The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-09-24
NUMBER 35.

The driver mumbled something but the
whisky had thickened his speech SO that it
was unintelligible to me.
LII he did attempt to move the coffin T
was lost.
They kept within hailing distance for
the length of some three or four miles
Dick smashing the heavy wagon along at
a stunning gait; auG l expected every mo-
ment that my shell would be jostled out.
By and by there was a shout off to the
right of a tally ho'' as if the huntsman
had sighted the quarry. Nothing but an
uuwarrantable amount of liquor could have
influenced them TO conduct themselves as
they did, for no sooner had they called ont
from the right than Dick came to a 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 next hazard
which | was about to run. The next mo-
ment sprang from the coffin to the ground
a few Eghtning-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 towards which the renepades
were dashing, the wagon standing in the
trail-then the rattling of the falling thiIls
reached the ears of the party, and with a
wild shout they turned toward me. | was
on the horse 5 back, but boldly defined by
the moonlight. There was the sharp re-
port of two rifles | felt sting in my
foot, another in my shoulder but the horse
was unharmed, and the race for life began.
There was disheartening disadvantage
Tor me, for had no saddle, but | was rid
ing for my life, and | held my steed be-
tween my knees, and took the broad trail
with the fury of a tornado. But the issue
would lest mostly with the horse. knew
of hat
excepting my own white faced mare. She
could run like an antelope and out-wind a
! hurricane.
I On and on my steed, desperately spurred
: with the point of my knife, bore ahead,
actually causing me to gasp for breath
and not two hundred yards in the rear
rode my would be murderers.
On the rolling prairie now, and my ami
NAL took the decivities with a plunge,
and the elevations with a sure, fierce
stride-across the brawling ford-but crack
came another rifle echo, and again a stream
OF lire seemed TO strike my shoulder. They
& were closing ln--ciosing up. | could now
make out only two hoISemen following me.
+ One of them had discharged his rifle at me,
the other | knew was held in rest for them
! to come just few yards nearer.s
! A momentary dizziness Topped me over
upon my horses neck. The rutfians yelled
/ triumphantly behind, but distant echo
stinging blow, ! emitted the wild. long.
fierce yell of the border rangers. and sped
ON again but 10Y horse had that peculiar
squlm now aud then in his gait that told
me he was faltering.
| Again that echo reached me- swelling
out on the rising wiBd-it was the shIill
squeal Of the fife and the rum -diddle-um
did nm dum-dum. DUN of infantry re-
turning from some expedition To Fort
L--. Again ! sent out that long wild
border yell, and | knew by the quicker
breathing of the FIFE and the rapid pulsing
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, | was not done with. / called my
horse with peculiar whistle | repeated
J and repeated it, and then / heard him
/ crashing again in pursuit, while his driver
shouted and lashed him, and tried to pull
him round the other way. For brief
: time the desperate wrestled with the ami
NAL, lashed, goaoed, and roared at her,
but my incessan;, jerky whistles call kept
| her mind and head toward me. He only
gave up the fruitless struggle and leaped
I from her back when a squad of infantry
dashed over hillowy swell of prairie, and
rushed down toward us a. that steady,
measured run which is so effective in con-
I trast with disorderly gait.
tits well, boys | exclaimed, as they
came up with me-for knew his voice. /
had no need to tell them that there was a
prices on his head, as it has been clearly
proved that he had stirred up the savages
to commit more than one essnlassacre of the
settlers and dozen of them, uttering a
yell of fury, started in pursuit, while the
others, noticing my swaying about the
animal which 1 rode, began To think that
had found something serious in my race for
life. In fact, the plain vas rising aud fall
ing and shuffiing about that it took
great amount of nerve aud equipoise to sit
as | ought. They got me nUo For.. Lara
mie, however, with uncle's promiSsory
notes all safe in my vest pocket while my
boot full of blood, and the CALLING flesh
wounds i'm my shoulder, accounted for the
ood maneuverings of the plain wbile was
on horseback. -.t ...... s.......
After brief bnt desperate conflict Bill
Wolf was brought in, aud passed over to
the proper officers "to have ard to hold ;"
until there should be meted out to him the
measure he had given others. $685.