Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-03-22

set the engine in motion.n
"Well planned, eaptaih."
i "One thing more, and to this order
/ want you to give special heed"
"What is it." eIFa tea
"We certainly shall have some
fighting TO do, but use your weapons
only when actually compelled
to do so, and spare the wo-
men. If any man among you
harms one of the ladies and learn
the fact, he dies death of dog. AT
ter we pass the falls, and get up
steam, we will land all those we cap
ture, both men and momen, and let
them make their way home as best
they can.n it
"We shall remember, captain
well, be of now. 1t is dark
enough to advance with safety.r
The forty men started to carry out
their instructions, while Murrell COM
menced his advance up the river, and
just as the clock struck twelve be
and his men arrived under the stern
of the steamer, and it was evident
their proximity was not suspected, for
not the slightest note of alarm had
been sounded. There were sounds of
revelry above. The sweat strains of
music arose upon the air, and oeca-
siOnally = laugh would peal out from
! those all unconscious of fact that
grim death was hovering around
them, and that before the sun would
rise their sun of life would
go down forever. Murrell was be-
coming impatient, for the next hour
seemed to drag slowly along. He
swan around To the PROV of the
craft, and after waiting there for
few moments his ten men came up
they were at least half an hour
ahead of time. After time the first
stroke of the distant church clock
was heard-it was striking twelve
and twenty men, like huge monsters,
crept out from the dark waters and
stood for an instant upon the levee-
Then, with lithing speed, they darted
on board the steamer, and ran into
the cabin. In an instant all was con-
fusion. Wild shrieks burst from fe-
male throats, and strong men shout
ed the alarm. Many of the women
tainted, and not a few of those whom
nature gave the form of heroes sprsng
for shore or into the water, thoroughly
panic-stricken. But there were those
on board who We're not easily intimi-
dated, and they began the life and
death struggle. Drawing their pis-
tols,' they fought coolly but deter |
minedly; and for a time the conflict I
seemed to favor them. The weapons !
of the twenty robbers were useless, |
for the powder had become saturated |
with water, but they fought like de- /
mons with their knives But more /
than half their number had fallen, !
either dead or very badly wounded.
The alarm had been sounded, and |
the tramp of the military could be
heard rapidly approaching. Where
were the other thirty men? If they
had failed or been captured then all
was lost. But no. The boat began
to move out into the river, and TWEEN
ty more robbers rushed into the cabin.
Using the stols freely, the work of
blood was soon completed The cab
in was red with blood, and all around
were men dead or dying, while the
terror stricken women crouched in
agony, either in the state-rooms or in
some corner over the bleeding form
of some loved one.
Murrell himself had entered the
and others had COM
menced their work at the furnace.
And downward the boat drifted to-
ward the falls. Without having the I
wheels in motion to propel her, it /
was impossible to manage the craft [
and keep her head down the stream,
for, as she approached nearer and
nearer the falls, it become evident
that she would go over sideways,
and, if so, there would be the greatest
danger, unless she should happen to
be exactly in the channel, of which [
the chief was not certain. But the !
crisis was at hand. Behind her a [
hundred boats had shot out up the
river in pursuit; around her the mad |
rapids were boiling, seething and l
roaring, and just below was the de-
scent, known as the falls, over which
she must plunge. She trembled heaved
and was going down, when there .
came a crash like the bursting of !
thousand thunders, mingled with the :
most awful shrieks-tbe ship had
struck a sunken rock, and there she :
lung for a moment, while the madwa- |.
.ers rushed over her decks. Then she
broke, and it was evident she was !
going down, total wreck. And, to add ;
% the horror, a cry of ire was raised, :
md it soon became evident that
could save the steamer from
.Otal destruction.
1t now become every man to look
,ut for himself, and Murrell leaped
nto the water. 1t was with consid- 2
,rable difficulty that he reached the
,hore, which he did at length, in an a
exhausted state. Then he seated Z,
himself for few moments, and wait o
ID the regathering of his band. RI
But he was not safe at that point,
md with only five of the robbers,
Who had come to the shore, he took :,
lis way back to his cave. Weary, ,
ick and bruised, he could scarcely =
lrag his way and, and his men were -
eally in worse condition than him =,
elf. The consequence was that an -
unusual length of time was consum- %
"a in reaching the cavern. When he
lid arrive there his appearance was s
,reeted with cheers by those who had d
rrived before him. They were not C;
ntirely disheartened, as their chief
ived, for one of the robbers had
'rought in news that he was among
he slain. ~
Murrell gazed sadly around him <
Ie had less than thirty men left-the K
thers, no doubt, had perisbed. But
Fith one exception this number SEEM
d to welcome his return. The ex- ii
option was a man named Kit n
He frowned fierceiy, re- In
NAMED apart from the rest, and
eemed uneasy. MurruiIl noticed, this,
ut still he gave il little thought,
1t was not long after this that the Ell
hiefentered his cavern. He had not ds
roceeded far, when his attention was g
ttraeted by II grOan. He approach
d the spot from whence the sound
roceeded, and there he found q young ~,
)vely girl, bound hand and foot, in n;
uch manner that she was unable ~
D move. He questioned her and
card her story.
She was on the steamer when il
rent over the falls. Her lover was to
18th her, and he had succeeded in B
citing her ashore. Scarcely had &C
ley landed when her lover
er lover was struck down dead at
er side by rohber, and o.
be was seized and brought thither. n
he rohber was entirely alone, with q, e.
ne exception of herself, during the ~
hole journey. He told her that