreaming doubtless of what she talks of, sometimes loudly and sometimes in a painful mutter. Her husband's death, her daughter's name with terms of endearment, instructions to j Ellen Griffith about household affairs, all proceed from her lips when asleep, but through all and above all is the name of Dan Lyons and her unforgiving hate of him." •• And when she is awake ? " Mr. Pollard asked. " When she is awake she lies as one dead, save that her eyes wander round as in a restless search for something, she knows not what poor thing." " Here is Ellis on foot," said Leonard," and he is ooming quickly. Bless my heart, how tired and upset you look, Charlie." " I am both," the young trooper replied ; " but I have no time to tell you much until I see Loader ; where is he ?" " We don't know, he has been gone from this a couple of hoars or more, and Tady Connor, it would seem, with him." "No due yet of the man ?" " Dan Lyons? No ; Loader and several of our fellows have been in every possible direotion all day— the man has disappeared as suddenly as if he had gone down in the earth." " The shafts? Have they been searched?" " Over and over again. St. Herricks was deserted when Loader went straightfto it after coming baok from Bendarraok. No, Dan Lyons is not oaptured yet." "Thank God 1" ejaculated the young trooper, as he took off his hat to wipe the dust and perspiration from his faoe. " That the murderer is not taken ! We are all surprised to hear you say that," Mr. Pollard said, " and you must have strong reasons indeed, for I know that one great objeot with you, Binoe you were stationed at Marranga, was to find some traoe of poor Colonel St. Herriok's murderer, and bring him to justice." "At this time yesterday, no greater prize in my profession, if I may oall it so, could have been offered me than the capture of Dan Lyons— now I pray to Ged that he may not fall into my hands 1" " Good Heavens, Ellis, explain yourself 1" " I will. I was returning to-day from Yawbenack, where I had been to see Father O'Farrel about Conn. Brady's statement, and had almost reaoked Marranga, when I was overtaken by the priest himself, who had ridden after me in consequence of some information he had gained that was of the greatest consequence to me. I need not tell you word for word what he said, the whole of the matter being comprised in the faot that Ike Lyman'a Amerioan party have sworn to lynch Dan Lyons, even if they had to drag him out of Marranga lock-up to do it 1" Pausing a moment to permit of a host of smothered exclamations from his listeners, Charlie went on again.

11 You know such a thing would be ruin to me, and it would leave less blame on my shoulders if Ike Lyman had to take Dan Lyons himself before he falls into our hands at all, for take him he will, living or dead. Ike was never known togo baok on his word for good or evil. I did all I could. I turned back and rode to Bowden'a for the man who is stationed there." "And brought him with you ?" " Yes, he is at my station now ; but what would our three be against Ike Lyuian and his American's ?" " You know that many of us would stand by you Charlie," Leonard said, as he laid his hand affectionately on the young trooper's shoulder. " You would be willing to do so I know my dear fellow, but all of us would be as feathers in the way of these twelve determined men. I saw them once on the war path, and I don't want to see them again, though they only burned down a shanty at Ryder's— a shanty that deserved it too, for it had become the haunt of all sorts of immorality and rowdyism." 14 This looks very like our lost party coming down the road," observed Mr Pollard, " and they're running— something is wrong Charlie." There was no time to say more eie Loader, Tady, and little Daniel were upon them. The constable was pale with excitement, and so tired with his exertions that he could hardly gain breath to speak to Charlie. It was the boy who cried in triumph. " Dan Lyons is arrested." 11 Speak it out Loader," Charlie Ellis urged, •' though I guess what it is." "We took Dan Lyons up on Mount Boban, and I had no sooner lodged him in the lockup, that Ike Lyman's vigilance party surrounded the station." " Didn't I tell you ? " Ellis asked of Leonard with the calmness of despair. " Go on Loader." " Smith from Bowden's was there— he told me why you had gone for him, and Ike Lyman sent me for you, Ellis. He wants to talk to you for a minute he saya." " They have taken possession of the station ? " questioned Mr Pollard. " Yes, and are armed up to the teeth. A finer looking body of chaps you never Bet eyes on, and they'll lynch Dan Lyons as sure as I Bee that moon." ; "We must do our best to save him " young Ellis said, " who is with me in this ? " " All of us, of course. lam a magistrate — I have a right to reason with these men against wrongdoing." " Do you call lynching Dan Lyons wrongdoing I " oried young Daniel. '• A murderer, a murderer like him ! " " Daniel, tay boy, don't let your young voice be heard in such a serious matter an this," Mr Pollard said to the lad. "It is tiaie for you to be in bed." '• If I had been in bed Dan Lyons