The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-07-11

struck against the iron buckle at hig,. -
gonsl's belt, aud was shivefed :at->
| The refugee saw his advantage, aud raised
bis knife tusfrike. As last hope his pur
suer gtasped his wrist. A desperate s,rug.
| gle ensued. Both we're men of gfeut person
al proves, but the outlaw having already
received wound in his right arm, was per.
haps The weaker of the two. After pro.
tracted contest he yielded, and in fierce
effort made by the husband TO obtain The
knlo, il flew from the refugees hand to the
distance of some yards. BY this time they
had impercepiIbIy been drawn 10 the very
edge Of The hill, where rugged precipice
Of some fly feet, sbot perpendicularly
downward beneath them. Gathering eve.
ny energy fort he last endeavor, the pursu-
ing husband slroVe 10 force the outlaw over
the precIpce, aud had partially succeeded
IN II, when he felt the gravely bank giving
way beneath them. Wiih one hand he
hastily grasped a twg, and with the other,
making gigantic effort, he threw lis an.
tagoulsi over the preciplce, so that the out.
law dln@ed in tie air, having no support
hut tic bold he kept upon the left arm Of
his antagonist. Al hope for the refugee
"as over, but he determined that his foe
should perish with him. Moments passed
away, at every one Of which the bank gave
way more md more. The utmost Efforts
Of the victor 10 shake OF the dying man
were in vain, and he felt that his last hour
was come. He heard 90 more, even the
shouts Of his friends and wi:h sickenlng
sensation, he itlt they had either lost their
"ny or deserted him. Could they only
have come up he might have been saved
He tei, the tvig begin to yield-he had al
ready slipped half or the bauk -and the
s'Iugg es Of The dying man we're becoming
more desperate every moment. lie gazed
a, tie gu'f below. Broken limbs Of trees,
aad uIJoo,ed piucs lay mingled promis.
cuously together, so tina, 10 fall in the abyss
would te ce.iBin destruction. The coun
lenance Of the outlaw already wore de.
moGiacal smile 10 contemplation Of the ruin
70 which he was dragging the young man.
And that brldegfoom-wa there hope for
hlm Ams all was gone. He gave one
thought If his brlde-oue look toward heav.
en-one prayer 10 his God, aud then shut
his eyes agGins, the awful catastrophe he
felt had come. Suddenly, however a sharp
report, as Of rife, rung wildly in his ears
and a, the same instant he felt the hold Of
the outlaw relax from his ann. lie open
cd his eyes only to behold the dying man
shooting Ike az arrow down The abyss
ouly 10 see his mangled body lying sasuer.
cd on She trunks Of the trees below. 10
moment he was drawn away from the bank,
and clasped in the arms Of his companions,
who, coming up at the very last moment,
had, by shooting the outlaw in the heart,
rescued their friend from horrid death.
/ was a glad night, that one, al the lit.
tic farmhouse, after the return of the har-
dy adYen'urefs from their espcd,ion.--
Mary was by this time completely reccy.
ertd, aud happier evening never was
spent BY two fond young hearts than by the
young bridegroom and his bride.
The refugees were from lha, time extir.
pated in the vicinity. But their memory
yet survives, and though the Incidents Of
this tale, depending hitherto on tradition
for preservation, are now known TO few, yet
there are still living, or were some years
ago, one or two lettering pattiatchsr whose
eyes would kindIe, and whose breath would
come quick as they told Of tile outlaws fate.
The spot where the fastness Of the re.
0ugeea was located, is deep in one Of those
tangled swamps, which skirt the shores Of
n river, aud which are amos, imper.
1lous 10 the aunshiHe, aud impenelrsble 10
the foot Of man. IL is many a long dsy
since the writer Of this little sketch nene.
iraled to It under the guidance of an old
'yoodsmGn and he will never forget The re.
teshlng draught he took al the little spring
Of cedar water, hard by the site Of the ten,
ament. The rude cabin which the outlaws
bad constructed, had for years lain ro,tng
On The earth the wild deer had trot,ed gal.
y over The spot where it once stood young
saplngs, and then rugged trees, had sprung
up within the circuit of its fallen walls, and
only few decayed iimbers, crumblng with
nee, and covered with moss, betokened The
position Of The dreaded habitation.
The bill on which the final encounter of
he combatants took place, is, this day,
shown not far from little creek, emplying
nlo the NJ river, some miles from
Chichester. 1t is still bold, rugged, bro.
Ken precipice, though within tho last forty
years it has fallen considerably away,
Trough the action of the SHOWS and rain.
The lttle rayine INTO which the outlaw FELL
5 now half filed up with slides of earth
rom the precipce above, Tradition, how.
'ycr, sui preserves the exact spot where
he last conflict occurred aud we'll do We
remember the eagerness with which, 10 oar
)oyish days, we listened, as we stood on
he very brow of the HILL to an old veie.
,au's thrilling account oil the outlaws death.
struggle. Il
eSsxxEEEzx@
THE EOLIAN ATTACHMENT.
Tom Duucombe being asked by Lord
EyOnley what species of attachment this