The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-07-20
SAVED BY THE WRONG HORSE.
BY ". l. o

TO be, the Republican candidate ior Oo'>
ernor only receiving little over nine
hundred majuriiy. Ga The vote Tor Com
gressmen, The Democrats obtained ma
iorIty la the Senate Of 6,6l2. ln tie
Fourth District, Wilson, Rep, was eect-
ed by four votes.
AT this time | resided at Osceola, a
small village six miles lrom klkhurt.-
The laller was then "a thriving business
town, about the size Ut the former village
of Kingston. Ii was also IA railroad juuc
tin, and the largest place in the county.
consequently Ii possessed greater tele~
graphic facilities than any other place
- withn IL radius of twenty miles. Being
somewhat anxious to learn the result hat
evening, | saddled my horse, after The
polls mad 5cen closed, and rode over to
Elkhart, Ga arriving there, | found an
excited crowd surrounding The telegraph
office, commenting on the returns which
had just begun to come III. There were
three candidates running for Congress in
this District, which fact was undoubtedly
the principal cause Of The uprUar.
| waited uHII one CLOCK in the morn.
ing, and The figures obtained up to thai
time on the vote for Governor were SO
nearly equal that il was evident the off
clal returns only would tell the tale.
There was just enough light to make
darkness visible when | started for home.
While On the road Il fell among thieves ="
1 stopped AT a little country tavern in the
woods about two miles out, TO get cigar,
tor when Il person is as hungry as | WAS
just then, nothing except a good square
meal will ailay hunger like cigar
Even at that late hour the bar-rJom was
partially filed with set of noisy roughs,
and liquor was being dealt out TO them
with an unstinted hand. 1 entered, leav>
ing my horse standing with several others
IN front of the tavern.
The cigar was purchased and lit, and |
l turned 10 90 out. when the proprietor OF .
The ''shebang," seeing that l had just .
come from Eikhart, asked me who WAS
elected Governor according TO the latest
dispatches. | replied that the result was
yet In doubt, when suddenly a thick set,
rascaily-looking fellow stepped up, shook
his fist IN my face, and Informed me, in
not very choice language, that | lied
After picking bimself up from the floor,
he drew from one Of his boots an enlarged
EDITION of an Arkansas toothpick, and then
this benishted IIousier ''went for me.
AS he had Il ''tusn hand | thought
dis was the better part of vaIor,'
and passed out of The door.
Hurrl@dfy mJunting my horse, started
eft for home on a galIop, but not mo
ment too soon, for the biood-thirsty man
carver threw himself on another horse aud
Immediately pursued A stern chase is
pToycrbial:y a long chase, and in very
few minutes | found | was gradually
gaining. While leaning over ;he neck Of
my pony, to keep from being brushed off
any seat by projecting branches, passed
y small clearing, where it was not uIite
so dark, and was astonishcd to find ihat
circumstances had made me horse thief.
The animal on which | was riding had
wEile face, while my owa pony, which
was probably carry ing my pursuer, was
splendid sorrel.
However, | had an excellent trade, and
although the half cr"zy demon behind
used his Bowie in place of spur to urge
on his beast, lie gained but little | now
discovered two pistols IN the holsters on
either side of the saddle, and quickly /
drawing them out, fred twice at tn
rniiian, who was only about fifty yards /
behind. Owing TO the darkness neither .
shot had any effect, except to bring out "A /
whole broadside Of useless profanity. and .
We still rode at the top Of our speed.
In lttIe while we were ''out Of the
wOUds, but 1t came near being in my
Case 'out OF the tryIng~pan into the fire.
Just as l came 10 turn in the road on
the outskirts OF the forest, from behind Il
low stone wall, directly in front, rose the
scarcely dlS'lnguishable forms of four
men, with fi'earms. They Immediately
drew bead" on me. thought | would
have TO ''go uuder," but endeavored TO
dash past, leaning over, q iu Comanche.
as much as possible. a gentleman who
do saved from drowning, after going
down Tor the third time, once told me
that, IN the few seconds occupied in sinks
ing, all the more prominent deeds of his
life passed in quick succession before hls
mind.
At that moment ! also seemed to be
looking into mirror of the past, yet |
die not lose my selt>possessIon. The
very next instant tit seemed at least five
minutes 10 me) one of the mysterious four
called out, "DUn't fire ! lis jim Don't
you know the horse Some ones after
him !" | saw that as it was too dark for
hum 10 discover my identity, he recognized
the horse, and supposed the rider was his
comrade. SO, Initiating The Hoosier's
coarse voice as we'll as | could, grunted,
''StOp that fellow behind - and rode on
as fast as possible, not desuous of waiting
for the denOueHleM which / knew must
sooR take place. Al this occupied
scarcely one tenth of the time have taken
TO relate IT, Ii was lucky mistake for
me, for in another moment / heard the
report of several rifles, but as no bullets .
whlsIled in my neighborhood, | rightly /
conJectured that the cold lead had been