Now, in the eyes of a miner a horse-thief was as bad as a murderer. He was considered rather worse than an ordinary thief, since the character of his theft gave him better facilities for getting away with his plunder3. He was looked upon by all as a common and dangerous enemy, on whom any community was justified4 in visiting the most condign5 punishment.
Bill Mosely knew very well the feeling he would rouse against the men whom he hated, and, having started the movement, waited complacently6 for the expected results to follow.
[Pg 132]Jim Brown was by no means slow in spreading the alarm. True, these men were his guests, and it might be considered that it was against his interests to denounce them, but he knew his claim for entertainment would be allowed him out of the funds found in possession of the party, with probably a liberal addition as a compensation for revealing their real character.
Horse-thieves! No sooner did the news spread than the miners, most of whom were through work for the day, began to make their way to the neighborhood of the hotel.
There hadn't been any excitement at Golden Gulch for some time, and this promised a first-class sensation.
"Hang 'em up! That's what I say," suggested Brown the landlord.
"Where's the men that call 'em thieves?" asked one of the miners, a middle-aged7 man, who was sober and slow-spoken, and did not look like a man to be easily carried away by a storm of prejudice or a wave of excitement.
"Here they be," said Brown, pointing to Bill[Pg 133] Mosely and Tom Hadley, who were speedily surrounded by an excited crowd.
"What have you say?" asked the first speaker of Mosely.
Bill Mosely repeated his story glibly8. It was to this effect: They had met the Chinaman, who induced them to accompany him to the cabin where his master lay sick. From motives9 of compassion10 they assented11. When they reached the cabin they were set upon by the combined party, their horses were taken from them, they were tied to trees, where they were kept in great pain all night, and in the morning stripped of the greater part of their money and sent adrift.
It will be seen that the story did not entirely12 deviate13 from fact, and was very artfully framed to excite sympathy for the narrator and indignation against the perpetrators of the supposed outrage15. Tom Hadley, who had not the prolific16 imagination of his comrade, listened in open-mouthed wonder to the fanciful tale, but did not offer to corroborate17 it in his usual manner.
The tale was so glibly told that it carried convic[Pg 134]tion to the minds of most of those present, and a storm of indignation arose.
"Let's have 'em out! let's hang 'em up!" exclaimed one impetuous miner.
Others echoed the cry, and the company of miners in stern phalanx marched to the hotel, where, unconscious of the impending18 peril19, our friends were resting after the day's fatigue20.
We have already described the manner in which Jim Brown burst in upon them with the startling charge that they were horse-thieves.
Richard Dewey was the first to speak. "What do you mean," he said, sternly, "by this preposterous21 charge?"
"You'll find out soon enough," said the landlord, nodding significantly. "Jest you file out of that door pretty quick. There's some of us want to see you."
"What does all this mean?" asked Dewey, turning to Jake Bradley.
"I don't know," answered Bradley. "It looks like a conspiracy22."
[Pg 135]The party filed out, and were confronted by some thirty or forty black-bearded, stern-faced men, who had tried and condemned23 them in advance of their appearance.
Richard Dewey glanced at the faces before him, and his spirit sank within him. He had been present at a similar scene before—a scene which had terminated in a tragedy—and he knew how swift and relentless24 those men could be. Who could have made such a charge he did not yet know, but, innocent as he and his companions were, he knew that their word would not be taken, and the mistake might lead to death. But he was not a man to quail25 or blanch26.
"Hoss-thieves! string 'em up!" was shouted from more than one throat.
Richard Dewey calmly surveyed the angry throng27. "Gentlemen," he said, "I am no more a horse-thief than any one of you."
"I demand to see and face my accusers," he said boldly. "What man has dared to charge me and[Pg 136] my friends with the mean and contemptible30 crime of stealing horses?"
Jake Bradley had been looking about him too. Over the heads of the men, who stood before them drawn31 up in a semicircle, he saw what had escaped the notice of Richard Dewey, the faces and figures of Bill Mosely and Tom Hadley.
"Dick," said he, suddenly, "I see it all. Look yonder! There are them two mean skunks32, Bill Mosely and Tom Hadley. It's they who have been bringin' this false slander33 ag'in us."
Richard Dewey and Ben immediately looked in the direction indicated.
Bill Mosely eyed them with a glance of evil and exulting34 triumph, as much as to say, "It's my turn now; I am having my revenge."
But Jim Brown, who seemed to be acting35 as prosecuting36 attorney, had already summoned the two men to come forward and testify.
"Here's the men!" he said, exultingly37. "Here's the men you robbed of their horses and tied to trees.—Isn't it so, stranger?"
Bill Mosely inclined his head in the affirmative,[Pg 137] and Tom Hadley, being also asked, answered, but rather faintly, "I should say so."
Lying did not come as natural to him as to Bill.
Richard Dewey laughed scornfully.
"Are those the men," he asked, "who charge us with stealing their horses?"
"In course they do."
"Then," burst forth38 Jake Bradley, impetuously, "of all the impudent39 and lyin' scoundrels I ever met, they'll carry off the prize."
"Of course you deny it," said Bill Mosely, brazenly40 persisting in his falsehood. "A man that'll steal will lie. Perhaps you will charge us with stealin' the horses next."
"That's just what I do," said Bradley, in an excited tone. "You're not only horse-thieves, but you'll take gold-dust an' anything else you can lay your hands on."
"Gentlemen," said Bill Mosely, shrugging his shoulders, "you see how he is tryin' to fasten his own guilt on me and my innocent pard here. It isn't enough that he stole our horses and forced[Pg 138] us to foot it over them rough hills, but now he wants to steal away our reputation for honor and honesty. He thinks you're easy to be imposed on, but I know better. You won't see two innocent men lied about and charged with disgraceful crimes?"
"I admire that fellow's cheek," said Bradley in an undertone to Richard Dewey, but he soon found that the consequences were likely to be disastrous41 to him and his party. The crowd were getting impatient, and readily seconded the words of Jim Brown when he followed up Bill Mosely's speech by a suggestion that they proceed at once to vindicate42 justice by a summary execution.
They rushed forward and seized upon our four friends, Ki Sing included, and hurried them off to a cluster of tall trees some twenty rods away.
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1
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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3
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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4
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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condign
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| adj.应得的，相当的 | |
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complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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7
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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8
glibly
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| adv.流利地，流畅地；满口 | |
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9
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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10
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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11
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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13
deviate
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| v.(from)背离，偏离 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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15
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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16
prolific
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| adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的 | |
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17
corroborate
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| v.支持，证实，确定 | |
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18
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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19
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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20
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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21
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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22
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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23
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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24
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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quail
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| n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖 | |
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26
blanch
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| v.漂白；使变白；使(植物)不见日光而变白 | |
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27
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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28
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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29
implicated
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| adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的 | |
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30
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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31
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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32
skunks
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| n.臭鼬( skunk的名词复数 )；臭鼬毛皮；卑鄙的人；可恶的人 | |
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33
slander
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| n./v.诽谤，污蔑 | |
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34
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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35
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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36
prosecuting
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| 检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师 | |
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exultingly
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| 兴高采烈地，得意地 | |
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38
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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39
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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brazenly
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| adv.厚颜无耻地；厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地 | |
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41
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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42
vindicate
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| v.为…辩护或辩解，辩明；证明…正确 | |
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