would not have been in the lock-up," the boy sulkily returned. "It was me that showed Loader where he was hiding, and I hoped to take him ! " Daniel answered with pride. "Is that a fact?" Constable Loader was asked. " An undoubted one, sir — we should never have dreamed of seirching for the man where the boy guided us," Mr. Pollard looked sadly at the puzzled lad, but the importance and necessity of immediate aotion about Ike Lyman's bold step put poor Daniel's all lir in rhe back-ground— only Tady murmured for the third time that day. " There's a fate'in it. God help the boy, there's a fate in it." " I, at least, have no choice," Charlie said, as he turned toward the police station. "It is my duty to try and save this villain from any punishment that iB not meted out to him by the law of which I am a sworn servant, and I will do it if it is at the risk of my life." " They will surely not proceed to extremities in the face of a Justice o* the Peace," Mr. Pollard said. "Go on, Ellis, we are with you." They went on in silence, a band of six men, with tne boy creeping after them, unnoticed for the moment save by Tady, who dropped baok to Daniel's side and vainly whispered an advice to return. " They oan't prevent me," Daniel said doggedly, " and I'll see Dan Lyons hung in spite of them. Mr. Pollard thinks it dreadful that a boy like me should be glad to see a man die. Does he forget that Dan Lyon killed Resignation's father and then Hesitation herself ? I should like to see him torn in pieces by wild horses." "My poor boy, my poor boy," the sympathetic Irishman whispered, and with his arm over Daniel's shoulder Tady followed the little band before them. When they reached the station the moon, now high on the left hand of the road, shone down on a peculiar scene, considering the time of night and the place. Twelve horses were tied to the fence and either side of the police gate, six at one side and six at another. Lithe men, tall and dark looking, and with a thin crape stretched across their faces, stood grimly awaiting thejmrival of the polioemen, while distinctly thrown out in dark relief against the white walls of the look- up were four other men on guard, and dressed as were the others, simply in dark belted pants, grey shirts, and dark felt hats. As Charlie Ellis advanced in front of this party his quiok eyes glanced from Ike Lyman's uncovered face to the revolvers in every belt around him. " You have done a very neat job, Ike Lyman," Charlie said, " taken possession of the police camp and a prisoner of the Crown, to say nothing of turning a policeman out of the Damp in the middle of the night." " We have not turned the poor fellow out," [ke replied with a grim smile, " we only sent for you, for, on the contrary, we are very anxious to have all the constables in the station to-night." " Where is Smith, f romßowden's ? " Charlie Ksked. II The polioeman you went for, Ellis ? Oh, he is on guard over the prisoner in the lookup." A low laugh rippled from one man to, the other of the grim band, " My friends, this is no laughing matter," reproved Mr. Pollard, as he stepped toward [ke Lyman ; " you are committing a grave breach of the law. My name is Pollard ; I im a magistrate, and I would urge you to go home peacefully, and leave this unhappy man to be dealt with by the British laws he has defied and outraged." "You know our object here, then, Mr. Pollard ?" " I have heard, with horror, that you have threatened to what is called ' lynch' the wretched being who has been arrested for murder, and is now in that lock-up," Mr. Pollard replied. " You have heard the truth ; such is our intention. Now, sir, will you tell me if you believe this Dan Lyons to be an innocent man?" " God help him, no 1 There can be no doubt of his guilt. He has not denied it to Loader here." " No ; he has boasted of it. He buried Colonel St. Hernok alive twelve years ago out of revenge for a just aot of the Colonels, years previous to that. Now he has come baok again in the guise of a priest, and has killed Colonel St. Herricks innocent child in the most cold-blooded, cruel manner. Don't you think Dan Lyons deserves death ? " Yes, but not by your hands." " You think he deserves it at the hands of the law? Well, sir, I am glad you agree with us ; we are going to put lynch law in

force on Marranga, and Judge Lynch has sentenced Dan Lyons to die within the hour." " Try to realize that it will be Lymin Law if you do this deed," cried Mr. Pollard. " You are the leader of this lawless party, Ike Lyman, and the blood of this man will be at your door." " If it did I should know it to be a mark on the right side of the Big Ledger for me ; but you are mistaken, sir, we are one and all in this. lam only Ike Lyman of the Amerioan Vigilance Committee, and there are twelve of us, all told. Is this true, mates?" " TiiEiiK aue twklve oi us I" was the reply from every throat, echoed by the men on guard at the lock- up ; and it was eohoed also by the desperate being inside, who heard every word that was spoken, and knew that his doom was sealed. " You hear," questioned Ike 'again, " there are twelve of us, good