was bored into his legs and arms. A man with a club struck him
over the head, crushing his skull and forcing an eyeball to hang down
from the socket by a thread. A rush was made toward Bud and a man who
was a little ahead of his competitors snatched the eyeball as a
souvenir.

After three full hours had been spent in torturing the two, the
spokesman announced that they were now ready for the final act. The
brother of Sidney Fletcher was called for and was given a match. He
stood near his mutilated victims until the photographer present could
take a picture of the scene. This being over the match was applied and
the flames leaped up eagerly and encircled the writhing forms of Bud and
Foresta.

When the flames had done their work and had subsided, a mad rush was
made for the trees which were soon denuded of bark, each member of the
mob being desirous, it seemed, of carrying away something that might
testify to his proximity to so great a happening.

Little Melville Brant found a piece of the charred flesh in the ashes
and bore it home.

[Illustration: "Poor Bud, her helpless husband, closed his eyes and
turned away his head to avoid the terrible sight."
(134-135.)]

"Ben Stringer aint got anything on me now," said he as he trudged along
in triumph.

Entering by the rear he caught hold of the rope which he had left
hanging, ascended to the attic window and crawled in.

The future ruler of the land!

* * * * *

On the afternoon of the lynching Ramon Mansford alighted from the train
at Maulville in search of Bud and Foresta. He noted the holiday
appearance of the crowd as it swarmed around the depot awaiting the
going of the special trains that had brought the people to Maulville to
see the lynching, and, not knowing the occasion that had brought them
together, said within himself:

"This crowd looks happy enough. The South is indeed sunny and sunny are
the hearts of its people."

At length he approached a man, who like himself seemed to be an
onlooker. Using the names under which Mrs. Harper told him that Bud and
Foresta were passing, he made inquiry of them. The man looked at him in
amazement.

"You have just got in, have you?" asked the man of Ramon.

"Yes," he replied.

"Haven't you been reading the papers?" further inquired the man.

"Not lately, I must confess; I have been so absorbed in unraveling a
murder mystery (the