The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-04-25
LANCASTER, OHIO, APRIL IS, 1se

S''N- - ~--~"~'s|' HNf'~N N'S Nf''N ~
side the doorway, but jumped back
when he saw me with the rife in
my hand. ~
"Come in here, you cowardly
.dogr" Ishouted. "Come in here
and fight mel"
"M'Kandlas was no coward, Il
he was a bully, He jumped in
side the room with his gun leveled
to shoot; but he was not quick. Q.
nough. My riAe-ball went through
his heart. He fell back outside the
house, whore he was found after.
wards holding tight to his rife
which had fallen over his head.
"His disappearance was followed
by a yell from his gang, and then
there was n dead silence. / put
down the rife and took the revol.
vor, and said to myself: "Only six
shots and nine men to kill. Save
your powder, Dill, for tile death
hugs comin'l Idon't know why
1t was, Kernel" continued Bill,
looking at me inquiringly, "but al
that moment things seemed clear
and sharp. could think strong
"There was few seconds of that
awful stiffness, and then the ruff.
ans came rushing in at both doors.
How wild they looked with Their
red, drunken faces and infamed
eyes, shouting and cussingl But
| never aimed more deliberately in
my life.
"One--two--th -threc---four; and
four men fell dead.
"That didn't stop tho rest. Two
of them fred their bird guns on
me. And then l felt sting run
all over me. The room was full OF
smoke. Two got in close on me,
their eyes glaring outof the clouds.
One l knocked down with my fist.
you are out OF my way Tor
WHILE" | thought. The second /
shot dead. The other three clutch
cd me and crowded me onto the
bed. / fought hard. i broke with
my hand one mans arm. Ho had
bis fingers round my throat. Be,
fore l could get to my feet / was
struck across tho breast with the
stock OF rifle. and l felt the blood
rushing from my.nose and mouth
Then | got ugly, and | remember
that | got hold of a knife and that
it vas all cloudy like, and / was
wild, and / struck savage blows,
following the devils up from one
side TO the other of tho room and
into the corners, striking and slash
ing until | knew that every one
was dead.
All of sudden it seemed as il
my heart was on fire. l was bleed
ing everywhere. l rushed out to
tho well and drank from the buck
ct, and then tumbled. down in a
faint
Brcathless with the intense in.
terest with which 1 had followed
the strange. story, all the more
thrilling and weird when its hero,
seeming to live over the bloody
events of the day, gave way to its
terrible spirit with wild, savage
gestures, | saw then what my
scrutiny of the morning had failed
to discover-the tiger which lay
concealed beneath the gentle OK
terror.
"You must have been hurt al,
most to DEATH" / said.
"There were eleven buckshot in
me. l carry some of them now.
was cut in thirteen places. All Of
them bad enough to have let ont
the life of q man. But that bless.
ed old DR.. Mills pulled me safe
through it, after bad siege of ma.
ny long week"
THAT prayer of yours, Bill
may have been more potent fol
your safety than you think. You
should thank God for your deliver
ance."
"To tell you the truth, Kernel,
responded the scout with a certain
solemnityin his grave face, II DOM
talk about sich things ter the peo'
pie round here, but always feel
sort of thankful when l get out Of
a bad scrape."