Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-02-12
THE LONE CABIN.

HAD ridden hard and fast, and was
astonished TO find myself coming into
struggling settlement On the course
which | should have taken there was
nothing of the sort. Somewhere had
crossed the right trail and taken the
wrong one. Almost any traveller in the
border sections would have been glad 10
thus stumble upon place for food And
refreshment. Not so with myself. In
the breast-pocket of my coat I carried
So, ,490-odd dollars, United States money.
had received this amount from Mai.
Gen T. NJ. Lacy, and it was to be carried
through to Fort l. and placed in the
hands of Col. Asa F. Souhard to defray
necessary army expenses.
d" Get through at your best gait, Carnes,"
said the Major. The money is long
since overdue, and Soulhard's rather
irascible temper must have been tried to
the utmost. You know how the soldiers
get TO growing it uncle is at all delin-
quent in paying up. Ride in careless
manner, but be careful. l don't think
that anyone dreams of the arrival of
this money-save, of course, the mail
agent and the clerk who delivered me
the packages"
/ was directed over an unfamiliar Sec
tion, hence my losing of the direct route.
l considered it my safest plan, so long as
! had blundered upon the verge of the
settlement, to boldly enter and rest as an
ordinary traveller would do. Should
push hurriedly on, might by that very
act excite suspicion.
There were only two men in the bar
room when | entered; the landlord and
The hostler. Under his familiar cordial
ity the landlord furtively eyed me in n
manner that made me wish | was well
done with my job, but treasured myself
with the thought that it was the con-
sciousness of the responsibility reposing
upon me that caused his glances to dis
turb me. Before l had finished my
supper two more travellers rode up,
called out for the hostler, and ordered
drinks, or rather one of them came in
with the orders and the other threw him.
self down on bench outside and began
loading huge pipe. Strolling careless
ly about the room, managed to glance
out of the window. My heart leaped
into my throat, for in the man outside
/ recognized-from description of him
Bill Wolf-one of the most desperate
characters that ever figured in the annals
of border-ruffianism. There was the
huge red mustache, the thick, hairy
throat, and the shoulders hunched up
around his head, suggesting the shape
of mammoth clam-a and the voice with
deep-down intonation like the plop,
plop, plop of water hurrIedly leaving a
jug. If the description of the notorious
renegade is inelegant, it has the merit of
truthfulncss, and must, therefore, be
excused.
/ went through with my supper in
hI1f II tnx 7 l.
felt on my entrance into the inn had van
ished with my discovery. After a time
the other fellow came in. having been
out, he said, to look after the animals,
and they also ordered supper. Now was
my time to leave, which | did in a care
less manner, passing some commonplace
remarks with the two men as l crossed
the dim, smoby bar-room. AS they seemed
to take no notice of me whatever l felt
my spirits rise with hope that | should
make safe transit. 1t was quite dusk
lsh outside, but the hostler was fitting
about the stable with his lantern, which
emitted but little more effulgent light
than white bean would have done, but
he graciously brought out my steed at
the order, and mounting | thankfully
trotted away. The moon-a little passed
full-would make her debut in something
more than an hour after sunset, and
pushed along at a smart trOt SO as to get
well out upon the plains and into the
right trail before that time. The animal
went along at an assuring gait and was
feeling infinitely relieved at my provi-
dental escape from contact with the des.
perate characters whom had left at the
settlement when my acute, trained, ever
alert ears detected the sound of swift
riding. In which direction? From be-
hind me, as the mildly floating breeze
blew from that quarter. The face OF the
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 to
listen. No chance travellers ever rode
like that. 1t meant pursuit.
l gave my steed CALLING lash and she
broke into convulsive gait, hove her
BODY up with one or two plunges, stum-
bled, going down from her knees to her
nose, and pitched me literally heels over
head. For an instant | was parslyZed
with aston shment, the next seized the
bit to 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 lcgs-mY horse
had been peculiarly marked with white
legs and face and found these sticky
with whitewash. What then? Simply,
my trappings had been transferred to
another animal gotten up to exactly rep
resent mine in the evening. This dis
covery brought an appalling inteprcta-
lion of the OncOming hOrsemen. | gave
the horse the whip as soon as his unsta-
BILE legs were we'll under him and sent
him securing on ahead while ran off to
the right, making for little hollow near
a shallow, dry ravine. Here, to my pro-
found astOnishment, discovered lone
cabin, or hut, about the dimensions of
an ordinary country loghouse, and i'm.
pulsively dashing up to this l gave a
rapid succession of knocks. A shrink
ing pale and covering woman opened it.
What is it?" was her first question,
noticing my breathless haste.
Had stopped for a moments reflec-
lion upon the strangely isolated position
Of the cabin should not have pushed
IN by her with the explanation:
:" Is there any chance to hide here
my horse has thrown me and believe a
party OF desperadoes are close up with
me-"
noticed that the moon was coming up
Try and red in the east when she me-
,hanically closed the door behind me |
before l had finished my explanation.
"No, no; there is no place." she
sasped, her quick ear now catching the |
sound Of the coming horsemen. "Tnis
s all the room there Is, and there is |
neither cellar nor attic"
" But thisl" exclaimed, rushing for a !
dark object in the corner.
cts a coffin" was her quick re.
IpOnse; "but there's no other chance
hey are turning up to the door-get in"
had barely time to place myself in |
his receptacle for the dead when a |
l0arse voice -one that knew by de- |
cription which had of it-called out;
Here, you, Dick"
The woman threw her apron over her
lead and opened the door.
a = a