The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-06-28
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swore that no trembling Of my hand
should mar her dslverance.
And now the savage, atruculent look,
ing brute, raised his voice and demand
cd, in broken Spanish, a surrender He
threatened US with all the tortures his In.
genioua fraternity are so justly proud Of
having invented. in case of obs,inacy,
and bid US look upon bis captive, for
that she, too. should suffer for u.s.
AS he said this, he grasped the girls
hair brutally and raised her head With
a sudden spring of pain and fright she
threw herself out of his arms, and fell
to the ground His time and mine hal
come. AS he stopped my bullet laid
him dead by the si,ie of his intended VIC
| tim. Dick made his rush from the VIM
dow, and the Indians theirs from the
ditch, as be had predicted but, as Rosi-
ia was rather nearer to the house than
the ditch, he-managed TO reach her first,
and was retreating with her in his arms
And now all depended upon me- MY
first shot. aimed at the foremost Of the
assailants, missed him clean; and before
/ could seize the other rife he made a
vicious thrust at Dick, who, encountered
as he was, was quite helpless. The lance
passed through Rosita's dress. Luckily
without injury to the wearer; and as the.
savage drew back for surer and cooler
thrust, had the ineXpressible pleasure
of lodging a bullet in his body. which
efectually prevented any further larce
exercise from him.
Then I heard heavy fall in the room
below. Dick had thrown his burden
clean through the open window, at the
risk of breaking limb, and turning
found himself engaged hand to hand
With dozen Indians. He set his back
asainst The wall, did drew his retoltes
with his right hand, receiving as he did
so spear thrust through his left arm;
but his and my revolver, fortunately re-
served until now, played among the at
tacking party, and man was dropped at
every shot; so they drew off. Dick man.
aged, with q great effort; to drag him.
SELF through the window, and then faint
ed away from loss of blood and exhaus-
ton; and When rap down tile lsdder to
make fast the window again, found
him comfortably reclining with his head
in Rosi.a's lap, the latter having been
stunned at her unceremonious entry
But 1 could not stay to help her; my
post was on the roof. 1 hurried up the
ladder, noticing for the irst time that I
had myself suffered in the scrimmage to
the extent OF slight flesh wound from
a bullet. The fight was over Through
out the remainder of the night the Indi.
ans fingered about,and stole most of the
horses and some sheep,but they had not
pluck again to encounter the deadly
eech-loaders. Seldom, indeed, had
such severe lesson been taught them
and when the glorious sun rose (heyetI
sight more #elE6mej we saw theih rids
beaten off the field, bearing With them |
dv. of the slain; six other corpses were
lying in front of the window, where the
fercest struggle had been, and two more
were afterwards found, who had crawled
into the ditch, like wild animals. to die.
We learned from the pretty Rosita,
whose gratitude was most touching, that
she had been captured while walking in
the orange gardei nsar her father
house, short time before we were at
tackled. 1
"You, noble caballeros," she said,
shave preserved me from death, and
from what is far worse God will reward |
yon, for / never can"
/ think, Dick, however, was of diff |
ferent opinion; at all events he has al
ways seemed remarkably we'll satisfied
with the reward he persuaded her to
make him.
Some years have passed since that
eventful night Dick and Rosita are
living at Don Ranon's estancia, that
worthy old gentleman hasihg depattsd
this life SHORTLY aftst their riiarfiags. /,
too, am with them as partner in the
lands, aocks, and herds, of which we
have goodly quantity; and whenever
the increasing stock of little Dicks and
Rosltas ask me, as they invariably do Of
an evening; to tell them a stbty, I Know
that nothing l.ss win content them than
a full, true, and particular account OF the
night attack.