Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-11-07

carried the war into Africa. One against
four, as. not counting the wounded. the odds
still existed, he sailed forth from the shelter
= he sfa Raaa ,ime sn be-
mi sed. The bail Ktppeed off from the stock
ofthe rife which the fehrmost carried, aud did
no harm Thus, leaving their dead ana
wounded behind thcm,, snemy vanished IN
But TN NJ. Gibbs knew that their disappear.
was burned, and he was shelterless, he fore
saw tn e every ranchman within radius Of a
mile would be ID the fefn<ag ainst him, each
of the four be. had killed having a host of
friends. Not waiting to fora deinate plan,
he hurried his wife osersfe the nsighoorlng
rehdy awakened by the firing, but had not
dared to Interfere. "A hasty farewell to those
he loved and with his hsme now almost in
ashes behind him, Mr.. Gibbs mounting his
horse, and placing q single rihe on his should,
er, turned his face toward Denver. hundred
miles distant. For the only refuge to him
was behinu theswahs Of the same Jail to which
he had been carried after The murder OF Drum
mond.
He had not ridden more, than an hour, when
far away in the night behind him he beard
the hoofs of hurrying horses. His quick ear
mile distant yet, but that they were
gaining. There were nearly score
Of them, as he couk. also tell, and they,
mindful Of his defence OF his home, Kept well
together, so as not to be cut off IN detail.
Mr.. Gibbs dug his spurs in deeply and the
beast sponded inObly. Ten miles further
and there was ranch where he could get
change of horse. The tn miles were over,
aud the sound of pursuit were lost 10 dis
tance. when he drew rain at the barndoor OF
wealthy Englishman, and at the mlzzle OF his
rifle demanded from the groom tie choice OF
~, efVvds Z I1E W. tad
away before the rest of the ranch was aroused,
and with hurrah rusledhis fresh horse into
the prairie, but eighty miles between him and
Denver On the road with the paling stars
his guide, while the hours passed away
and the day began to dawn.
= It was now six o'clock, and Mr.. Gibbs had
been in the saddle four hours, with but bread
to eat-a happy. thought of his wife's and
nothing to drink. He looked on every side
for water, but the few irrigating bitches
which he crossed were dry. and there were
no natural syringe His horse, thoroughbred
though he was, was becoming ci tressed, and
Nj. Gibbs knew thai water for man aid beast
must be had. But to get it meant to turn out
Of the straight road to Denver His course
all along had teen within easy reach OF the
foothills of the Rocky mountains, towards
which he now turned the horses head. The
faithful beasts instinct taught him the way,
and presently horse and man were laying in
cold mountain brook, whose silvery thread
wound amid boulder in the bottom of mar
row canon. Mr.. Gibbs took no thought Of
time, but soaked his heated bread in wa
ter, and munched with solitary satisfaction,
till a shout There he is!'' in the rear, start
led him. Without stopping to look, he Was
in the saddle and off again desperately. There
was the reportof a. gun, and ball ploWed
the ground at his horses heels. Keeping the
trees that lined the ecge of the foothills as
well as he could between him and his pur-
Nr. ed
rifle was emptied after him by hundred
horsemen. He could see them swarming in
an irregular body along the prairie, which
thereahouts fortunately was near as rough as
the inclined plane along which his own horse
was scramblng. The heat was short one.
Mr. Gibbs stop had not been thrown away.
In few minutes the formost of his pursuers,
their beasts tired and faded, were far in the
rear, aud when Mr.. Gibbs refined in at little
station on the narrow-guage railway, fifty
miles from Denver not al enemy was in
siyht. / -
From the moment he had had time to think,
NJ. G bis, every minute of his solitary ride,
had been computing the chances OF his chang
ing horse for steam! Heknew that a train on
the Denver and Rio Grande railway left Pueblo
in the early morning, and his only aim was to
reach a station at the moment when the train
would be due, and before the vigilantes would
be near enough to denounce him. And good
luck Still kept with him. A line OF
smoke to the Southwark, and q rumbiing'
steadily growing louder, testified the coming
train. 1t stopped, and the foremost pursuer
was still half mile behind. The whistle
sounded and the train moved off, and only Mr..
Gibbs saw tired horse, whose rider wildly
gcsticulated, gallop YEARLY into the station
as 1t receded in the distance. He was saved.
Saved only for the time, though. MIR: Gibbs
considered it. He was afraid the vigilantes
would telegraph to have him cut off at Den
Inc Onapn
the Plains, and when the train was about OPP
posite the JAIL a few hundred yards distant
from the track, he c0urted death and broken
bones by jumping Off. The soft sand saved
him from harm, and about two o'clock in the
afternoon, SO worn and weary that he could
hardly stand, the man from Colorado rang the
bell at the private entrance to the Jail.
"What, Mr.. Gibbs, back again 7" exclaimed
the surprised jailer, who answered the sum
mons. WHATS the matter now?"
"Vigalantes," was Mr.. Gibbs only answer,
as he staggered past into an inner room, and
fell UNCONSCIOUS on the floor.
1t Was that same night that called on him
and heard his st 'ry. Mr.. Gibbs told the terri
Die tale mode~tly, as if he were speaking Of
some other person than himself. His blue
eye did not change its kindly look. nor was
there sternuess in his voice as he recounted
the success of his seven shots.
And now, Gibbs, did you kill Drummond"
asked the writer when he had finished.
MIR. Gibbs, if you please," was the answer.
mo, did not. I'd just as lief tell you if |
rhad:"- - ~ ! :
You hadn't ought.r forgot about the mis-
ter" said the jailer as he led the way to the
aoOr.
They do say the reason why he shot Drum
mond was because he wouldn't mister him."
They gave Mr.. Gibbs three of the squarest
OF meals aud nights lodging at the expense
of the city of Denver, and then put nothing i'll
n mr. q tn he.
morning.
His family followed him soon after, no hind
rance being made to their departure by the
vlgilantes, who formally announced that they
did not make War on WON n and children i
fact OF which Mr.. Gibbs was aware when he
left them behind him. A rumor came to us
afterward that he had been seen in Cheyenne,
but of this do not know