Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-04-20
Looking about with 8 vague n,

settHs cabin. Cheerful at tn
prosped pf a bed and supper. i hur
ried fo5 Ard aud knocked for admit
tance. Receiving no answer, mad
bold opesE open the door. Their
is no mistaking the chill, damp air o
a deserted home, and this one knew
l shoul eind without inmates, ever
before bad seen its .dismantled in
terror b thYlight of match l hap
pened Z haze about me. 1t was 9
long, nae pascabin, containing but Q
singleSpeps; having a wide fireplace
at one end, with recesses at the sides
one of which had been converted
into closet bs means of a pine
board. swung on deer-skin hinges,
which served for a door.
had at last found place to sleep
in safely, no small boon to a tired
man; and having dispatched the
lunch Of 'jerk" and johnny-cake, till
now forgotten in my pouch, l threw
myself on the floor, and soon, in the
land OF dreams, regained the lost
trail of my buck.
A confused sound of voices at
length got mixed up with my dreams.
The sudden waking that dispelled
the latter, brought proof of the reali-
ty of the former. The voices were
accompanied by footsteps, moreover;
and both were rspidly drawing near
1t might be a company of belated
hunters, or it might be a gang of
Regulators" At all events, it would
be web to settle the question before
making their acquaintance.
1t was too late to leave the cabin
unobserved, but there was the closet.
Acting on the thought, / hastily
gathered my gun and accoutrements,
slipped into the recess, and pulled to
the door. l had hardly done so when
several men entered; how many it
was impossible to discover in the
darkness. There was less difficulty
in distinguishing the character of the
visitors. Their rude discourse, in
terlarded with coarse and brutal
oaths, related to some deed of vio-
lence already done, or nearly compile
ted. AS they continued, I learned
to nv horror that my own robbery
and Ibnrder had been planned, and
that these men, by whom I was sus-
/. .acts4 to have about me considera-
tisS3m, had been looking all day for
me-W the woods.
q pay, Blant Durton," spoke one
of tlifm, "you'll have to do better
shoo5n' this bout than you did the
last tane; 'twon't do to miss this yer
chapg
"You needn't brag, Jim Snipples;
{ I'D take the consate O. you, right
), :, !, ! at { !. you're mind to Try IVA. vas
90! as like as not" replied the
other; zone mans shootin's as good
as another's in the dark"
"That needn't be no excuse" put
in a third voice. "We kin hev
light wood fire in two jiffies, an lee
tie sport will sarve to pass away the
time"
The fire was kindled, by the light
of which, through crevice between
the closed door and the iamb, l saw
three worse cut throats than l had
supposed could be found even in
Shelby county.
"rll jest stick rife patch on this
yer door for a mark" said the last
speaker, approaching my hiding
place, san you can take your revol-
yer an 90 to t'other end of the room
and pop away"
A thin board of soft pine is but
poor protection against "Colt's
Navy" TO break from my conceal
ment, or lie close and take the
chances, were the alternatives l had
to choose between, and that quickly.
Either course seemed desperate. If
l remained, my body was directly be-
hind the mark, with no room to turn
to either side; and to leave my shell
ter was to rush into hands waiting
to shed my blood.
There was another chance. /, too,
carried revolver, and was not without
skill in its use. The crevice already
mentioned gave me full view of the
man called Durton, who was already
to take the first shot.
Cautiously cooking my pistol, l
raised it and took deliberate aim at
the villains heart. l experienced
none of the tremor 1 had felt in the
morning. Ny life depended on the
of my hand, and it was
steady. Durton's pistol was leveled
at my breast, when the report of my
own broke the stiffness. The ban
dit fell forward, his limbs convulsed
in the struggle of death!
His companion advanced step, as
if to his assistance, then glared wild
ly around, and, like men appalled, by
a sense Of unknown danger, turned
and fed in terror from the scene.
Nor was my own departure long de-
layed. Wolves and catamounts were
better company than l had met with
there, and at the risk of encounter
ing them, 1 plunged into the forest.
Luckily it was soon daylight, and
l shortly fell in with couple of hun
ters, who, after hearing my story,
accompanied me to the cabin.
"Blant Durtonp' exclaimed one of
them, as his eyes fell on the dead
body-"the biggest scoundrel in all
Texas, and down on our book for an
early lynching. You've saved us
some trouble, stranger"
NEW York Evening post (Ind.
Rep.): The Greenback party has
h old ouofhor Cfafo Conrontion fbia