The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-02-17

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prairie in this section was little
rolling, but not so as to afford any
shelter, and not shrub or bush
dotted the expanse for miles. /
drew up my horse one moment tc
listen. No chance travellers ever
rode like that. 1t meant pursuit.
gave my steed CALLING lash,
and she broke into q coDvulsive gait,
hove her body up with one or two
plunges, stumbled, going down from
her knees to her nose, and pitched
me literally heels over head. For
al instant | was paralyzed with as
tonishment, the next | seized the bit
10 fetch up the fallen animal, which
had in the brief mishap undergone a
strange metamorphOsis. She had
lost her white face on or in the grass,
and, passing my hand between her
eyes, | found the hair was wet. In
an instant | was examining the
white legs-my horse had been pc
culiarly marked with white legs and
faee-and | found these sticky
with whitewash. What then? Sim
ply, my trappiDgs had been trans
ferred TO another animal, gotten up
to exactly represent mine in the even
ing This discovery brought an ap-
palling Interpretation of the oncom-
ing horsemen. gave the horse the
whip as soon as his unstable legs
were all under him, and sent him
securing on ahead, while | ran off to
the right, making for a little hollow
near shallow, dry rsvine. Here to
my profound astonishment l discov-
cred lone cabin, or hut, about the
dimensions Of an ordinary country
log-house, and impulsively dasbing
up to this, | gave rapid succession
Of knocks. A shrinking, pale and
covering woman opened it.
"W hat is it," was her first ques-
tion, noticing my breathless haste.
Had | stopped for a moments re.
aectIon upon the stragely isolated
position OF the cabin, | should not
have pushed in by her with the ex-
plaDatiun:
is there any chance to hide here
my horse has thrown me aod | be-
lieve party of desperadoes are close
up with me-"
! noticed that the moon was COM
ing up dry aud red in the east, when
she mechanically closed the door be-
hind me. before | had finished my
NO, no; there is no place." she
srasped, her quick ear now catching
the sound of the coming horsemen.
This Is all the room there is-and
there's neither cellar nor attic"
But this?" | exclaimed, rushing
for dark object in The corner.
It's a coiin," was her quick re-
sponse; but there's 40 other chance
they are turning up to the door
get in."
l had barely time to place myself
in this receptacle for the dead, when
a hoarse vOiee-one that knew by
description which | had of it, called
out
Here, you Dick?"
The woman threw her apron over
her head aBd opened the door.
"V here's Dick?n
"He hasn't got back yet;" returned
the woman.
"Ob, he ain't-Jen, hav yer hurd
a horse go by tonight"
"Ies only g little while ago-a
small mani"
'Yes-driying like the devil"
Il guess" she said, and then
paused, you can hear tie horse
now" feigning to listen,
But Bill must have been of sus-
picious nature. l heard him leap
from his horse and strike with a
Earring plunk upon the sod. A
smoulderIng ire was burning on the
stone hearth, ! could imagine Bills
attitude-he had a hand on each
decreasing, his brutal head was
thrust inside the room; he was peer
lug about the apartment.
wv hat in h Is that?" he question
ed and my heart stood still, for
knew he spoke of my retreat.
Its Stauffer's coffin. Dick IS
agoing to carry it over tonight"
'Stutil" calculated the desperado,
"as he made bis bed, 50 let him Law
are the sections for. the
likes y him.
The woman sort OF gFoaned, and
then heard Wolf go up and joggle
the rain barrel at the corner of the
cabin, aud finally go away with the
remark:
He amt fur of; be couldn't stick
10 that blind critter when he began
ter hurry"
w hat shall | do? what shall |
do!" gasped the woman; "they will
be back III twenty minutes, for l be-
lleve that your horse is in sight, not
more than three-quarters of a mile
of, and my husband is liable to come
at any moment"
But with him inside the house we
might"
with ham" she emphasized it in
iespairing tones-"he's Bill VOLTS
brother"
was out Of the coffin in trice
hen, you may well believe.
at is death for ycu any way,"I
;he moaned, 'for | hear the rattle oil
Dicks axles already" \
"Stay, there's the rain barre" NJ
'aid !, in desperation, they've
ried that once, they may not again. F."
And before you would be able to |
speak a sentence, the water was
ieshed out of the cask aad stealing
lowr into tue arid soil, and / was in |
he barrel, and the woman dropping
/ tub half filed with water in at the
op as a cover.
She had barely time to enter the
loase, the door of which, fortunate
V, opened on the side away from the
noon, when rafting vehicle drew
up at the door, and | heard hoarse
7oice raying and swearing at the
woman Cor something done, or un-
lone, and then from the bunghole,
he plug having been dislodged in
he upsetting of the cask, / saw the
'urious return of the three reuegades.