The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-06


which at that moment slowly swung
open.
As the man disappeared within the
building. q low, keen whistle cut the
air, and at the same instant ! heard the
knob of my door cautiously tried.
A low hiss from Bose brought me to
his side from the door where had been
listening.
"Deyss got the hosses out in the yard, "
he whispered, as he drew aside to let me
look out through the broken pane.
ssTake the door," I said, land fire
through if they attack. / am going to
shoot that fellow holding the horses. !"
'Lordy, Mars Ralph, it's de tavern
keeper. He amt no count. Drop de
big man. was the sensible advice, which
I determined to adopt.
Noiselessly drawing aside the curtain,
] rested the muzzle of my pistol on the
sash where the light had been broken
away, and drew bead on the tallest of
the two men who stood holding the three
horses, out in the bright moonlight.
The sharp crack of the weapon was in
stantly followed by yell of pain, and /
saw the rufian reel backward and meas
ure his length upon the earth, and then
from the main building there rang out:
.sMurderl murderi Oh, help"
Like lightning it flashed across my
mind. There were three horses out in
the open lotl There was, then, another
traveller besides ourselves.
Aheavy blow descended upon the door,
and voice roared:
'sQuickl Burst the internal thing open.
and let me get in. The scoundrel has
killed Davel''
s.Let them have it, Bose, I whispered.
rapidly reloading my pistol; sthere, sec
ond PANEL
With steady hand the plucky fellow
leveiled the huge weapon and pulled the
trigger.
A deafening report followed, and
again shrill cry of mortal anguish
told me that the shot had not been
wasted.
'sSabe us! how it do kickp exclaimed
Bose under his breath.
The blow had fallen like an unexpect-
ed thunderbolt upon the bandits, and q
moment later we heard their retreating
| footsteps down the corridor.
"Dar'n be more of EN- heah fore long,
| Mars Ralph, said Bose, with an ominous
shake of the head II 'spect desc b long
| to a band, and if dey comes and we still
heah, we gone coons for shuah.'
This view of the case was new to me;
but I felt the force OF it. I know that
such bands do exist in these mountains.
| Stunned for moment, turned round
and stared hopelessly at Bose; but he,
brave fellow that he was, never lost his
head for an instant.
Bound to leab here, Mars Ralph" he
said, quite confidently. 'tAn' dar amt nc
way gwine, 'cept tro dat window" and
he pointed to the one overlooking the
cliff.
Imerely shook my head, and turned tc
watch again, hoping to get shot at the
rascal on guard.
Bose, left to his own devices, at once
| went to work. / heard him fussine
around the bed for some time, but never
looked to see what he was after until he
spoke.
'tNow den for de rope" I heard him
say, and in an instant caught his mean
ing.
He had stripped the bed of its cover
| ing, dragged off the heavy tick and the
stout hempen rope with which it was
''corded."
/ In five minutes he had drawn the ropt
| through its many turnings, and then
gathering the coil in his hands, he drew
| up the sash and prepared to take sound
ings.
1t failed to touch the bottom; but no
wise disheartenen, he seized the cotton
coverlet and spliced on. This succeed
ed, and the cord was drawn up, prepare
tory to knotting it in place of cross
pieces.
In the meanwhile, the silence without
had been broken once. A shrill, keer
whistle, such as we had heard before
was given by the man on the watch, and
replied to by some one seemingly little
| way off, Then I heard footsteps-soft
catlike ones-on the verandah outside
showing that robbers were on the aler
at all points.
At length Bose announced the lad
der ready. 1t was again lowered from
the window, and the end was held ant
| made fast to the bed we had dragged
over for the purpose.
''Now den, Mas'r Ralph, I'll go dowT
fust, and sem if 'um strong 'nough tC
bar us.
And he was half way out of the win
dow before could speak.
| 4SOs DOSc, yOu oLlbl1 nOby hAoW WCACu
firmly, drawing him back into the room
''You must"
The words were lost in the din of q
furious and totally unexpected attack
| upon the door.
The dull heavy strokes of the ax were
intermingled with the sharp quick clat
ter of hatchets as they cut away the bar
| rier, and once in while / could heal
deep oaths as though they had been rem
dered doubly savage by our resistance
'.Here, Bose, your pistol! Quick!
whispered, and the heavy charge weni
crashing through. followed by shrieki
and curses of pain and rage.
''Now, then, out with you'll l had the
place" said, rushing back to the win
dow. Come, Bose, hurry, or all viii
be lost
The brave fellow now wished to insis
on my going first; but he saw that TIME
was wasting and glided down the rope
gradually disappearing in the shadows
The fall of one of their number hac
caused only momentary lull, and
heard them renew the attack with ten
fold fury.
1 dare not fire again, for I felt tha
every bullet would be needed wher
| affairs were more pressing.
It seemed an age before felt the sig
nal from below that the rope was ready
for me; but it came, and / let myself
| down, pausing an instant, as my eyes
gained level with the sill, to take last
look into the room.
As did so the door gave way, and the
bloodthirsty demons poured over the
threshold.
knew that had no time for deliber.
ate movements. They would instantly
discover the mode of escape, and either
cut the rope or else fire down on me.
/ had taken the precaution to draw on
my heavy riding gloves, and my hands,
thus protected, did not suffer as much as
might have been expected.
With my eyes fixed upon the window,
/ slid rapidly down, and struck the earth
with a jar that wrenched every bone in
my body.
! Quick as lightning I was seized by
Bose, dragged some PAGES on one side,
and close against the face of the cliff.
Not O second too soon, for down came
a volley, tearing up the earth about the
foot of the rope, where q moment before
I had stood.
Thunder, they will escaped After
| them, down the ropel" yelled voice,
almost inarticulate with rage
| And saw dark form swing out and
begin the descent.
"Now, Mars Ralph" whispered Bose.
| significantly, and with quick aim
fred at the swaying figure.
Without sound the man released his
hold and came down like lump of lead,
snk rrh