National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-01-03

the camp Of bushrangers some oil
whom had carried me to prison but q
few hours before.
Picture my position. Had ! possess
cd good horse, ! should have made q
rush for II, while they were petrifed
with amazement but my treacherous
old beast now refused 10 move forward
or back: just then couldn't | have
shouted with Richard: "My kingdom
for horse!" Well, they had me, more 4
the pity, seeing that nearly all of them
were drunk, and the rest unsteady in
their joints. Maybe they made me the
butt Of n few thick practical jokes, as
they pulled me from the old mules
back, aud bound my hands, making the
rope fast to stump, and setting a
thick, rough fellow TO guard me. was
half palsjed by my mistake l had made
no resistance. No doubt that much
was in favor. .t
Time passed. Fro long my guard be-
gan To snore. I then cautiously worked
my hands, and found to my joy, that /
could strain upon the knots, and slip
my hands through. This | did. Next
] made some slight movements to try
my chance, and | found they did not
arouse the sentinel.
The fire was dying down to flicker
ing shade, and / knew that it must be
within an hour or two of daylight. |
crawled past my guard; he did not stir,
and keeping well in the shadow, made
for the horses of the party. When close
up to them, ! cautiously rose upright,
and snatched pickett pin, seized the
halter, and vaulted upon the back of
powerful horse. He seemed docile
enough, but the moving him out from
amid the others made them uneasy.
They stamped, and paved, and neighed,
and when, with n rap of my heel, as
spur, we dashed for the cover of the
woods, the disturbance made by these
treacherous animals alarmed the camp.
was in for it now. Life or death
depended upon the events of the next
fifteen minutes. ] dashed into the
thick, tangled woods. Utter darkness
reigned. In Ave minutes was unhorse-
ed, but holding to the halter, leaped
on again, and madly dashed forward to
life or to death.
What ride that was without bri- /
die or saddle, dashing full tilt against
the wild grape vines everywhere strung
across the way, went |. Once they /
caught me under the chin, and swept |
me off over the horses back into the
brush with the perspiration oozing from
every pore.
l scrambled ont and mounted again.
1t was good horse, but dangerous
way. Now dead branch would catch
The corner of my mouth, and now some
thing would come in contact with my
eyes, making them sparkle again.
But | escaped. The very danger
which bcset my path saved me.
got through that seventeen miles
idle somehow, coming out scratched and
bleeding, but alive. Out on the plains,
'ome five miles from L-------, ran upon
he remains of mule train that had
been bringing MS provisions. The
lrivers lay around murdered, the carts
Numbered and broken, and one boy of
ourteen, with his scalp clean gone, lay
N the ground, yet alive. l got him up
before me---for how could leave him
here ?---and carried him into ST..
but did the boy live, captain 2"
Bob? Oh, yes, and afterwards be-
anne a soldier, too, and fought against
he Indians"
Without his scalp?" i
Yes, and thereby escaped much
rouble, you understand. Pass the ci- =
'ars.