The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
Then, last of all, 1 too threw myself

lucIl, IstSb VI I'LL, TOO Threw mySeU
upon the ground; but not to sleep. ]
must rescue Tom, for to leave him in the
hands of these demons would be worse
than murder. With watchful eve and
ear, therefore, / waited and planned
One against dozen-the odds were des-
perate, and yet must save him.
An hour passed. But the skeleton OF
the fire remained-a few glowing EN-.
bers-and from the sounds about me
knew that all except the guard were
asleep.
This, if ever, was my time. Simulat.
ing yawn, slowly arose and stretched
myself, then sauntered toward the spot
where Tom lay. AS l approached, his
watchman turned toward me and placed
his hand warningly upon his rifle.
smiled, and said in low tone:
Don't shoot, pard; 1 can't sleep, and
thought I'd come an talk bit with
YOU" ...
With muttered reply he made room
for me upon the log where he sat.
He was huge fellow, with arms like
Hercules, and thick-knit frame that
promised enormous strength. His
wearons-ar rifle and heavy knife-were
within easy reach, and his keen eye fol-
lowed my every motion.
For time I talked generally of the
country, the game, mining, and other
similar topics, drawing from him but
few replies. At last / touched upon the
matter nearest my heart, and with care.
full steps sounded him upon the question
of bribery.
He seemed to take more interest in
my words now; and at last, when
came to the point and plainly asked him
l. lof l., =.
for it, he said "Yes."
NY heart bounded within me.
"How much will you takeP" said
"Speak quickly. And we must have
horses, too"
"More'n ye've got, We cussed green.
horn," hissed the outlaw "more'n we've
got But I'll take the yellow all the
same for safe keepin', and then turn ye
over to the cap in the mornin'."
And, quicker than thought, his arms
were about me, and l was borne strug.
Cling to the ground.
Although much smaller man thar
my opponent, was no child, and fought
furiously; but he was too strong for me
and at last lay before him breathless
one of his hands gripping my throat, and
the other grasping his heavy knife while
his eyes cleaned with murderous rage
For an instant we glared at each other
both painting and exhausted; then, bend.
ing closer, he whispered hoarsely:
Whar's yer goldp Tell me, or III
cut your heart out. Tell me without q
sound, or Ill-thunder and iuries!"
He half released his grasp, and, turn.
ing, struck at something upon the ground
close at my side, with a horrible oath
There was the flash of his knife, a
sharp, metallic rattle, and then little
something shot like quivering lightning
straight at his face. and two little drops
of blood ran down his cheek. He was
bitten by a rattlesnake!
The same instant the reptile drew his
Shiny body across my hand. and disap-
peared again in his hole among the rocks
near by, from which our struggle had
aroused him.
My captor breathed hard and turned
deathly white.
Whisky" said he, hoarsely, "Imust
have whisky or die"
He strove to rise, but it was my turn
row. Wrapping my arms about him
with an energy born of despair, l bound
him to me. If l could but hold him
could escape, and Tom with me.
for life, and l was the cooler man OF
the two now. His knife was broken
we could only fight with our hands,
and all my enemy's efforts were to es-
cape; but, with n strength which hope
renewed, | resisted. and dragged him
down again and again. until in his culver.
ing muscles and relaxing hands, in his
diStended eyes and out-hanging tongue
l saw the venom was beginning to aid
me. Then, redoubling my efforts, with
an almost superhuman strength, threw
him at last to the ground, bound him
with his own gaudy scarf, gagged him,
and was free!
ForamomentI l was utterly exhausted
then, slowly recovering, / crept to
where Tom lay, and with few blows
of my knife released him from the heavy
cords which bound him. My old friend
had been silent witness of the entire
battle, and had seen the snake and
knew all. As he arose to his feet he
grasped my hand. and nearly crushed il
in his expression of joy; then, without
word, he pointed toward the pile ol
rock, not a dozen feet from where my
antagonist lay.
l turned to look. From every hole
and crevice, from every crack and cor.
ner, by twoS and threes, single and in
pairs, were crawling the most dreaded
of mountain reptiles-rattlesnakes!
Tom leaned toward me and said:
"Yer fight aroused them, and they
will kill every man here! We are in
that place I've hearn tell of-Rattle
snake Gulchm
Then, seizing my arm, he led MT
rapidly across the open glade, by the
sleeping robbers, to the spot where
the horses were hobhled. Selecting two
we quickly muflled their hoofs, rode
cautiously through the winding outle
unit we reached the open country, anC
then, with a shake of the reins, dashed
away at headlong gallop. We were
free!
Red Jim, the outlaw, was never seer
again, but five years later strange tale
was brought in the mining camps OF
Red Water Run, of lonely ravine il
the mountains to the west, where twelve
bleaching skeletons had been found.
The prospectors who discovered then
would have sought further among tn,
whitening bones for other relics of tn,
lost party, but the canyon was so filled
with rattiesnakes that it was not saf
to remain there, and the simple finding
of the remains is all that will ever b,
known
Old Tom, however, said to me.
"Twelve outlaws-twelve skeletons
The ratt1ers caught them all ~