The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-06-24

esskclnpk SSt1lllSfV fV4e VI tuS4u. O0e
fhe wonlaa with some purpose in
q mind, sang out TO the men to
como back and get the last dipperful
Of fIqaor which she had mixed, /
seized the only alternative, ] sprang
Lightly into The Wagon, Fitted the
cofin.lid, and again crawled into the
long narrow prison.
The three rafiians were mounted,
and all were about to start, when the
woman ran. out 8ithsome sort Of q
blanket, and muttered something
sAout covering the coffin. The. nan
mind her OFa
business, and let the thing alone.
She retreated with the cloth, but
she had accomplished her purpose
in its folds she had concealed a bowie
knife. Under its cover she had rails
ed the lid and dropped the weapon
inside, it giving me cut as it fell
upon me. In the momentary noise
and confusion, I had got the weapon
in nv hand and with its point rails
cd the heavy lid of the rough box
the fraction of IN inch, so that breath
ing was easy if my position was
cramped.
The three horscmcn spread out, re-
marking to each other: "Beat up
the game now speedily before, by any
miracle he gets into the wooded belt
by Budford's Springs.
By and by there was a shout off to
the right of a tally ho!" as if the
huntsman had sighted the quarry
Nothing hut an unwarrantable
amount ofliquor could have influenced
them to conduct themselves as they
did-for no crhad they called out
from the right than Dick came to 4
sudden halt, leaped from the seat,
and ran of toward those who were
hallooing.
Fer an instant my heart stopped
beating at the thought of the hazard
which was about torun. The next
moment l sprang from the coffin to
the ground. A few lightning-like
strokes, and l had served tho traces
and the hol&backs of the harness.
The whole scene IS vividly pictur-
ed in ny mind-t!,e meon:ighted
tDwasa
which the renegades were saShlng, the
wagon standing in the trail. Then
the rafting Of the falling thrills
reached the cars Of the party, and
with q wild shout they turned to-
ward me. ! was on the horses back,
but boldly defined by the moonlight.
There was the sharp report Of two
rifles. Ifelt sting in my foot, an
other in my shoulder, 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 for breath; and not two hundred
yards in the rear rode my would be
murdcrcrs.
On the rolling prairie now. Ny
animal took the decliyities with a
plunge; and the elevations with 4
sure, fierce stride. Across the Draw
ling ford. But crack came another
rife-echo, and again stream Of FIRE
seemed to strike my shoulder They
were closing in-closing up. Icould
make out only two horsemen follow
ing me. One Of these had discharged
his rife at me, the other | knew was
held in rest for a nearer shot.
a momentary dizziness Topped me
upon my horses neck. The ruflians
yelled triumphantly behind. A dis
tant echo brought me up, Giving
my poor beast a singing blow, |
emitted the wild, long, fierce yell OF
the borderrangcrs, andsped on again
But my horse had that peculiar
squirm now an then in his gait that
told me he was faltering.
Again that echo reached me, swell,
ing out on the rising wind. It was
the shrill squcal of the fife and the
drum-diddleum, did-c-um-dum-dum.
dun, of infantry rcturningfrom some
expedition to Fort l.. Again
I sent out thatlong, wild, border yell.
1 knew by the quicker breathing Of
the fife, and the rapid pulsing Of the
drum, that the soldiers had broken