Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-10-31


Of i've or ten men each, all engaged in o.
frantic rush, ia different directions, after
tho several wings Of ftho fleeing robber force.
y isnoyer realized just how sit happened,
but .in.thorage Of this Wild pursuit, + sud.
denly became conscious that was alone in
In my chase after force of twenty or thirty
fleeing guorilas.
Ny foes seemed to discover this fact at
the samo moment, and suddenly the ordor
OF pursuit was changed-L foeing and tho
guerilas in chase. Shots hurtlod aftor nc,
thick ond fast, but would, probably, have
escaped unharmod, had I not run into the
aruns Of another body Of tho flying guer.
rillas.
In q trico / was .sot upon, disarmed and
bound; in another breath should have
been made target for score or more Of
bullets, had not breathless, brawny out
throat, whom I recognized as tho dreaded
Cuchora, himself, interfercd.
"Ten thousand curses on himW ho hissed.
"KilIing is 'too nlerciful to him. Have i
not vowed to skin alivc ovory aoourscd Re.
gulator who falls into my hands2 Drag
him away to tho Salito etookade, and let
him meet his fato before us oil, an hour
aftcr daylight. All but five of you follow
mo to our new rendezvous at La Posa."
An hours terrible tramp with the Eve
rullions, left as guard over mo, brought
us to Sulito, a miserable little Mexican ham.
let, whose inhabitants, awakonod by ontry,
crowded to their doors ind horribly reviled
me, or rejoiccd over tho terrible fate await
ing mo, as revealed by my boastful guards.
| | felt relieved when thrown iuto cold,
damp noiscsomo room, half underground,
aud strongly grated with iron bars over the
| single aperture, near the ceiling.
l could hear my guards squatted outside
this aperture, holding desultory oouvorsa-
tion during the first fifteon or twenty min
utcs of my incarceration; aud at last oom-
ing to tho conclusion that one of them was
sufficient to stand guard over me, thoy
agreed that they would take turns at this
task; tho remaining four whom of duty,
seeking shelter and amusement in neigh
boring ihouse'l whose muster possessed o
supply Of museallei and was not averso to
joining his guests 10 frequent lihations, and
u game Of cards as we'll. After they had
gone, my remaining guard found it very prosy
| work, keeping watch over so taoiturn q
prisoner as myself and took frequent strolls
to the retreat of his companions, lingering
there longingly.
What mattered it to me, this neglnot OF
my guardsS My fato was soaled-a terri
bic fate, surely. I knew, how idle it was to
hope for n'e1oy from tho domop, Cuohora,
and also knew thatI would only waste
my strength in purposelcss effort, and raise
stronger yearning for life, in any attempt
oppetfrpm} tbisS sStfopg dungeoal | I :
| M NH III ,1f e q.
| could not, face my fato without shiyer.
WAS not brave onougb.to look uuainohingly
towards tho coming of tho Esornins nii's, lighi,
but in all my yearaiis. Z for life, in ali inv nv
terror ot"nniycc coming tate, I wns not fool
Ii's-ough to.hopo against ah oonsiotion aud
against the strength Of these prison walls
| aud prison bars. -
| Suddenly, while in this mood Of mingled
despair and resignation, low "hst"
sounded just outside of the grated window.
| stopped abruptly in my excited pacing up
and down the apartment.
"Senor Americana, are you unhurt2" a
soft voice, seeming to, tromble With. emotion,
eyes. What wish you7'. I asked, sus--
pioiously.
30 quiet" the voice answered hurried
ly. .IThe guard is drinking with his oom--
rades, and if you are cautious you may es-
| cape"
Was this trcachery- trap set by my
guards to torture me by somo unexpected
method? hesitatod. Who was this mys
terious friend2
Clutching the ledge of the grated open
ing, | drew myself up to a leyol with it, and
pccrcd ont, dropping back with an exclana-
ton of amazement.
| 1t was fomalc figure I bcheld, dressed
in sombre, robes, and closely veied, but,
nevertheless, delioato, slight figure.
Whilo gaspcd md puzzled over this
| discovery, she, with nervous haste, was
busted, by means of short lever, in priz-
ing off tho clamps that secured tho iron bars
of the aperture. After few minutes of
this silent cxertiop, sho passed the lever
through tho grating. K.
"You have only to insert this between the
bars, and prizo carefully towards YOU" she
said; "tbey will drop out"
With oil the wild energy of newborn
hope Of liberty, olutohed tho weapon and
placed it in position; but ere could throw
my weight on it, l heard sharp CRY from
| the woman: ,.a =" n
"Bowarcw
And sho fed, but where know not:
but intuitively throw down the bar, and
lay full length IN tho floor, personatiug
sleep. had scarce. ,dono so.when tho ring.
ing step of tho guard outside a cold por.
spiration oozed OUT of every pore of nv
body asl listoned for the death cry Of