The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-09-10
THE DESERTED CABIN.

In the Fall of "a. on q dunlooktng
morning a chum Of mine, Tom Bayhss, .
and myself left PlainSburg, en- route for (
Indian Gulch, some twenty-five miles dis
tant Tom was an old miner, and had .
located q claim in French Gulch early in
the fifties from which he had taken good +.
many thousand dollars, and felt certain /.
that there still remained localities in the
Indian Gulch District of MarpOsa Co, Col,
where a man could, at any rate make grub
money, and might, by chance, "strike IL
rich" Each of us packed a double blanket
and took an old shotgun along Ia order
to somewhat vary the monotony OF beans
and bacon with q rabbit quail Soon
after we left PlainsbuTg it began TO drizZle,
but having once started we determined 70
Keep right along. About noon 1t cleared
of a trifie and we halted to take lunch
and rest at a deserted cabin, close TO what
had once been . sheep corral. Just as we
had finished our afteT-lunch pipes we were
startled by vivid flash Of lightning, fob
lowed almost instautaneOusly by a clap OF
thunder, which made the rlCkety old caDln
fairly shake. Flash followed fash, and
deafening peals of thunder simultaneously
echoed through the adjacent foothills.
Then came the rain, and such rain
Ruess we'd better make night OF II
heren said Tom Bayiiss, after we had
waited in vain for three hours for 1t to
clear up.
|
had taken the precautiOn TO bring along
some biscuits, bacon and coffee, we started
a fire in the big adobe fireplace, put the
coffee-pot on and after patching up the
Ieakv roof as well as we could, prepared
TO make the best Of the night.
It must have been about II P. N. when
wa were startled out of a sound sleep by
loud shrieks OF murdes murder! IN
shriu vvomau's voice. Our dog was bark
Ing furtously l ciutched my shotgun,
and Tom, taking his revolver, we sailed
forth to discover the cause Of the cries we
heard The rain had ceased and young
moon, aided by the stars, shed faint
urht over ths plains Some hundred yards
AWAY we could Just discern the outline OF
a covered wagon As we approached the
voice became fainter and fainter, and had
s7Ibsided into a series of mOans, when we
finally halted, ten yards from the wagon,
and shouted out: &" What's the matter
there i'
The only answer we received was the
thrustfng of what looked ike the barrel OF
a winchester rifle through the aperture
for inpress of the oil-cloth cover Of the
wagon and request 70 "get out OF that
orick II YOU don't want some hot lead ~
\ OF desiring 70 be made targets or we
heat a peaceful retreat toward our cabin
That the wagon could not get away with
ont our knowledge we We're assured, as
hsDf
the wind IN an old barn close TO the cabin
We were in. Tom, who was somewhat ro-
-nanticalIv Inclined, insisted that it was q
case Of abduction, and that some VlllaI1
had stolen away a lovely maiden or talI
Young wife. L being somewhat more pro
saic suggested that It was mere famliy
Co. botyPen husband and wife, and that
LhoDs The old woman had imbibed q
tri4e too much. So we talked and specU
Ia+od uDon the case until the first gray
s+rashs of dawn began to light the eastern
borizop. We looked in the direction o
the wagon, and at once dlscerned Signs o
bfe A fire had been lit on the creel
hank. and we could just make out the out
Bpe of n mans form against the names
. I-oeentlv we saw the figure leave the fir
4 ond walk slowly in ouT direction, rifle Il
baDd We carefully looked to our wear
ons. and awaited results with fast-beatlni
hearts.
nnaeine the relief we felt when, on tn
nearer approach of the rifie-oearing toYH
x-a recognized the countenance OF Be
Co,,irs the Marshal of Plainsburg. W
18th started out to meet him, and afte
tavirc, a mil at flask that he produced
ord handing ii around, be said " got ol
the road last night got lost IN the storm
I e-6 had to camp out Were you Tn
/ cheDs that came around the wagon las
;lrbt, ~ we tod him "yes," and he COZ
can tell YOU ] started from a ranc
. tyrelve miles from here, with Graz
,,ouan that had to take to Napa. 81
l eacIned oriet enough, and took 10 trout.
To baud-cufi her but somehow the thundt
u sanr,ed TO raise the very old boy with he
Tr7st as had decided that it was 10 u.
y eyoing any further in the rain, and ",
z tr,5nq 10 make the poor woman as col
fortable as possible, she sprang on me fro
! 1,lbind and clutched me by the thTCi
y, lin both hands, and it was all / could ,
to st0u her from choking me 10 death, 4
u. ebe,s a woman that weighs one hundr,
i sDd sixty OF more, and these crazy ioll
l. are as strong as mules for squirt.
= last however, l shook her of, was pI
ceediue to put on the bracelets, when s.
yelled out blue murder, and l guess y
heard her"
+. We returned with Ben and took a lo'
at the crazy virago. She was MeXic'
4 woman, about forty years Of age, and ST
Il xrart as a man. When she saw US she
3 si~ed that she had been stolen from boz
g bv brigands, and got 20 excited that '
Z left. and. wishing CoIli1s good luck W
Z his unoanny charge, sterted on on G
- road TO Indian Gulch and fortune.
month let us out there, as we could :
even strike pay dirt, but shall always
member that night at the deserted CAP