Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-06-29

if they we're all like that Did Ma
son, they would hang US to the first
tree the moment they could lay their
hands on US"
Every word of the above had fell dis
tinctly upon my ear, as had strained
every nerve to listen. At the first sound
I thought they sounded familiar, and
now knew that the men Mason had
wished to avoid the day before were
leagued with Sharkey for murder and
robbery. There was not moment to
lose, and if would escape with my
life / had got to act.
I placed my hand beneath the pillow
and grasped my pistol, and moments
examination in the darkness, assured
me that they had been trifed with, as
the villain had stated. But / had
plenty of bullets in my pocket and in
less time than it takes to tell it, had
thrown one into the barrel of the pistol
1 held in my hand, and at that mo-
ment, the door between me and my
foes slowly opened, and framed the un-
certain light that cleaned through, I
saw the hideous face of Old Sharkey,
carrying dim light in his hand, ap-
parently for the purpose of seeing
| whether was asleep or awake.
He seemed to have come to the con-
clusion that the former was the case,
for / had concealed the pistol beneath
! the clothes and was lying motionless,
but with eyes sufficiently open to note
his every movement. Stepping back a
pace, he set the light down, and swing
ing the door open wider, he came on
| tip-toe into the room, followed by his
villainous comprehensive moment
| had come that was to decide my fate.
A moment that / never shall forget to
nay dying. day, so indelibly is it fixed
upon my memory.
Carefully worked my hand from
beneath the clot es, and when Old
Sharkey was not more than two PAGES
away brought my hand by quick
| movement on level with his breast,
and pulled the trigger. A flash a re-,
port but the villain stood unframed.
Ny hope for life had failed.
| l was on my feet in an instant. Life
WAS sweet and would not give up a
hold on it while my arm had strength.
Raising it l dealt the villain such a
| blow that it sent him headlong to the
earth, carrying one of the other scoun-
| drels with him.
Giving bound, l attempted to spring
over them, hoping to forestall the other
before he should 50 far recover from
his surprise as to wreck his will upon
me with the viilainons looking knife he
carried; but Old Sharkey recovering
somewhat from the effects of the blow
[ had given him, caught me by the leg
and the next moment l was founder
| ing among them, carrying down with
| me the last man that had kept his legs,
| who, as he fell, uttered cry of pain,
| for he had driven the knife intended
for me into his own leg.
AT that moment, when death seemed
so near, pinioned down by the murder
ers as l found myself, there was a
tram pling OF feet in the outer room,
and the next moment B dozen men
filled the apartment, enc of them bear
ing a lamp, Old Snarkey had set down,
and by its light | beheld among the
numbers both Seth and Mason, who in
a moment had pulled me from the
heap unframed, and L was saved!
THE first man of you that stirs will
send bullet through his head" ex.
claimed Mason to tho writhing, villain
| GUS mass upon the floor, as each individ-
ual was making a separate effort to re
gain his feet, aad the threat had the de-
sired effect.
l told my story in q few words, after
our prisoners We're safely secured, be-
yond chance of their escape, not for
getting to relate that which had heard
of the terrible contents of Downing's
Shaft, and when l was done, the look of
stern determination on the face Of my
companions looked i'll for the trembling
williams, who felt that their last hours
were drawing to c.ose.
From Seth and Mason learned that
they had left the diggings as soon as it
was discovered that the two villains had
also left the place, for they had no
doubt but that my life was in danger,
ana rs events showed, they had not
reached the cabin a moment too soon.
With the morning light, while parts of
the men guarded the prisoners, the rest
made an examination of Downing's
Shaft, where conclusive proof was found
of the terrible crimes that had been
committed by Old Sharkey and his
accomplices; and the men turned away
from the poor relics of humanity there
discovered, with the conviction that
they had stern duty to perform, and
one that justice demanded should no.
be long delayed.
An hour later, and We had turned our
backs upon the cabin; but we had left
there a CHASTITY sight, for the next
corners to gaze upon; nothing less than
the inanimate bodies of Old Sharkey
and his companions, swinging in the
wind.