The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-06

the camp Of bushrangers some OF
whpm had carried me to prison but o
few hours before.
Picture my position. Had possess
ed n: good horse, should have made
rush for it, while they were petrifed
with amazcment /; but my treacherous
old b ea st now refused to move forward
or baclt. Just then couldn't have
shouted with Richard: "My kingdom
for q ha rse!' Well, they had me, more's
the pity, seeing that nearly all OF them
were dr. unk, and the rest unsteady in
their joi nts. Maybe they made me tho
butt Of q few thick practical jokes, as
they pulled me from the old mules
back, an d bound my hands, making. tho
rope faiit TO stump, and setting q
thick, rough fellow to guard me. Twas
half pals led by my mistake, Ihad made
no resis, iance. No doubt that much
was in favor.
Time ptlssed. Ere long my guard be-
gan to snc re. Ithen cautiously worked
my hands, and found to my Joy, that 1
could stra in upon tho knots, and slip
my hands through. This did. Next
I mnde some slight movements to try
my chance, md l found they did not
arouse tho sentinel.
The fire WINS dying down to flicker
ing shade, and l knew that it must be
within M hour or two Of daylight. 1
crawled past my guard; he did not stir,
and keering well in the shadow, made
for the horses OF tho party. When close
up to them, I cautiously roso upright,
and snatcllod 0 picket-pin, seized the
halter, and yaulted upon tho back Of a
powerful horse. He seemed docile
enough, but the moving him ont from
amid the others made them uneasy.
They stamped, and paved, and Weighed,
and when, with arnp OF my heel, as q
spur, we dash ed for the cover OF the
woods, the dis turbance made by these
treacherous animal alarmed the camp.
was in for it; now. Life or death
depended upon the events Of rho next
fifteen minutes. dashed into the
thick, tangled woods. Utter darkness
reiSncd. In five minutes was unhorse-
ed, but holding to the halter, / lcaped
on again, and madly dashed forward to
life or to death.
What ride thnt WIS Without bri-
die or saddle, daslihg full tilt against
the wild grape vines everywhere strung
across the way, went /. Once they
caught me under the chin, and swept
me or over tho horses back into the
brush with the pcrspiration oozing from
every pore. a
] scrambled ont and mounted again.
II 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 l escaped. The very danger
which beset my path saved mo.
got through that seventeen miles
ride somehow, coming out scratched md
bleeding, but aliye. Out on the plains,
some five miles from L------., / ran upon
the remains OF mulo train that had
been bringing lis provisions. The
! drivers my around murdered, the carts
:, lundercd and broken, and ono boy OF
Ion, teen, with his scalp clean gone, lny
on " The ground, yet alive. got him up
i,ofore n, 'e..-for how could ! leave him
t% 'opcS 9...on i carried him into S -......
''. Tpnt iii he boy live, captain?"
aBSbS oh. YES, and afterwards be-
came n soldier, loo, md fought against
the Indians" ,n
"Without his scalp = 1890, ,
eyes, and thereby escaped much
trouble, you understand. f"ss 'ne ci'
CARS"