The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-04-02
on But, he added, with horrible

- on But, he added, with horrible Q,
phasis, yell hev Ia travel aloner'
~ thanked the brute with the be
p Craze possible, and turned away. As
y passed my comrade, bound and silent
4 dreppcd one word:
q s'Watchlp
The night dragged Slowly on. One b
= one the road agents rolled themselves
tieiF blankets, and lay down 10 rest an
at last, having appointed a guard for III
prisoner, Red Jim turned toward Nher
: his horse was telhered, there 10 slee
! with che bride about his arm unit
danger or daylight awoke him.
Then, last OF all, too threw mysel
: upon the ground, but not to sleeD.
must rescue Tom, for 10 leave him in III
hands of these demons, would be wors
than murder. With waichful eve an,
ear, therefore, waited and planned. ON
against adoZen-the odds were desperate
ana yet must save him.
, An hour passed. But The skeleton o
the lire remained-a few glowing EN-
bers-and from the sounds abont me
knew that all except the guard wer,
asleep.
This, II ever, was my time Simulat
ing yawn, L slowly arose and stretched
myself, then sauntered toward the snoI
whefe Tom lay AS | approached. his
watchman turned toward me, and placed
MS hand warningly upon his rifle. |
smiled, and said in low tone:
Don't shoot, pard; l can't sIeep and
thought I'd come and talk n hit with
you-'
With muttered reply, he made room
Tor me ON the log where he sat.
| ne WAS huge fellow, with arms like
hercules, and thick-knit frame that
promised enormous strength. HIS wcn-
pons, rifle and heavy knife, were with.
IN easy REACH, and his keen ewes followed
my every motion.
For time, | talked generally of the
country, the game, mining and other
similar topics, drawing from him but
rev replies. Al lastI touched upon the
matter nearest my heart, and with care.
ful steps sounded him upon the question
of bribery.
lie seemed To take more interest in nv
words now; and at last, when | came Ia
The decisive point, and plainly asked
MN u he would let Tom go if he was
pald for it, he said Yes
My heart bounded within me.
.., HOW much will you take :" said |.
horses, too
"More'n we've got, We cussed green
morn, missed the oGtlaW-"more'n we've
got! But I'll take the yellow ali the
same, Tor safe-keepin', and then turn We
over to the Cap. in the mornin'."
Ana, quicker than thought, his arms
were about me, and | was borne strug-
glIng to the ground.
Although much smaller man than |
ly opponent was no child, and fought |
IuFlously; but he was too strong for me
and at last lay before him breathlcss
one OF his hands gripping my throat, and |
the other grasplng his heavy knife, while
ms eyes CLEANED with murderous rage.
For an instant we glarcd at each other.
nolh painting and exhausted; then, bend.
ing closer, he whispered hoarsely;
-, " mars yer gold: Tell me, or I'll
Thunder and turiesr'
tie half released his grasp, and, turn
ing, struck at something upon the
close by my side, with a horrible
oath,
There was the flash of his kpiC,. a
sharp, metallic rattle, and then a little
shot like quivering lightning
straight ut his face, and two little droDs
d blood ran down his check. He was
bitten by a rattlesnake.
The same instant, the reptile drew his
Shiny body across my hand, and disap-
Deared again in his hole among the
'ocks near by, from which our struggle
lad reused him. +,
My captor breathed hard and turned {
leathly white. :
whisky" said he, hoarsely. Il must :
iave whisky, or dier' /
He strove to rise, but it was my turn Il
low Wrapping my arms about him 4
with an energy born Of despair. l bound n
nm to me. If could but hold him uu. G
IL the poison had time to work, | could n
Scape, and Tom with me. \
1t was horrible, but we struggled life
)r life, and / was the cooler man of the II
yo now. His knife wac broken-we n
ould ohly fight with our hands, and all h
~ enemy'S efforts were to eScaDe: hut. | I,
18th strength which hope renewed, / n
SISTED, and dragged him down again o.
nd again, until his quivering muscles el
nd relaxing hands, in his distended ewes II
ld oVerhanging tongue, | saw the ven Of
N was beginning to aid me. Then, re- IL
Oubllng my effort, with an almost su Ii
strength, threw him at last So
the ground, bound him with my own 10
ludy scarf, gagged him, and was free. ms
For moment was utterly exhausted; w
zen, slowly recovering, crept to where b,
ON lay, and with few blows of NV W
ale, released him from the heavy cords SO
hlch had bound him. NV old friend TN
I'd been silent witness of the entire te
little, and had seen the snake, and knew II,
!. As he arose to his feet, he grasped sh
y hand, and nearly crushed it in his SO
preston OF joy; then, without a word, er
pointed toward the pile of rock, not a m
ven feet from the place where nv late If
tagonist lay. an
| turned 10 look. From every hole FL
"a crevice, from every crack and cor In
T, by twos and threes single and in in
lrs, were crawling the most dreadful
all mountain reptiles-rattlesnake "F
Tom leaned toward ,,,s. s.n1
- Yer fight aroused them, and they will III
II every man heret We are in that III,
llchp' ne ne
Then, Selling my arm, he led me rap. 81,
" across the open glade, by the sleep ne
9 robbers, to the spot where the horses fri
re hobblod
selecting two, we quickly muffled | Nj
cir hoofs, rode cautiously through the on
nding outlet until we reached the m,
en- country, and then, with shake of or,
reigns, dashed away at a headlolG ca,
Hop. We were free, Wi
led jim, tue cEtlaw, was never seen ne,
am nm euE ave years later, strange sto- his
was brought to the mining camps on me
q River run, of Il lonely ravine in the XII
'untains 10 the west where twelve tic
aching skeletons had been found. ha,
The prospectors Who discovered them dill
uid siaye sought Further among the we
itenlng bones for other relics of the sor
! party, but the canyon was SO filled Eu
N rattiesnakes that i Nsag not safe TO viii
1ain tkefe, AMI lhc simple finding of eve
remains IS all that win ever be Re
lWH. Tho
ID Tom, however, said TO me:
Twelve outlaws-twelye skelctonsl
c rattlerS caught 'em ALI