Page:Life Amongst the Modocs.djvu/321

 not be touched.

English had five well-known followers : Scott, Peoples, Romain, and two others whose names I. withhold because of their relatives, who are of most aristocratic and respectable standing in the Atlantic States.

I was not disturbed ; but shortly after this, English, Scott, and Peoples robbed some packers of a large amount of gold-dust on the highway, and were arrested.

At Lewiston the vigilantes broke into the tem porary prison, improvised from a big log saloon then but partly built, overpowered the guard, and told the prisoners to prepare to die.

They were given ten minutes to invoke their Maker. At the end of that time, the only rope the vigilantes had was thrown over a beam, and they approached Scott, who was on his knees.

u No, no," cried English, u hang me first, and let him pray."

They left Scott, fastened the rope round the neck of English, and mounted him on a keg.

Then English turned to Scott, and said, " Scottie, pray for me a little, can t you ? Damned if I can pray ! " Then he laughed a low, strange chuckle, and they kicked away the keg.

He hung till dead, and then the noose reached for another victim. Peoples died without a word, but when they came to Scott, he pleaded with all his might for his life, and offered large sums of gold, which he said he had buried, but f