The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-07-03

ly drow5yS- one last thing | remem
Der before | fell asleep, was Georg
standing by the level in the hot su,
and looking through it at the hill
east Of us.
| cannot say how long l dozed
for | was startled so suddenly IS t.
jog my memory to an a!armin!
extent.
"lndians = | hear so me one cry
and l began to rub my eyes sleepi
ly.
But | did not rub them long, fo
l saw George throwing the truck OF
the track, in 4 state Of the great ex
element. | was at his side in al
instant, and quick glance around
showed me the true state Of things
Eastward, about q mile distant
were five mounted Indians, riding to
wards us at tull speed. AS the
camp had several times been raid
cd during the mems absence, I had
no doubt that they were hostile.
was not excited as George was,
however, for l put my level and
leyelling-iod and two spruce ties on
the car before l showed off.
The rails were new snd rough,
and the hand-car was not worn
much yet, but as l jumped on, /
felt it gaining speed down the
straight track, and | arranged the
two ties in the form Of barricade.
Then | looked back.
The five Indians evidently meant
business, for they were coming as
fast as they conld toward us, and
were gaining upon us; and wien 1
heard George moaning as he crouch
ed behind the ties, l did not feel
very cheerful or hopeful. reached
for my revolver in my hip-pocket,
and examined its charges as coolly
as l could. There were seven large
sized cartridges in it, and the ri =
Of bullet by my ears at that mo-
ment showed me that l might have
to use them. l also crouched be-
hind the ties after this warning,
and looking cautiously over the
top at our pursures.
They gained nearly half the dis
tance during the first five minutes,
but the increasing quickness Of the
click of the wheels at the joints of
the rails gave me u little
hope as l watched them. AS
to George, lie was so terrified as to
be unconscious; but q long life of
engineering upon the plains had
hardened me 4 little; neither was
this my first adventure.
The sun poured down on us, and
but for our motion, it would have
prostratcd us; the wind was blowing
the same way that we were going,
but we were moving faster than it,
and this gave us & faint breath Of
air. I took OF my light coat and
formed q shade over George, who
was helpless, and looked ahead.
Far away. through the moving
waves of heat, l could sec the
smoke rising lazily from the engine,
and the two rails stretching in a
long perspective, until they were
lost where the grass seemed dyed
brown; but the 81 ady click q click
click Of the whc 5 reminded me
that it was a long way off, and l
fastened my eyes on the Indians.
They were spreading out. One
of them, on my right, had left the
main body behind, and was circling
around to get q head Of US. Then
| thought how lucky it was there
were no curves to give them an al
vantage.
WhcnI hal first sighted them
they were making a great many ex-
travagant motions; but now they
were ready for action, and l could
see the foam on the dark beasts of
their ponies rs they leaned well
forward. But in proportion as their
steeds tired, Cur steed gathered new
energies, and the two thousand
feet that separated US did not ap-
pear to lessen veryrapidly. Wheth-
er they wanted to adorn their belts
with our scalps, or wanted to hold
us for q ransom, was another ques-
ton, for they had fired but once,
and doubtless as a ''long TOM fred
on a ship, retards, in slight degre
its motions so their rifles, fired at
us, would check them. They did
not fire, anywhere. but their reasons
for doing so can only be guessed
at.
So far l could judge, only one of
them was gaining on us, and l
grasped the handle Of my revolver
as saw that he Was lessening the
distance between us. He was coy-
cred behind his horse, excepting
his right leg and foot, but l didnot
see fit to waste shot yet; there
was no knowing what might happen
I thought. Besides, my revolver
would not carry accurately that dis
tancc, and every ball might be re
Quired.
ventured to look ahead a mo
ment, and saw that the smoke was
nearer and that the outlines Of the
engine and q few cars were distinct
against the blue sky beyond; and
then another thought flashed across
my mind. We we're going down a
gade Of thirty-five feet to the mile,
hardly fall enough, l reasoned, tc
move the stiff truck along over the
scaIy surface Of the rails,