AN AWFUL MOMENT

"Bring out the hoss thief! Lynch him! Lynch him!"

"What's up?" asked the tramp drowsily, opening his eyes.

"Bring out the hoss thief!" cried a dozen rough voices, as the battering at the door was repeated.

"They want you, young feller!" he continued, as he caught the meaning of the cry.

"What shall we do?" asked Walter helplessly.

"They don't want me," returned the tramp complacently. "It's you they want!"

"You will stand by me?" implored Walter, eager for any help.

"Won't do no good! There's a crowd of them. You're in a bad box, young feller!"

"Have you got a pistol?"

"No."

Then it flashed upon Walter that he still had the revolver which belonged to d.i.c.k Ranney.

"I will sell my life dearly!" thought Walter, "They shan't kill me without some resistance."

"Open the door, or it'll be wuss for ye!" cried a rough voice.

The door was strong, but it did not long withstand the fierce attacks made upon it. Walter, by the light that came in through a crevice, saw it sway and gradually yield to the impetuous attacks of the mob.

"Here's the hoss thief!" exclaimed the leader, throwing the light into the cell occupied by the inebriate.

The tramp was alarmed and completely sobered by the terrible suggestion.

"I ain't the man!" he said. "It's that young feller yonder."

The man with the lantern turned in the direction of the other cell.

"He's only a kid!" he said doubtfully.

"All the same, he's the hoss thief!" said the tramp earnestly.

"Is he telling the truth?" asked the leader, turning to the men who were just behind him.

"He looks most like the hoss thief!" said Dan Muggins. "The other's a milk-and-water chap, just out of boardin'-school."

"You're right! Smash in the cage!"

CHAPTER x.x.xIII

WALTER SAVES ANOTHER'S LIFE

Meanwhile the feelings of Walter were hard to describe. He saw that perhaps his only chance of life lay in remaining quiet and letting the mistake remain uncorrected.

On the other hand, the poor wretch was as much ent.i.tled to life as he.

"He's the hoss thief!" shrieked the tramp. "Ask him if he isn't."

The leader, who had him by the collar, paused, and the words of the captive seemed to make some impression on him.

"We don't want to make no mistake," he said. "Mebbe we might ask him."

"You hear what this man says?"

"Yes," answered Walter, in husky accents.

"Is it true? Are you the hoss thief?"

"No!"

And the poor tramp would have been dragged away, but Walter, his face pale, but resolute, held up his hand to secure attention.

"Listen!" he said. "I am not a horse thief, but I was put here charged with stealing the horse of Colonel Owen."

"Just as I said, gentlemen," chimed in the inebriate.

"Then we've got the wrong one!" said the leader. "Here, you can go!"

"We must have you!" went on the leader, approaching Walter's cell.

"What do you want to do with me?" asked Walter, with sinking heart.

"String you up! That's the way we serve hoss thieves!"

"Gentlemen!" said Walter, "you are making a terrible mistake.

"Didn't you say just now you was the thief?"

"No; I said I was put in here charged with horse-stealing."

An a.s.sault was made on the door of his cell, and within three minutes Walter was dragged out.

He began to speak, but was roughly ordered to shut up.