The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-12
the upsetting of tho cask. l saw the f,.


rious return of the three renegades.
There was good deal of loud talking
and explanations, and oaths, and stirring
up of hot nectar. and rough remarks
about the cistern in the corner, but b0tl
Dick'and the woman seemed sore abou
that matter, and the man peremptorily
refused to join that hunt because of the
coffin.
swell, you're going our way piece
said Wolf, "likely enough you'll have the
fun of seeing us wing the turkey.'
The conversation was distressingly
personal, made acutely so by Dick ask
ingi Fl. t,ero w,tor ero,,vn o,,t tnero To-,
to drink my horseW
"Pll see," she returned, moving slowly
over the door-sill, and then, leaping tO
the cask, she lifted out the tub, and
tipped my prison over little SO that
could spring out. l was behind the
cask when Dick came to the door and
chirruped his beast up to the tub to
drink.
"Tli go with you as far as the forks"
he said, as two of them came out with
the coffin and slid it into the body of the
wagon. Tney then stepped back, prob.
ably to call the others.
At that moment a wild and desperate
plan entered my brain, but feeling for
my knife, found that it was missing,
along with the belt to which it was at.
tached. 1t was suicide to attempt seiz-
ing one of them; but as the woman, with
some purpose in her mind, sang out to
the men to come back and get the last
dipper-full of liquor which she had
mixed, | seized the only alternative. ]
sprang lightly into the wagon, lifted the
ain nra nh
long-narrow prison.
The three rutfians were mounted, and
all were about to start, when the woman
ran out with some sort Of a'blanket, and
muttered something about covering the
coffin. The man yelled out to her to
mind her own business and let the thing
alone.
She retreared with the cloth, but sine
had accomplished her purpose. In Its
folds she had concealed a bowie knife;
under its cover she had raised the lid
and dropped the weapon inside, it giving
me a cut as it fell upon me; but in the
momentary noise and confusion / had
got the weapon in my hand, and with its
point raised the heavy lid of the rough
box the fraction of an inch, 30 that
breathing was easy If my position was
cramped.
The three horsemen spread out, re.
marking to each other: "Beat up the
game now speedily before, by any
miracle, he gets into the wooded belt by
Butord's Springs"
BY and BY, there was a shout off to the
right OF "tally no" as if the huntsmen
had sighted the quarry. Nothing but an
unwarrantable amount Of liquor could
have influenced them to conduct them.
selves as they did, for no sooner had
they called out from the right, than Dick
came to q sudden halt, leaped from the
seat, and ran off toward those who were
hallooing.
For one instant my heart stopped beat
ing at the thought OF the hazard which
was about to run. The next moment |
sprang from the coffin to the ground. A
lew lightning-like strokes, and had
severed the traces and the holdbacks OF
the harness.
The whole scene is vividly pictured in
my mind. The moon-lighted prairie, the
little ravine toward which the renegades
were dashing. The wagon standing in
the trall-then the rattling of the falling
with wild shout they turned toward
ME. l was on the horses back, but
boldly defined by the moonlight. There
was the sharp report of two rifles. felt
a Sting i'll my foot, another in my shoul-
der, but the horse was unharmed and the
race for life began.
On and on my steed, desperately
spurred with the point of my knife, bore
ahead, actually causing me to gasp tor
breath; and not two hundred yards in
the rear rode my would-be murderers.
On the rolling prairie now, and my an
imal took the declivities with plunge,
and the elevations with sure, fierce
stride - across the brawling ford-but
crack came another rifle echo, and again
stream OF fire seemed to strike my
shoulder. They were closing in-closing
up. | could now make out only two
horsemen following me. One OF these
had discharged his rifle at lhe, the other
knew was held in rest tor them to come
just few yards nearer,
: A momentary dizziness Topped me
over upon my horses neck. The ruffians
yelled triumphantly behind, but dis
tant echo brought me up, and giving my
poor beast singing blow, L emitted the
wild, long fierce yell OF the border ram
gers, and sped on again; but my horse
had that peculiar sQuirm now and then
in his gait that told me he was falter-
ing.
Again that echo reached me, swelling
out on the rising wind-it was the shriil
squeal of the life and the drum diddle.
um, did-e-um-dum-dum, dunn of infantry
returning from some expedition to Fort
l.. Again l sent out that long, wild,
border yell, and knew by the quicker
breathing OF the fife, and the rapid pulls
ing OF the drum, that the soldiers had
broken into the "double-quick" in heed
of my cry.
A parting shot fired at random, and
the two desperadOes turned; but one OF
them, at least, L was not done with. |
called my horse with peculiar whistle
I repeated and repeated it, and then /
heard him crashing again in pur-
suit, while his rider shouted and lashed
him, and tried to pull him round tue
other way. For brief time the despe.
RADIO wrestled with the animal, lashed,
goaded, and roared at her, but my in.
cessant, jerky whistle-call kept her mind
and head toward me. He only gave up
the fruitless struggle and leaped from
her back, when a squad of infantry
dashed over u hillowy swell OF prairie,
and rushed down toward us at that
steady, measured run which is so etfec-
tive in contrast with a disorderly gait
"Its Wolf, boysw l exclaimed, as they
came up with me-for l knew his voice
l had no need to tell them that there
was price set upon his head, as it had
been clearly proved that he had stirred
up the savages to commit more than one
massacre OF the settlers; and dozen ol
them, uttering yell OF Jury, started in