The Project Gutenberg EBook of Salomy Jane, by Bret Harte

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Salomy Jane

Author: Bret Harte

Release Date: February 27, 2005 [EBook #15192]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SALOMY JANE ***

Produced by Audrey Longhurst, William Flis, and the PG Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.

[Illustration]

SALOMY JANE

BY

BRET HARTE

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY

HARRISON FISHER AND

ARTHUR I. KELLER

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

THE RIVERSIDE PRESS CAMBRIDGE

1910

COPYRIGHT, 1898, BY BRET HARTE

COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.

COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

_Published October 1910_

CONTENTS

I A KISS AND AN ESCAPE 1

II THE LADY'S REFLECTIONS 19

III THE KISS REPEATED 35

IV ANOTHER ESCAPE 59

A KISS AND AN ESCAPE

[Illustration]

I

Only one shot had been fired. It had gone wide of its mark,--the
ringleader of the Vigilantes,--and had left Red Pete, who had fired
it, covered by their rifles and at their mercy. For his hand had been
cramped by hard riding, and his eye distracted by their sudden onset,
and so the inevitable end had come. He submitted sullenly to his
captors; his companion fugitive and horse-thief gave up the protracted
struggle with a feeling not unlike relief. Even the hot and revengeful
victors were content. They had taken their men alive. At any
time during the long chase they could have brought them down by a
rifle-shot, but it would have been unsportsmanlike, and have ended
in a free fight, instead of an example. And, for the matter of that,
their doom was already sealed. Their end, by a rope and a tree,
although not sanctified by law, would have at least the deliberation
of justice. It was the tribute paid by the Vigilantes to that order
which they had themselves disregarded in the pursuit and capture. Yet
this strange logic of the frontier sufficed them, and gave a certain
dignity to the climax.

"Ef you've got anything to say to your folks, say it _now_, and say it
quick," said the ringleader.

Red Pete glanced ar