The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-06-25

iueiuc luo Ioom pccfiug aocut
What's that 7" be questioned
pointing to my retreat
"It's Staffer's coiiin,n she answer
ed.
Are you in pursuit Of the man
gone by ?"
AYE. But WHAT'S that to you i
we are +! He can't have gone far
either on that animal
Riding away in search of me. and
of what carried, Wolf ciattered of.
The woman watched him join two
comrades who had waited al little
distance then she came 10 and barr
ed the door.
| was out Of the cofiin in 3 mo.
ment.
l looked around in despair To 60
out was fatal, and to stay in meant
discovery, probably death.
The coffin was no longer available,
for Dick was coming for it.
Stay, there's the rain barrel out.
side, ~ said i, in desperation They
have tried that once, they may not
look at it again
And before you would be able TO
speak sentence. the water was dash
ed out of the cask, and ! was in the
barrel, the woman dropping q tub
half filled with water in NJ the top as
q cover.
She had barely time TO re-enter the
house, the door of which fortunately
opened on the side away from the
mooo. when q ratiiiag vehicle drew
up at the door, and | heard voice
raving and swearing at the woman
for something done or lett undone.
and then from the bunghole, The plug
having been dislodged by the upset
ting OF the cask, ! saw the furious re-
turn Of the three other renegsdes
There ensued q good deal Of loud
talking, explanations and oaths.
A iorum of hot nectar was prepar-
ed and they all went to partake of
il.
Dick refused 10 join the hunt after
me on account OF having 10 take the
coffin 10 its destination.
At that moment wild and des.
perate plan entered nv brain.
The horses of the three renegaGes
my own which bad been retained
by the hostler at the inn, among them
were hitched on the other side OF
the door, where the moonlight, strik-
ing by the end of the cabin, rested
fully upon them
Ii was suicide 10 attempt seizing
one Of tbem--ny owd as | had hoped
to do-=snd riding OF
So | embraced the only alternative
--leaping from the barrel {the tub
having been removed to water the
horses with and creeping into the
wagon while the woman muitered
something about covering the coffin.
Dick yelled out to her to mind her
own business and let the thing be as
it Was.
But she succeeded in accomplish
ing her purpose.
Disposing the blanket across the
coffin, as be was beginning to drive
away, she contrived to lift its lid and
drop inside bowie knife.
You may be sure seized it hearli-
ly and gave her blessing too, poor
thing and the first use | made Of it
was TO lodge the lid up just a frsc-
tion SO that my breathing was easy,
though my position was crsmped
They kept within bsiling distance
tor some three er four miles, Dick
driving the heavy wagon along at
steaming pace, and expected that
the coffin would be jostled out.
By and by, there was q sudden
shout, loud "tally-ho,1 g. if the
huntsmen had sghis5 the quarry. 1t
came from the gang
40 sooner was this noise heard.
issn my driver threw the reins across
The horses, leaped down and started
of toward bis friends.
Perhaps the temptation OF ,he mon
ey (that they might be then dividing
v as too much for him
In 6 moment l sprang from the
coffin to the ground. A few light
ming like strokes ana | baS ssrered
the traces and the -2.e bands Of the
harness
2o9nieSth aOrse aud urged him
forward
AI might have been well had not
The quick ears oftbe 1eH caught tie
echo OF his footsteps
looking around they saw me max
lng of-aad think must have known
l Was lighted up By the
bright moonlight
With q wild shoat they came on
10 pursuit
There was the snarp repOr. of two
rihes l felt . sting in nv foot,
another 10 nv shoulder; but the
horse Was unhsrmed, and the rsce
for life began
The issne 1 knew would rest chief.
ly With the horse
/ knew not hing ofshe one which !
rode; knew noihing of those who
were parsuing ne, eicepi Ey own
horse
Ga saa %. ny s,eed bore shead,
actually esnsisx me to gasp for
breath and no; txo hundred yards
in The rear rode those ould-be sssss-
sins.
a mcmentary dizziness threw me
forwsrd on my horses neck Wheth-
er should have yielded c tss zins-
ness know not, aat : distant soucd
strDes on NJ ear and brought me
up
Oh. It was gocd-thsf soand-ba.
l wss not quite sure vet
broke into The wild, long, fierce
yell Of the border rangers. and sped
on again. bat my horse had that pc
cuiiar twiteh now and thea in bis
gain that told me be was faliering
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