They surged
around their victim, overpowered him, and with a leathern belt bound
his hands firmly behind his back.

"A rope! A rope!" shouted one. "There, in my cabin you'll find a
strong one!"

"That tree!" yelled another. "We'll sling him up!"

Old Pete tried his best to stop them in their mad design. He shouted,
pleaded, and even fought to free the captive.

"Drive 'im from Klassan!" he roared, "but don't let his blood be on our
heads!"

He might as well have spoken to the wind which was roaring around them.
The men were besides themselves, demented. They had reached the limit
of their patience, and the wild passions surged within their breasts.
In their eyes the cowardly deeds of Pritchen were without parallel.
What dastardly tricks! What base, underhanded work! What designs of
hell! The rope, and rope only, was the proper punishment!

Half dragged and half stumbling, the wretched man reached the tree,
Nature's solid gallows, standing ghost-like and grim in the deepening
darkness. He looked wildly around, and tried to free his hands.

"Mercy! For God's sake, mercy!" he cried, as the noose was slipped
around his neck. "Let me go! Give me another chance, and I'll leave
the country!"

"The rope'll take you to a new country, and a hot one at that, quicker
than you can mush," jeered one.

"Mercy! Mercy!" pleaded the wretched man. "Spare me this once! I'll
tell you all, and get out!"

"Did ye kill that Injun woman?" asked Pete, stepping near.

"Yes."

"Did ye lave young Radhurst to die in the Ibex cabin, an' stole his
gold?"

"Yes."

"An' did ye steal Tim Fleeters' gold an' put it in the mission house?"

"Yes. Yes, I did it all. For God's sake, forgive me! I'm a bad man!
O God, help me!"

A yell of rage was the only response to his wild pleadings, for a dozen
hands had seized the rope, which had been thrown over one of the large
projecting branches.

"All together, pull!" was the shout, and with a terrible, gurgling cry,
Pritchen swung from the ground into the air.

And even as the men pulled, dead set upon their fearful deed, there was
sweeping down upon their own heads the mighty flood of ice and water.
The jam had given way and, sweeping down, was bearing all before it.
The excitement of the men and the roaring of the wind up-stream
prevented the noise from reaching their ears. Thus, unconscious of
destruction to themselves, they were all intent upon their efforts to
hurl a