men and true, who are willing to share all the sin of taking a villain's life, believing it to be a praiseworthy and just deed." "But there is no necessity for you to have this wretches' blood on your hands," pleaded the pitying J P. ; "he is now in the hands of the law, and his doom is as certain as if you take his life." "Is it. Your law is a queer institution, my good friend. Let me see just what would be likely to happen in this fellow's case. There will be an iuquest on that innocent creature who lies under the Bame roof with her dying mother, and Dan Lyons would be committed for trial. From lock-up to courthouse, from court-house to gaol — remand, postponement, loss of months. In all these there would be a hundred opportunities of escape by bribery, by sympathy, even by death — we will trust none of it, our deoision is made." "Will you let me beg for time and mercy for this wretched, guilty man ?" asked Leonard Prosser, eagerly. " I wonder if you could find words, Mr. Prosser, for I know you have a sister at home about the age of this cruelly murdered girl." " For the love of God don't murder Dan Lyons this way," cried poor Tady. " You speak feelingly my good man ; do you beg his life because he wears a priest's coat ? Tady Connor, I know all about your feeling for him. You knew of this villain's blood-guiltiness before any one did, and you would have hid it and let him go free. Stand back, my man, the night is going, and our work is before us to do. 1 ' " Not while I stand here to do my doty 1" cried Ellis. " There are only two of us, for it is not our friend's duty to die in defence of our prisoner. It is mine, however, and you will pass over my body to remove Dan Lyons from our custody." " Perhaps so, my good man, but it will, please God, be a living body," Ike coolly responded, as he wrenched Charlie's ready revolver from his hand. How it happened the witnesses would have been puzzled to describe, for in a moment, as it were, Constables Ellis and Loader were being marched off to their own lock-up under the guard of a detachment of Ike's men. "There is no harm intended you," Ike himself deolared ; " not a hair of your head tthall be harmed, only we will have our man, and we will see that no blame can possibly attach to you for what we do this night. Bring out the prisoner." lie was marohed out between two men, his white face showing ghastly in the moonlight, hia wild eyes staring in terrible fear upon the faces of those around him. While the door of the lock-up was open, Charlie Ellis and Loader were pushed inside, and the heavyironed door clanged upon them. You are better out of it," the Lymans said, " and we will release you the moment all is over." Out of the gate Dan Lyons was marched, with the grip of a Btrong man on each arm. His handcuffg were unlooked with a key taken from one of the oonstables, and his wrist 3 fastened behind him with cords, but not until the long black coat had been taken from his back, as Ike cried angrily : " Tear it off him ! We musn't let any man's religion be mocked or despised by the touch of a rope 1" And Dan Lyons had said as yet no word. If he could have told he might have said that the terrible words, " There are twelve of us," weie repeating themselves over and over in his brain as ho looked hopelessly around him. What could he do face to face with twelve men ? And what could the others do? Some words the doctor and Mr. Pollard again urged, but they were taktn no heed of, and every man, save those in charge of the prisoner, soon stood ready to mount by his horse's side. " Bring him here," Ike commanded again ; " he rides on my horse to-night, and Ike Lyman will hold his bridle." As Dan Lyons was passing to his place voiceless, he saw the boy Daniel crouohing against the fenoo, for the reality of the awful scene had at last told upon him, and he felt how terrible a thing it was to die. It was a cruel murderer, no doubt, but it was awful — awful to be dragged out in the night to die, God knew how, at the hands of these silent men whose faces were hidden 1 Even at that last moment he remembered that even gentle Resignation would have pitied him, though he had killed her, and before he thought more he was at Ike's side, pulling him by the arm, and almost shrieking in his agony of remorse — " You have no right I Let him go, let him go ! " "Too late my lad," sneered Dan Lyons, with a fiendish glare at the boy. •• You have done your work well. Stop men, I must speak to this youngster, and some of you know I have the right." " Lyons, if you never did one good deed hold your tongue now, " oried Mr. Pollard, with uplifted hand ; " spare the boy for the sake of that ineroy you so sorely need yourself." "He has spared me," was the bitter reply, as his eyes met Daniel's, with a hate that haunted him for years ; "he tracked his own mother's footsteps to lay the polioe on me, and he may now live, curse him, with the knowledge that he hunted hia own father to death." The poor lad shrank back at though he had received a blow, and would have fallen if Tady's arms had not caught him. His lips grew white, and he trembled as he shrieked