The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-26

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, re-
marking to each other: Beat up the
game now speedily before, by any mira
Gle, he gets into the wooded belt by
Buford's Springs"
They continued to halloo at each other
for some time; their liberal potations
surmounting their discretion.
Dick, they called back as they were
driving of, ga cool twelve hundred
apiece; throw out your old shell and join
the hunt. -
The driver mumbled something, but
the whisky had thickened his speech so
that it was uninteligible to me.
If he did attempt to move the coffin, I
was lost.
They kept within hailing distance for
the length of some three FOR more miles,
Dick smashing the heavy wagon along at
a stunning gait and I expected every
moment that my shell would be jostled
out.
the right of o Sc tally ho'' as if the hunts
men had sighted the quarry. Nothing
but an unwarrantable amount of liquor
could have influenced them to conduct
themselves as they did, for no sooner
had they called out 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
beating at the thought of the hazard
which was about to run. The next
moment I sprang from the coffin to the,
ground. A few ightning-like strokes,
and / had severed the traces and the hold
backs of the harness.
The whole scene is wildly pictured in
my mind. The moon-ighted prairie, the
little ravine toward which She renegades
were dashing, the wagon standing in the
thills reached the ears of the party, and
with a wild shout they turned toward me-
was on the horses back, but boldly de-
fined by the moonlight. There was the
sharp report of two rifles. / felt sting
in my foot, another in my shoulder, but
the horse was unframed and the race for
life began.
There was disheartening disadvant-
age for me, for had no saddle, but I
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 mostly with
the horse. I knew nothing of the one
which 1 rode I knew nothing of those
that were pursuing me, excepting my
own Whitehead mare. She could run
like an antelope and out-wind hurri-
cane.
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
animal took the deciyities with plunge,
and the elevations with a sure, fierce
stride-across the brawling ford-but
crack came another rifle echo, and again
a stream of fire seemed to strike my
shoulder. They were closing in-closing
up. I could now make out only two
horsemen following me. One of these
had discharged his rife at me, the other
/ knew was held in rest for them to come
just a few yards nearer.
A momentary dizziness Topped me over
upon my horses neck. The r11fians
yelled triumphantly behind, but distant
echo brought me up, and giving my poor
beast a stinging blow, I emitted the wild,
long, fierce yell of the border rangers,
and 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 rum-didd ddle-u um,
did-e-um-dum-dum, dunn of infantry re-
turning from some expedition to Fort
L--. Again I 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 fred at random, and the |
two desperadoes turned but one of
them, at least, / was not done with. I |
called my horse with peculiar whistle !; |
repeated and repeated it, and then |
heard him crashing again in pursuit, |
while his rider shouted and lashed him, |
md tried to pull him round the other /
way. For a brief time the desperate /
grestled with the animal, lashed, goaded, /
md roared at her, but my incessant, jerky |
kept her mind and head /
;oward me. He only gave up the fruit
ess struggle and leaped from her back
when squad of infantry dashed over a
lillowy swell of prairie, and rushed down
oward us at that steady, measured run
which is so effective in contrast with
isorderly gait.
tIt's Wolf, boys, exclaimed, as they
anne up with me-for knew his voice.
had no neeo to tell them that there was
price set upon his head, as it had been
learly proved that he had stirred up the
ayages to commit more than one massa-
re of the settlers and dozen of them,
lttering yell of fury, started in pursuit
While the others, noticing my swaying
bout on the animal which / rode, began
o think that I had found something
erious in my race for life. In fact, the
,1oiT, xxoa q riciur, o1,1 feline on1