Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-07-27

With a yell the whole of the gang
made one simultaneous rush toward
the door but they missed their mark
by 4 second. had planted my back
against the door, and thanks to my
weight and the bolts it resisted their
combined efforts to force it. Other
measures, however, knew must be
at once resorted to, and that instantly.
Calling upon Mr.. Spencer to move his
chest of drawers against the door, and
placing two trunks on top of them, we
patiently waited the coming events.
Spencer very fortunately had couple
of Colts revolvers in his chest Of
drawers, with which we armed our.
selves. The gang outside were evi.
IDENTIFY III deep consultation as to their
next mode of attack. One voice I
heard raised above all the others, and
that one voice was without Il doubt 4
Tong, our much respected steward.
From the little Chinese was acquaint-
ed with gathered that they were bent
upon the treasure which had come on
board from the Oriental Bank only
that afternoon. 1t had been slowed
away in the captains cabin and was
safely lodged in one of Miners fire
and thief proof safes.
''They proceeded to the captains
cabin, but in very short time return
ed. and knocking at the door with
their bambOos, demanded it to be
opened. At first they used threats,
then entreaties, promising us that not
hair of our heads should be hurt
But, though we feared their threats,
we had no faith in their promises, and
fully determined that, if the worst
came to the worst, we would sell our
lives dearly. Oh. how we longed for
eleven o'clock, for Captain Wilkes re.
turn. How patiently and eagerly we
listened for the splash of the oars of
six stalwart boatmen. We heard four
bells from the different ships in the
harhor. some not 4 couple Of hundred
yards away DIT It was impossible to
reach or signal them. Instead CT d
large port.hole, there was only the
small headlight, through we could not
even manage to thrust our heads,
much less our bodies. Well, sirs,
when they found that neither threats
nor promises would avail them, they
at once commenced their work. Twas
standing OH Il camp stool, endeavoring
to see what they were doing, by look.
ing through the iron grating on the
top of the door, when | saw one of
them with spear, at what in military
phraseology would he termed shorten
arms-tl,at is, with the spear drawn
back to its fullest extent, ready to
thrust through the door, l gave one
spring from the stool, and lucky in.
deed did so, for the next moment
the point of 4 spear grazed my cheek.
Another inch to the left, and would
have been 4 dead man. We both then
retired to the farther end of the cabin
so as to keep out of harms way. We
knew that they dared not use firearms,
for fear of attracting the attention OF
the ships in the neighb0rh0od and ne
doubt this was our salvation. Spear
after spear was thrust through, some
almost reaching us as we crouched
down the floor of the cabin, when all
at once we heard crash, and, on look
ing up, to our horror saw that one OF
the panels of the door had been forced
in sufficiently for a man to thrust his
body through. We both Immediately
sprang upon our feet, grasping Oul
revolvers more firmly, expecting that
in desperation some of them would be
hardy enough to try and force theil
way into the cabin. But they were
too cunning for that. Two of them
now got upon chairs, but taking care
to keep out of the line of our revolvers
and by side-thrusts--by which they
were adopts in the use of the weapon
compelled us to kneel and crouch
behind the chest of drawers one mo
ment. into the berths the next, and, al
last, under the bottom of them, where
we were for some time comparatively
safe. But, emboldened by their sue
cess, they now faced the broken panel
ing and we could plainly see that il
another minute or two, the matte,
would end by our both being speareC
like wild bOars. I whispered to Spen
Ger to fire at the first head that show
ed itself ut the paneling, and l would
do the same-he to take the right, ant
| the left, 50 that we should not vast.
ammunition through both of us firing
at the same person. remember us il
it happened only five minutes ago, tw.
heads suddenly appearing, and mysel
and Spencer in the act of presenting
our revolvers at them, when, as
fash Of lightning, two spears wer'
suddenly thrust through the aperture
and the next instant felt twinge j,
the right side.''
Here the narrator paused for u few
moments, and after good stiff pull Il
his punch, continued:
8! remember no more until 81,
weeks afterwards, when was lying il
bed in Il strange room, very weak AM
very faint. There was my servan
keeping me nice and cool with a larg,
fan, whilst on my forehead was ;
cloth stepped in vinegar. By degrees
some slight recollection came back Il
my mind of the events that had hap
pened on that fearful night but whe1
| Intercepted my Chinese nurse,
could obtain from him such replie'
as, Me no sabby, doctor berry angr!
me talkoe that pigeon By which III
meant that he knew nothing about tn,
matter, and that if he did, he was en-
joined by the doctor to silence, other
wise he would be very angry with him
However with good constitution an;
careful attention, l was soon able t.
leave my room; and then and not he
fore, l gathered from my old friend
Charles Lawrence, one quiet afternoon
the following rather rambling account
of the affair:
"'1 have no occasion, said Charley
to ask you to remember the 9Th Of
March, for that you will do to the enc
of your days; but have also reason
to remember it; for on that day, as
learned by a letter from home by thu
last mail, an only brother was killed
on the Great Western Railway, in thu
collision that occurred near Reading
Well if you remember that evening, w
were to have great spread at Doug
las Thompson, Wilkinson and some
twenty others were invited, includin,
Captain Wilkes. OF course, you know
what q iox,;o1 fol1oxv VVi1koo ia roof