"Mr. Belton, you would confer a great favor by putting me on board yonder vessel. I intend to proceed to San Francisco and settle with that villainous captain."

The boat put off from the sh.o.r.e and conveyed Bragg to the schooner, and then proceeded up the river. When they were about six miles from Stockton, half a dozen barges filled with armed men came around a bend in the river.

"Boat ahoy!" cried a tall man standing up in the foremost barge. No attention was paid to this hail, and the boat was kept on its course. In an instant more than fifty rifles were leveled at them, and Perch and Wiggins crouched down in the bottom of the boat and covered themselves with a buffalo robe.

"What do you want?" cried Toney.

"We are hunting for Red Mike, Long-Nose Jack, and the Preacher,"

exclaimed several men in the barges, which now came alongside.

"They are not here," said Toney.

"We will see," said one of the men. "Who is that hiding there?" And he jerked the buffalo robe aside and beheld Perch's fiery head of hair.

"Red Mike!" he exclaimed.

"And that is Long-Nose Jack," said another man, pointing to Wiggins's extraordinary nasal projection.

"And there is the Preacher," said a big fellow, gazing sternly at Moses, who, from his peculiar conformation, looked much like a parson in disguise.

"The Preacher is the worst of the whole gang," said one of the men.

"We will hang him on the highest limb," said another.

"Good heavens, gentlemen! you are not going to hang them?" exclaimed Toney.

"They have done nothing!" cried Tom.

"They have just landed in California," said the Professor.

"You three fellows shut up," said one of the men. "We have got nothing against you, but we know these chaps. They are New York Hounds. Robbed a tent last night. We'll hang them as soon as we get back to Stockton."

Moses and Perch were dumb with terror, as they were dragged into one of the barges, while Wiggins e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed,--

"Oh, Lord! oh, Lord!" With loud cheers the men rowed away in the direction of Stockton. Toney and his friends followed, but were soon left far behind.

When the lynching-party reached Stockton with their captives, loud shouts were heard on sh.o.r.e.

"They have got them! they have got them! Ropes!--ropes!" were the cries, as the unfortunate prisoners were dragged from the barge.

"Hang them! hang them!" was shouted and screamed by infuriated men, who came running with ropes prepared for the execution of the robbers. The affrighted prisoners were hurried to a large oak, which stood about a hundred yards from the main street. Three mules were now led to the spot, and the supposed felons, with ropes around their necks, were made to mount on the backs of the animals. A man climbed into the tree and fastened the ropes to a large horizontal limb. Each mule was held by its bridle, while a man stood behind with a whip, ready to apply the lash at a given signal.

"Now," said a tall individual, who seemed to be the leader of the lynchers, "if you three fellows have got any thing to say, sing out. You have got five minutes to live. When I fire off this pistol, the mules will jump from under you, and you are gone."

"Oh!--oh!--oh!" groaned Perch.

"Tell my father," said Moses, turning his head round and looking piteously at Perch, "that I was hung for nothing."

"I can't tell him," said Perch, "I've got to be hung myself,--oh!--oh!--oh!"

"You have three minutes left," said the man with the pistol, looking at his watch.

"Oh, Lord! oh, Lord! oh, Lord!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Wiggins.

"If that's all you've got to say, you might as well shut up and be hung at once. Two minutes left!"

"Oh! oh! oh!" groaned Perch.

"One minute!"

"Mercy!--mercy!--mercy!" cried Moses.

The man c.o.c.ked his pistol and elevated it over his head.

"Oh, Lord! oh, Lord! oh, Lord!" screamed Wiggins.

"Hold on!" cried a voice in the crowd.

"What's broke loose?" said the man, lowering his pistol and turning round.

"Here comes the Alcalde!" shouted a number of voices, as a rough fellow, with long hair, galloped up and halted his panting horse in front of the gallows.

"What are you doing there?" asked he. And he glanced at Moses and his comrades, sitting on the mules, with the ropes around their necks.

"Hanging Red Mike, Long-Nose Jack, and the Preacher," said the man with the pistol in his hand.

"You have waked up the wrong pa.s.sengers. We caught the infernal thieves on the road to San Jose. Here they are," said the Alcalde, as a party of men galloped up, having three prisoners in custody with their hands tied behind their backs.

"Let these men go," said the Alcalde, pointing to Moses and the other two who were just about to be hung.

The supposed robbers were released and the real offenders placed on the backs of the mules.

"Run!" cried Moses, "run! run!" And he and his two companions fled in headlong haste to the water's edge, and encountered Toney and the other occupants of the boat, who were just landing.

"Where are you going?" said Toney, as all three leaped into the boat and seized the oars.

"Home!" exclaimed Moses.

"Back to the States!" cried Perch.

"I wouldn't stay here a week for all the gold in the mountains!" shouted Wiggins.

"Come back! don't be fools! it was all a mistake," said Toney.

"You'll be murdered," said Wiggins.

"Oh, Toney, come with us! They will hang you if you stay here!" cried Moses.

"Don't make dunces of yourselves," said Toney.