Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-01

| often we know the programme pretty
well. I've got Martin at the store with
me. and you two make four Of us Alto
gether. Besides, there's preacher
hanging around the place. He's some
relative Of Campbell. and he's got
shotgun. believe he's game. Thcre'H
be four OF them this time, but | think
We can handle them. Let's ride
Twenty minutes brought us to the
scene. The doors were wide open,
there was light streaming out into the
dark, and the building presented in
every way an ordinary appearance. 1t
was long, thin, weAther-boarded
house. the ordinary type Of country
store. 1t faced the road, Of course,
and was entered by three narrow lnm-
Der steps leading up to the door.
There was a small room opening into
il from the left, used as kind Of lum-
ber-Toom. The clerks room was at
the back, and was divided from the
salesrOom proper only by thin board
partition. Martin, fat, big-headed
ranger, was hidden behind the trans
verse counter at the far end
Of the room, leaning against the parti-
| ton which divided the clerks room
from US. Near him sat the preacher
Bunch, think, was his name-with
his long neck drawn in and murder
ous-looking double-barrel across his
knees. He was placidly chewing to-
baccO, and seemed thoroughly uncOn-
ceIned. | judged that he had been
| there some time, as he had made quite
a puddle of saliva between his feet.
| Graham and myself were stationed
in the little room to the left, about
ten feet from the front door,
and commanding an excellent view
Of it. We had our coats and shoes OIL,
and bad only to stand still and wait.
Lee Hall took position on the outside,
Just behind one corner Of the house. 1t
was very dark beyond the circle oflight
thrown by the lamps. / stood there
for what seemed to me three or four
years. was getting very nervous,
what with standing still and doing no.
thing, and had gripped the barrel Of my
Winchester till my arm ached with the
strain, when Graham moved slightly,
and then from far up the road
| heard the long roll Of hoofs. With
steady swell it grew louder, until every
stroke on the hard ground could be dis
tinguished. Suddenly, like bodies shot
from some vast propelling engine, three
horsemen dashed into the light and
reared to a standstill at the door. They
were masked and heavily armed. They
leaped to the ground and, headed by
their leader, large and powerful man,
with pistols cooked, sprang up the steps
and into the door. They we're met with
the stern command Throw up your
hands from Graham, aud the muz-
| zles Of our rifles covered them
from our hiding-place. They half
TUNED to face us, and at the same time
Martin and Bunch arose. When the
| bandits saw this fresh addition to our
force they never guailed. The leader
with his left hand tore the mask from
his face, and with his right threw down
his pistol and opened fire. lie spoke
only one word. Traitor, given in
Spanish and with bitter, kissing en-
phasiS | will never forget. His TIVE
companions, as game as he, followed
suit.
TIE FIGHT AND WHAT CAME OF 1T.
The small room in an instant was
filed with smoke so thick that it was
impossible to distinguish or locate any
thing with accuracy. | was doing my
best and, according TO the best calcula-
tions, ought to have filled two of them
full of holes. but subsequent develop
ments showed that | didn't. | saw
Graham drop his gun and draw his
pistol. drop that and spring into the
main room empty-handed. That pre-
objection for doing the wrong thing that
has followed me from youth prompted
me to do the same thing, and |
did. The reports were incessant,
and confined in that narrow space,
deafening. ! stumbled over PROSTATE
body, caught myself on the opposite
counter and rolled over it. As turn
ed my face ! saw the chief wheel to-
ward me, there was binding flash,
SCATTERING report, and when ! caught
my breath the store was empty. The
smoke had drified somewhat, and |
could see. ! leaned against the counter,
chOked once or twice, and took
a mental inventory. There was
dead Mexican lying in the cen
ire Of the room. The preacher
Was standing at the far end, with
his coat of, binding up wounded fin
ger. Martin, his fat face deathly pale,
and fair, bushy hair covered with splin-
tiers, was leaning forward and gazing
straight out of the door. That store
was an arabesque curiosity. Goods
were lying all over the floor. Whole
/ bolts of dress stuflS had been struck by
the bullets, unrolled and knocked in
every direction. Right over the
preachers head, in the line of fire,
were the few shelves devoted to the
canned goods department. 1t had Suf-
ferred terribly. Corn and tomatoes
ard peaches and deviled hams were
shot into an unrecognizable mass and
were running and dripping down on
the counter. Some of the boards looked
/ like drunken carpenter had been run
ming along them with a dull plane.
The partition was full of holes. Lee
Hall came to the door, whistling softly.
49, Nice nights work, gentlemen,
he said; step outside
THE NIGHTS WORK.
1--WE. went out. The leader lay
curled up near the steps, one arm
broken, shot through the body, and his
head disfgured by CHASTITY wound.
The bullet had struck him under the
jaw, ranged upward, and made its exit
at the top Of the head.
So As he came out | tickled him I'M
der the chin said Hall, Sententiously.
We found the other one thirty yards
from the store, dying, with ten buck
shot in his back and praying for water.
The preacher had made convert.
Graham, in his excitement, had slipped
45-calibre pistol-cartridge into his Al
calibre Winchester, and hung it FUN