out, "It is a lie! " but Dan Lyons withered him yet with those burning eyes as he replied — " It is no lie, you cub ; ask Mr. Pollard— he knows ; aßk your mother— she knows ; and may the curse "he was gagged before another word could pass his lips, and in a moment twelve men rode down the road with the murderer in their midst. Daniel's whole frame collapsed, and his weight lay in Tady's arms as he whispered faintly — " I hopo I am dying. His son 1 Oh, mother, mother, a murderer's son 1 " " Don't believe him, Daniel dear," Tady Connor shouted bravely; he's no father of yours. Don't I know ? Wasn't I here long before you wor born? Ask Mr. Pollard there ; and whisper now, sure I didn't like to say it before, but it's your father I am meself, asthore 1 You won't be ashamed of poor Tady Connor for a father, will you ? and we'll go home to Ireland, where you will never hear of that sooundrel Dan Lyons again ;£and there now, he's better," the honest fellow said,

as Daniel turned his face to the fence and burst into tears. " If you can oarrj him away in that belief, Tady, you will have done a good action, and saved a young life. To suoh a boy as that, the knowledge that his father had been hung for suoh terrible murders would have ruined him." " Oh, I'll swear him into believin' it, and if I never take a worse oath, the Lord will forgive me for it, I know. Gome on home wid me, Daniel, alanna." And so away into the shadow of the diatanoe the murderer and his guards passed from the sight of the horrified watchers into the shadows of the distance, where could be traoed in the moonlight the dark entrance to Murder Gully. " They are going to hang him on the spot that witnessed his deeds of blood," whispered Mr. Pollard in an awestnoken voice. " And there is justice in it," added the doctor, emphatically. Yes, they are going to execute the man on the olaim in which he had buried one victim alive, and within sight of the spot where he had hidden another. The wretched murderer knew that, as soon as he saw the direction they were taking him in ; but if he had not been gagged he could have spoken no word. For the faoes of the dead were around him, and thn voioes of the dead were in his ears. He saw Colonel St. Herrick as he had seen him last, and he heard his words as he had heard them then — " If yon leave me here to die, as you see my face now, you will see it at this hour every night until you die yourself, and your own death will be worse than mme — aye, a hundred times." That was what the murdered man had said to him— aye, what he was saying to him now, with his white face within a yard of his own I And they had oome true, every word 1 Colonel St. Herrick had been his companion every night for twelve long years, and now he was there before him to see him die ! " And I'm glad of it !" he shouted, as they stood him on his feet and took the gag from his mouth. " Hang me, and get it over ! No hell can be worse than life surrounded by devils !" " Man, try to realise the awful importance of thia moment," Ike Lyman said sternly. " By your own confessions you are guilty of the foulest bloodshed— ask your God for meroy now, while it is not yet too late." " Mercy to me means Oblivion. I have asked it of Him so long in vain that I will not try now. Do your worst." 11 Abe, give us a prayer," Ike said again, and his brother lifted up his voice in a powerful appeal to the great First Cause for meroy on this doomed man. It was a scene to be recalled, and that was recalled by many of the participators for yearn attw. Twelve men with bowed bare heads and a pinioned one standing upright in their midst. The iteep sides of the gully mottled with moonlit patches and black shadows. The claims with their piled-up stuff and silent windlasses. The leafless trees on No. 1, and under one seared, gaunt, outstretched limb a coil of rope lying on tlic ground. A solemn pause after Abe Lyman's prayer had arisen to heaven, and again his brother spoke. " Dan Lyons, won't you say one prayer for yourself ?" " Not one," returned the monster ; ask him to pray /or me," and be pointed to the imaginary form of Colonel St. Herrick. " Then I oan only say for you, may the Lord have meroy on your soul I Mates we are one in this matter? If there is one doubt that we do a just deed let it be spoken," and the answer was — " There are twelve of us I " Before the echoes of the words had ceased to ring around among the rocks of Murder Gully the noose was around the doomed man's neck, tightened, and become a power that drew him up among the dead limbs of the horrified trees upon whioh no leaves bad grown for twelve years. In one dreadful moment ha saw the blue, deep starry sky above whioh was the dwelling place of his offended God, the spot where he had laid the bloody form of the murdered child, and the face of Colonel St. Herrick before his eyes to the last 1 Oh what a terrible death to face 1 Among those men who stood gaping in silence at that figure suspended a dark, struggling form between them and the pure sky, was there not more than one who wished that the deed had not been done though there were twelve of them.