CHAPTER XLVIII. LYNCH LAW.

n.EveryoneremembersthestoryhowthefrailanddelicatewifeofLovejoyplacedherweaknessasashieldbeforethechamberdoorwhereherhusbandwassecreted,andwasfoughtwithbrutaloathsandabusebythedrunkengang,whoweredeterminedtopassoverherbody,ifnecessary,tohisheart!Theywhoaretrainedtowhipwomeninaservileposition,ofcoursecanhavenoneoftherespectwhichafreemanfeelsforwomanaswoman.Theyrespectthesexwhentheyseeitenshrinedbyfashion,wealth,andpowerbuttheytreaditinthedustwhen,inpovertyandhelplessness,itstandsinthepathoftheirpurposes. "Woman,"saidTomGordon,"youareafool!Youneedn'tthinktocomeitrounduswithanyofthattalk!Youneedn'tthinkwearegoingtostoponyouraccount,forweshan't.Weknowwhatweareabout." "SodoesGod!"saidthewoman,fixinghereyeonhimwithoneofthosesuddenlooksofpowerwithwhichanoblesentimentsometimeslightsupforamomenttheweakestform. Therewasamomentarypause,andthenTombrokeoutintooathsandcurses. "I'lltellyouwhat,boys,"hesaid,"wehadbetterbringmatterstoapoint!Here,tiehimuptothistree,andgivehimsix-and-thirty!Heissodreadfulfondoftheniggers,lethimfarewiththem!Weknowhowtogetapromiseoutofhim!" Thetigerwasnowfullyawakeinthecrowd.Wildoathsandcriesof"Giveittohim!Giveittohim,G—dd—nhim!"arose. FatherDicksonstoodcalmand,beholdinghim,theysawhisfaceasifithadbeenthatofanangel,andtheygnashedonhimwiththeirteeth.Afewmomentsmore,andhewasdivestedofhisoutergarments,andboundtoatree. "Nowwillyoupromise?"saidTomGordon,takingouthiswatch."Igiveyoufiveminutes." Thechildren,nowaroused,werelookingout,crying,fromthedoor.Hiswifewalkedoutandtookherplacebeforehim. "Standoutoftheway,oldwoman!"saidTomGordon. "Iwillnotstandoutoftheway!"shesaid,throwingherarmsroundherhusband."Youshallnotgettohimbutovermybody!" "BenHyatt,takeheraway!"saidTomGordon."Treatherdecently,aslongasshebehavesherself." Amanforcedheraway.Shefellfaintingonhisshoulder. "Layherdown,"saidTomGordon."Now,sir,yourfiveminutesareup.Whathaveyougottosay?" "IhavetosaythatIshallnotcomplywithyourdemands." "Verywell,"saidTom,"it'sbesttobeexplicit." Hedrewhishorsealittleback,andsaidtoamanwhowasholdingaslave-whipbehind,— "Giveittohim!" Theblowsdescended.Heutterednosound.Themob,meanwhile,tauntinglyinsultedhim. "Howdoyoulikeit?Whatdoyouthinkofit?Preachusasermon,now,can'tyou?Come,where'syourtext?" "Heisgettingstarsandstripes,now!"saidone. "Ireckonhe'llseestars!"saidanother. "Stop,"saidTomGordon."Well,myfriend,"hesaid,"youseeweareinearnest,andweshallcarrythisthroughtothebitterend,youmayrelyonit.Youwon'tgetanysympathyyouwon'tgetanysupport.Therean'taministerinthestatethatwillstandbyyou.Theyallhavesenseenoughtoletouraffairsalone.They'danyofthemholdacandlehere,asthegoodelderdidwhentheythrashedDresser,downatNashville.Come,now,willyoucavein?" Butatthismomenttheconversationwasinterruptedbytheridingupoffourorfivegentlemenonhorseback,theheadmostofwhomwasClayton. "What'sthis?"heexclaimed,hurriedly."What,Mr.Gordon—fatherDickson!What—whatamItounderstandbythis?" "Whothedevilcareswhatyouunderstand?It'snobusinessofyours,"saidTomGordon"sostandoutofmyway!" "Ishallmakeitsomeofmybusiness,"saidClayton,turningroundtooneofhiscompanions."Mr.Brown,youareamagistrate?" Mr.Brown,aflorid,puffy-lookingoldgentleman,nowrodeforward. "Blessmysoul,butthisisshocking!Mr.Gordon,don't!howcanyou?Myboys,yououghttoconsider!" Clayton,meanwhile,hadthrownhimselfoffhishorse,andcutthecordswhichboundFatherDicksontothetree.Thesuddenreactionoffeelingovercamehim.Hefell,fainting. "Areyounotashamedofyourselves?"saidClayton,indignantlyglancinground."Isn'tthisprettybusinessforgreat,strongmenlikeyou,abusingministersthatyouknowwon'tfight,andwomenandchildrenthatyouknowcan't!" "Doyoumeantoapplythatlanguagetome?"saidTomGordon. "Yes,sir,Idomeanjustthat!"saidClayton,lookingathim,whilehestretchedhistallfiguretoitsutmostheight. "Sir,thatremarkdemandssatisfaction." "Youarewelcometoallthesatisfactionyoucanget,"saidClayton,coolly. "Youshallmeetme,"saidTomGordon,"whereyoushallanswerforthatremark!" "Iamnotafightingman,"saidClayton"but,ifIwere,Ishouldneverconsenttomeetanyonebutmyequals.Whenamanstoopstodotheworkofarowdyandabully,hefallsoutofthesphereofgentlemen.Asforyou,"saidClayton,turningtotherestofthecompany,"there'smoreapologyforyou.Youhavenotbeenbroughtuptoknowbetter.Takemyadvicedisperseyourselvesnow,orIshalltakemeanstohavethisoutragebroughttojustice." Thereisoftenamagneticforceintheappearance,amidanexcitedmob,ofamanofcommandingpresence,wh