Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-11-22

not IN Pheasant predlcament. 10
carry out his half-mad scheme involv-
ed my running terrible risk Of shoot
ing my friends sweetheart, which at
any other time would have appeared
impossible; but when | read the ag-
ony and loathing in the poor girls
eyes braced my nerves, set my teeth,
laid my rife ready, and inwardly
swore that no trembling of my hand
should mar her deliverance.
And now the savage, truculent-
looking brute, raised his voice, and
demanded, in broken Spanish, sur
render. He threatened US with all
the tortures his ingenious fraternity
are so justly proud Of having invent,
ed, in case of obstinacy, and bid us
look upon his captive, for that she,
too, should suffer for US. AS he said
this he grasped the girls hair brutal
ly, and raised her head. With sud-
den spring of pain and fright she
threw herself out of his arms, and fell
to the ground. His time and mine
had come. As he stopped my bullet
laid him dead by the side of his il
tended victim. Dick made his rush
from the window, and the Indians
theirs from the ditch, as he had pre-
dicted; but, as Rosita was nearer to
the house than the ditch, he managed
to reach her first, and was returning
with her in his arms. And now all
depended on me. Ny first shot, aimed
at the foremost Of the as5ailants, miss
ed him clean; and before | could
seize the other rife, he had made a
vicious thrust at Dick, who, cucumber
ed as he was was quite helpless. The
lance passed through Rositas dress,
luckily without injury to the wearer;
and as the savage drew back for a
cooler aud surer thrust, l had the in
eXpressible pleasure of lodging a bull
let in his body, which efectualIy pre-
vented any further lance exercise from
him.
Then | heard heavy fall in the
room below. Dick had thrown the
burden clean through the open win
dow, at the risk of breaking a limb,
and turning, found himself engaged
hand to hand with a dozen Indians.
He set his back against the wall, and
drew his revolver with his right hand,
receiving as he did so, a speag- thrust
through his left arm; but his and my
revolver, fortunately reserved until
now, PLACED among the attacking par
ty, and a man was dropping at every
shot; SO they drew off. Dick manag-
ed, with a great effort, to drag himself
through the window, and then tainted
away from loss Of blood and exhaus-
ton; and when | ran down the lad
der to make fast the window again
found him comfortably reclining with
his head in Rosita's lap. the latter
having been stunned by her uncerimo-
NOUS entry. But | could not stay to
hear her; my post was on the roof.
hurried up the ladder, noticing for
the first time that | had myself suffer
ed IN the scrimmage to the extent of
slight hesh-wOund from a bullet
The fight was over. Throughout the
remainder Of the night the Indians
fingered about. and stole most of the
horses and some sheep, but they had
not pluck again to encounter the dead
ly breech-loaders. Seldom, indeed,
had such a severe lesson been taught
them; and when the glorious sun rose
I (ncver sight more weicOme) we saw
them ride beaten off the field, bearing
with them five of their slain; six 9th
er corpscs were lying in front OF the
window, where the fiercest struggle
had been, and two more were alter
ward 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 garden near
her fathers house, a short time before
we were attacked.
"1ou. noble caballeros,' she said,
"have preserved me from death, and
from what is far worse. God will re-
ward you, for | can never"
| think Dick, however, was of diff
ferent opinion; at all events he has
always seemed remarkably 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 Ramon's estancia, thai
worthy old gentleman having depart
ed this life shortly after their mar
riage. |, too, am with them as q
partner in the land, focks, and herds
of which we have a good quantity
and whenever the increasing stock o.
little Dicks and Rositas ask me, as
they invariably do of an evening tc
tell them a story, l know that nothing
| less will content them than a full
true, and particular account of the
night attack.-Harper's Weekly,