The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-02-20

IN see. she returned, moving slowly over
the door.sill, and then lcaping TO the cask she
lifted out the tub and tipped my prison over
II lutle SO that could spring out | was be
hind the c8,k when Dick came 10 the door,
and chrrupcd his beast up to the tub to
drink.
IN 90 with YOU as far rs the folks, he
said MS two OF them came out with the coffin
and slid it INTO the body of the wagon. They
then stepped back, probably TO tell the others,
| Al that moment wild and desperate plan
entered my brain, but feeling for my knife, |
| found that il was missing, along with the belt
| n which it was attached. In the sudden
! ios,le which the falling steed had given Inc,
1.-The glrdle had been snapped and lost without
nv Knowledge. The horses of the three rene.
pades-my own, which had been retained by
the hostlCr at the inn, among them-werc
lhitched at the farther side of the door where
the moonlight, striking by the end of the cab
in, rested fully upon 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 she had mixed, seized the only
alternative. sprang lightly into the wagon,
lifted the coifin-ld, and again crawled into
the long narrow prison.
There was no choice The flood of moon.
light had swept SO far toward my hiding
place that only part of my body was con.
ceuled by the barrel, and knew that discov-
cry was inevitable for the man S horse stood
In such position that in order to recover the
reins he must have trodden upon me; and
there was no earthly thing, as far as the eye
could reach over the PLAIN behind which
man could hide. All, but what II he should
re.adjust his freight? Can you think how
my heart pumped away at the thought! You
wonder what my plan could be? had none,
other than the hope of having only one man
to deal with, if he went on his way as he cal.
cuatcd. The three rufIians were mounted
and all were about to start, when the woman
ran out viii some sort of blanket and nut
tered something about covering the coffin.
The man yelled ont to her TO mind her own
business and let the thing alone.
She rctreatcd with the cloth, but she had
accomplished her purpose In its folds she
had concealed bowie knife; under its cover
she had raised the lid and dropped the wcap-
on inside, risking giving me cut as it FELL
upon me- but in the momcntary 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 so that
breathing was easy if my position was
cramped
The three horsemen spread out, remarking
10 each other: Beat up the game now speed
lily before, by any miracle, he gets into the
wooded belt by Buford's Springs
They continued to halloo to each other for
some time; their liberal potations surmount-
ing their discretion.
Dick they called back as they were
starting off, "a cool twelve hundred a piece !;
throw off your old shell and join us IN the
hunt
The driver mumbled something but the
whisky had thickened bis speech so that it
was uninteIigible to me.
If he did attempt to move that coffin | was
lost
They kept within mailing distance for the
length Of three or more miles. Dick smash
ing the wagon along at "A stunning gait; and
| expected every moment that my shell would
be iOstlcd out
BY and by there was a shout off to the
right; tally no, as if the huntsmen had
sighted the quarry. Nothing but an unwar-
rantable amount Of liquor could have intlu-
enced them to act rs they did, Tor no sooner
had they called out from the right, than Dick
came to a sudden halt, ieaped from the seat
and ran off toward those who were halloOing.
For ono instant my heart stopped beating
at the thought Of the hazard which | was
about to run. The next moment | sprang
from the coffin to the ground. \ few light.
ming like strokes and had severed the traces
and the holdbaCks of the harness.
The whole scene is wildly pictured in
my mind. The mOOn-lghtcd prairie, the
little ravinc toward which the renegadcs were
dashng, the wagon standing IN the trail
then the rafting Of the falling thills reached
the ears of the party, and with wild Shout
they turned toward me. was on the horses
I,,t
was sharp report of two rifles. | felt a sting
in my foot, another IN my shoulder, but the
horse was unharmed, and the race for life
began
There was dishcartcning disadvantage for
me, for had no saddle, but was riding for
my life, and | held my steed between my
knees, and took the broad trail with the fury
of tornado But the issue would rest most
ly with the horses. | knew nothing of the
one | rode; | knew nothing of those that
were pursuing me, excepting my own white
faced mare. She could run like an antelope
and outwind a hurricane
On and on my stead, desperately spurred
with the point of my knife, bore ahead, &C
tually 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 animal
took the declivitles with Il plunge, and the
elevations with a sure, fierce strIdc-across
the brawling iord-but crack came another
rifle echo, and again ST. cam of fire seemed
To strike my shoulder They were closing IN
closing up | could now make out only
two horscman following. One of these had
discharged his rifle; al me, tho other knew
was held in rest for them to come just few
yards nearer.
A momentary dizziness Topped me over
upon my horses neck, the rutlians yelled tri.
umphantly behind, but distant echo brought
me up, and giving my poor beast blow,
emitted the wild, long fierce yell of the Dor.
der rangers, und sped on again; but my
horse had that peculiar squirm now and then
in his gait that told me he was faltering.
Again that echo reached me, swelling out
on the rising wind-it was the shrill squeal Of
the fife and the umdiddle.um, did. cum dun
dun of infantry returning from some expe.
dition TO Fort L. Again sem out that
long wild border yell and knew by the
quicker breathing of the fife, and the rapid
pushing of the drum that the soldiers had