"God bless you, old boy!" he said, huskily. "I am the one who has
erred, and if you have it in your heart to forgive me, try and do so.
I do not expect much quarter in this world, you know. There is Anita;
take her, if she will come to you, and may God shower his eternal
blessings upon you both!"

McKenzie turned around with open arms, and Anita flew to his embrace
with a low glad cry. There was not a dry eye in the room.

There was an impatient surging of the crowd outside; Dick saw that his
men were longing for the sport ahead; so he resumed his story:

"There is not much more to add," he said, after a moment's thought. "I
fled into the Black Hills when the first whispers of gold got afloat,
and chancing upon this valley, I built us a home here, wherein to live
away the rest of our lives.

"In time I organized the band of men you see around me, and took to
the road. Of this my sister knew nothing. The Hills have been my haunt
ever since, and during all this time yon scheming knaves"--pointing to
the prisoners--"have been constantly sending out men to murder me. The
last tool, Hugh Vansevere by name, boldly posted up reward papers in
the most frequented routes, and he went the same way as his
predecessors. Seeing that nothing could be accomplished through aids,
my enemies have at last come out to superintend my butchery in person;
and but for the timely interference of Calamity Jane and Justin
McKenzie, a short time since, I should have ere this been numbered
with the dead. Now, I am inclined to be merciful to only those who
have been merciful to me; therefore, I have decided that Alexander and
Clarence Filmore shall pay the penalty of hanging, for their attempted
crimes. Boys, _string 'em up!_"

So saying, Deadwood Dick stepped without the cabin, and closed the
door behind him.

Redburn also shut down and curtained the windows, to keep out the
horrible sight and sounds.

But, for all this, those inside could not help but hear the pleading
cries of the doomed wretches, the tramp of heavy feet, the hushed
babble of voices, and at last the terrible shout of, "Heave 'o! up
they go!" which signaled the commencement of the victims' journey into
mid-air.

Then there was a long blank pause; not a sound was heard, not a voice
spoke, nor a foot moved. This silence was speedily broken, however, by
two heavy falls, followed almost immediately by the tramp of feet.

Not till all was again quiet did Redburn venture to