Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-08-06

.ne ieaaet. You shan't be hurt so lono n. I
you remain quiet 'one ~
nut VINO are your I returned with as
Hueu resolution as 1 could summon nm
T., = "oulu net De policy to surrender until T
know to whom IL ""Ni
IA loud laugh from the ent;ro ro,, -.
OFT my speech, eto"o CUT
inats a good one,' said the tall ind
vldoai. '"Twas jist lertin' you down kinder
easy cause you cum into my place un- |
aWares. We can kill you easy enonoh' - |
you insist upon it. 0"sn' II
l o1d not. Resistance would be the last
tnlng !! should attempt against such over.
towering numbers. '
handed over my weapons to the leader.
ana ne ordered two Of the gang to take me
MO the back-room and watch while thew
conferred together. neS
L passed nearly an hour in the back
room listening to the talk going forward in
'front.' From the broken words I heard I
pieeed out the following:
Inc supply train, due tomorrow, was to
pass this afternoon, and the outlaws we're
plotting its destruction.
9"Ihe track was nearly a mile from the
mouse, and the leader concluded to 90 at
last. He entered the room where / sat.
ana ordered the guards to watch me closely.
"One OF them pleaded SO strongly to 90
upon the expedition that the leader sub
United, and when the men left I was alone
with the old woman and the single robber.
My " fears and troubles had been
swallowed up by the more important new
mad received regarding the train.
1t was quite valuable, besides being
much required by the troops at the time.
There were several officers on board, also,
1 nn6 $t,nS~ 10nk,,.@ -.
loss.
ITO shorten a long story, I had flask of
liquor in my pocket; the outlaw had a
larger in his own possession, and he also
had an appetite for a larger quantity than
was obtainable.
"He drank up the liquor in his W flask
in a very few minutes, and my W followed
Immediately afterward.
A might have been expected, the cold
and the liquor threw him in a drunken
slumber. Inow decided to leave the house
ut any risk.
"The old woman had remained in the
front room. Slowly I drew away the ruff
fans weapons. I had been left unbound,
and warned by my own escape, I proceeded
to secure the fellow without awakening
him. l then entered the front room and
prevailed with the old lady to allow me to
serve nef IN the same way.
Give minutes later I had mounted my
horse and was riding at break-neck speed
toward the railroad track.
II heard the engine whistle shrilly as I
left the stable, and knew the probabilities
we're against my reaching the spot in time
to do any good.
IL rode with the speed of the wind over
the snow-covered ground, and came into
view of the track just as the train halted.
Running the steed back, I looked at the
cars; they were already in the possession
of the outlaws.
GA couple of the men had gone up the
track with o red flag, and had halted the
train-in an ambush Of their fellows.
"They jumped on board, with shouts and
screams of triumph, while the bullets rat
tied fiercely.
Disappointed that I had not been a few
minutes earlier, I watched the ~rascals.
"The soldiers upon the train were soon
all dead or prisoners, and then the outlaws
left the cars.
STANDING together IN o body, they con-
suited for q moment, and then the engine
was %uncoupled, two men leaped upon it and
drove down the track.
II watched them with bated breath. What
did they intend to do?. 1t was soon ex.
planned.
"The locomotive was stopped again {
few miles away, then the lever was thrown
back, and the engine rushed back upon tn,
cars with the speed of the avalanche.
"a moment, and it collided with The
foremost car, plowed its way through
and soon the valuable supply train was bu'
a mass of smoking ruins"
The Colonel stopped and drew a long
breath.
~ tell you it was a thrilling night" hi
said, after a moment; "but the guerrillas
soon paid for the damage.
81 escaped without difficulty, and reached
camp again that night. The following
week Witnessed the destruction Of that bant
of bushwhackers, for the soldiers wer,
maddened by. the loss of their supplies
and rested not a moment until they re-
venged it."