Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-10-24

| VIC SeA ouSciS3 tneH CAME Has0.
rafting fire OF carbines and revolvers
and fierce oath from trooper be
hind me who tumbled from his saddl,
with his thigh smashed. At the sam.
/, time and before l could kick clear Of
the stirrups my poor pony staggered
and fell dead with p,s,o, ball be
tween his eyes and in his fall pinned
Ine to the earth.
The hight was as brief as it was fu-
rions and like all really desperate en-
counters | ever witnessed, was an al.
most silent one so far az the sound oil
voices went. But the sharp reports
of revolvers and the duller discharge
of carbines freighted the night wind,
and the ground owls numbered into a
clumsy fright at the unwonted noises.
Finally a single flash famed across
lIght, thin vapor from the firing, a
single report was blown to leeward,
sharp and clear, and the discharges
ceased. With desperate effort
dragged myself clear of the dead ami
NAL and limped to my feet.
The sheriff and half dozen soldiers
were grouped about the body of one
of the fugitives. Another soldier sup
ported the likely boy Some black
shapes on the prairie marked the
whereabouts of the rest of the dozen
troopers and told at what cost the
victory had been won.
Tho boy himself, only held half up .
right by the soldiers strong arm, was
still alive. The bright moonlight
shining on his handsome glrlsh face
lighted it up to unearthly beauty. In
the struggle HE coat had been torn
off and broad, dark, slowly. spread.
ing smear was visible on his coarse
gray shirt. His breathing was hoarse
and quick, the sure index to shot in
the lungs.
He's goin,' said the sheriff mop.
ping the blood from bad cut in the
forehead with his sleeve. Great
snakes what a fight he made
Here's the pony, sheriff.
One of the men led the pack pony
which, during the entire fight had
been quietly grazing at little dis
lance off, up to the group. With a
quick jerk he dragged off the latter
ed blanket which covered the pack.
There were few camp utensils,
some provisions and bullying sort
of double bag thrown over the fronts
OF the panier. With an effort he pull
ed this off but its weight tore it from
his hands and it fell with heavy
metallic crash AS 1T struck the earth
its seams burst. The queer sack was
simply an old pair of pantaloons with
the legs tied up, and its contents roll
ed jlngling and sparkling over the
short grass, cascade of minted gold.
Before the musical ring of the pre-.
cious metal died away the group
about the dead man and the wounded
boy parted with an exclamation OF
surprise. The boy had suddenly
struggled to his feet. He stood swing
ing dizzily to and fro for an instant,
and then snatching revolver from
the belt of an amazed soldier, who
stood beside him, fired point blank
at one of his captors directly in front
of him.
The man fell dead and his murder
err with the smoking pistol still in his
hand, tottered forward a step and
sank in heap on the corpse of his
companion, with his face upon it's
breast and one arm about it's neck.
Strange! Well, however that may
be SO far, the strangest part is to
come yet. Of course you have sus.
pected all along that the handsome
boy was woman? Well, he wasn't
and what was more, the pair, far from
being train robbers, were a worthy
Texan drover and his son who had
sold out their beasts on North Platte,
and were on their way home with the
money They had eleven thousand
dollars in coin with them. and proba
bly, fancied that our party were the
very robbers for whom we mistook
them. The boys had the laugh on the
sheriff for many long day after. For
once his Wanted acuteness failed
him.
What was done to him? Why,
Great Scott! stranger, what do you
suppose ? Are we not all liable to
mistakes?