Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-07-31

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the day before. AS passed them,
thought they eyed me very suspic
iously, at the same time exchanging
very significant glances with eacl
other. This made me feel very un
easy, and instinctively put my
hands on my pistols and spurred my
horse into brisk trot to get clear o
them. The further got from them
the more uneasy became, until my
convictions amounted almost to a Ger
tainty that they were after no good
and were following us. That they
meant mischief 1 felt assured and thu
thought so alarmed me that L put
spurs to my horse and was soon i'm O
sweeping trot erC--@. AS soon rs
arrived, / hastily got my papers and
was soon hurrying after my compan.
ions, feeling all the time that those
men meant usan injury. 1 soon came
to where the road forked and saw that
the men had taken the same road as
my companions. This increased my
fears. l examined my pistols-I had
two fine double-barreled ones--and
found them to be all right. 1 put my
horse to the top of his speed. 1 had
frequently rode him sixty miles q
day without injury, and as the air was
cool and bracing, was confident that
q gallop of five miles would not IA
tigue him much. I soon found they
had ridden faster than when / left
them, as at Vernon learned they
had been gone a full quarter of an
hour. was at O loss to know why
they did not wait for me. l hurried
on determined to overtake them as
soon as possible. Just rs had cross
ed the Piney and entered one of those
dark heavy timbered bottoms, 1 heard
the firing of pistols and the screams
of Myra just ahead of me. Dashing
up, saw one of the ruflians holding
Myra's horse, which was rearing fu-
riously, by the bride, whilst the 9TH
ers were killing Mr.. Wilson or hold
ing their own horses. Myra shouted
my own name and called upon me
for help. 1 shot the one dead that
held her horse and shouted to her to
run for her life. She comprehended
me, for with slapsof the rein her
horse was soon bounding away at a
fearful rate. dashed by the group
and as / passed fired my other barrel
at them. They by this time had re-
covered from their establishment and
returned the shot that 1 had gave
them with several Others. One OF
them took effect in my left arm and
another struck me on the head which
came near knocking me from my
horse. also became aware that
was bleeding profusely. Seeing THAT
1 was riding of, they shouted, "to
horse and after them" then knew
that it would be ride for life, and
that the best horses would win. ]
knew l could trust mine, but Myra's
1 did not know. Mine was used to
exercise, Myra's was not. Looking
around, as 1 was passing through a
long stretch in the road, 1 found that
only three were following us and that
l had some three hundred yards adj
vantage. i also found from the man.
ner in which their horses carried
themselves, that all three of them
were well mounted. My only hope
was to distance them. 1 gave my
horse the rein and urged him on to
catch up with Myra. This was no
easy task, for after having ridden for
an hour, found that had gained
but little on her, and when the road
permitted 1 saw that our pursurers
We're gradually lessening the distance
between us. struck my horse, pat
ted him, encouraged him to go faster,
and it seemed as If the very ground
was flying under our feet. Another
hour brought me by the side of Myra.
Looking back saw that our pursu-
ers had closed the distance to hall
that at first.
"Myra, urge your horse to his very
best, for we are running for our lives"
AS 1 said this, ! struck him with my
whip. saw that the noble horse was
doing all he could. Mine could have
run faster, but l held him beside My
ra's to encourage hers.
"My God will they catch us" !
mentally exclaimed as I saw the dis
lance between us gradually diminish
ing. If they should, what would be-
come of my companion. If their
horses should hold up for another
hour, we would he in pistol shot then.
Oh God feared to think. Thus IL
was that we kept up mile after mile
of that long road, until it seemed
that my brain would turn with ex-
element. Looking back I saw that
they were within an hundred yards
OF us and still no sign of their horses
firing. Myra's began to fag, his ears
TO droop, he was unsteady in his leaps,
when l felt that all was lost. / was
sick and faint from the loss of blood.
"Myra, dear Myra, speak to your
horse, encourage him to another eff
fort. We may escape" She looked
at me with streaming eyes, but did
not reply. She had not spoken since
we started on the run. Ipulled mine
back little determining to fire on
them. Just then saw little smoke
curl up from the front man and heard
n