Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-11-25
NO. Is.
and swearing horribly

iooidS my Uaiance, leii HeaoIoug TO the
ground
In their haste they passed me unnoticed,
and having caught my pony, came can
terlng back, swearing vengeance, to where
[ lay, bleeding and bruised, my ankle
broken, but still retaining my faculties
and most Of my strength, thinking | was
at their mercy. for | lay motionless
They rode up to within few PAGES Of
me the nearest advanced, uttering the
most fearful oaths When close enough,
| arose quickly on one knee, and, taking
deliberate aim, fred the ball passing
through his forehead, he dropped without
a groan.
His companion, with more pluck than
could possibly serve him, under the cir
cumstances, having fastened the horses to
tree, drew his hanger, and with fear
full oath rushed at me. Covering him as
he advanced, / waited. to make
thing ssaltil lsa~ws--s.-sssssse on me then
fired With the quickness Of lightning
he ducked, and ere I could meet him
again he was upon me, dealing severe
blow, which I received on my left arm,
partially disabling it. I sprang at him,
and grasping his legs, tore him to the
ground, when a dreadful struggle now
commenced.
Under any other circumstances his
chances would have been small, indeed !;
but cut, bruised, with my foot broken
and face lacerated from the fall, was in
sorrowful plight 70 fight for my life !;
still, he had hard work before him and had
[ not lost my pistol in the scuffie, mine
would have been easy.
Ia vain did he try to free his sword
arm, or to keep uppermost, as we rolled
over and over, covered with blood and
dirt, while maledictions on todos 4meri-
canos came Kissing through his grinding
teeth.
| still held him like a vice, but was
mementarily getting weaker from loss of
blood, which now flowed quickly from
deep wound 10 my temple. My grasp
on the bandit was relaxing, and shouted
for help as loud as my failing strength
would permit. Perceiying this, the
Spaniard redoubled his efforts; succeeding,
he struck me tremendous blow with the
hilt of his sword, which partially stunned
me. | remember hearing shout, and
could see men about, when the william re-
peated the blow, and became unconscious:
When [ aw0ke from my trance it was
late in the day. l was lying on a cot in
miserable rancho or hut, scarcely better
than hog house an old woman was
bathing ny wounded head, rocking too
aud fro all the time in most inconsolable
manner. Lying on the bare ground,
which served as il floor, were three brown
ed looking men, in the garb Of foreign
sailors they were heavily ironel, while
crouched in corner, bound hand and
fSqs was strange locking nf fslEaafg Sans his
audibly, while blood streamed from a
deep cut in his forehead, which he vainly
attempted to wipe with his pinioned hands;
at the door, or entrance, stock two soldiers
or country police, with sergeant, who;
on seeing me open my eyes, came forward
and kindly asked if felt better.
yes" I replied, ''much better but
what means all this-those prisoners
ironed, and you fellow"
The sergeant shook bis head and re-
ilined his companions.
You had sharp time ont, Cap'n, D
said one of the t4rs, for such three of them
proved to be ''you had sharp time ont;
and on'y we sailed so fast from that ere
Hayanor, you'd be ont other tack nov"
That's SO, Capn," chorussed his
companions that's So
but tell me- said [, my reason slowly
returning; tell me all about this affair
and how came to be here :"
'sYou see Cap'n," continued the first
speaker, we-thats me and my mates =
desarted our ship in Havaner, an was
maxim our Goose east about we was three
DAYS on the voyage, an ''spected to make
Matanzas this mornin' when about eight
bells last night we heard some shootiu'
and hove too for bit s; after a little VIZ
hard cry for help, and SEEM it was In
English, we put on more sail, an got
'longside O you, just as that ere pirate
pointing to the party who was bleeding)
war about to finish yer so fetchin' hin
lug wi piece o stunsailyard, wot
carried along fur walkin', stick, we
! tied him WI a hammock lashin', and
brought you an him down bit the road,
and fndin' this ere hut. we busted thu
door III, on here we are.
1--WE would Pave yer, Cap'n," con
tinuAd the sailor, ''fearin' be might 81
loose, an about two hours ago those sogers
cum an put them darbies Oh, so you see,
chorussed his companions, 1--WE be in ;
blasted fix F."
We were all brought TO Matanzas, six
miles distant, prisoners when, having
explained matters to the officials salts
faction, we were conplimented for GU
pluck, and | was sent to my lodgings, a
the city's expense, where | found lay wife
who, a few hours before, was given NJ
as hopeless, and in, the very jaws of death
now able to sit up.
Having, short time previous, beer
told of my adventure, she became sudden
" better, the excitement having completed
broke the fever, which. otherwise, woulc
certainly have proved fatal. In FEY
days she was qnite recovered, and neve
ceases now to attribute her miraculou
preservation to the pounding | got fror
the brigands.
The bodies Of the robbers were brough
to town and identified as being, whe
living, the most relentless and crue
murGerers.
| received the reward, which W;
happy to share with nay praservers, VIII
with two hundrsd and ffty each in the