The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-01-28


"You have two horses belonging to them.
| / can see them over there. The women you
| took out Of a cave in the other valley"
and il l won't give them upP | asked
Then you may prepare to die As
prospector like yourself. and as one who
wants to live to get back to the States, /
| advise you to deliver up the women and
| horses"
'Go back to your gang and tell 'em TO do
their worst know 'em for accursed Dan
ties. and know you for the biggest villain
| OF all, and the next one of you who comes
within range will get bullet"
He could see the women asleep on the
blsnkets, and the horses staked out beyond.
| For a second or two his eyes roamed over
| the basin as il in search OF the dog. and he
then turned without word and walked out
| of sight
What would followi The men had located
me sure enough, and they were four to one.
! Would they dare make rush up the gorge
! at my breastworkl did not believe they
| would. Could they attack me from above {
| would not give them credit for being
brave enough to make their way over sucn
dangerous ground. They had us penned up,
| and could bide their time, and would be In
no hurry TO bring things to a climax by ex-
| posing themselves.
kept nv watch at the breastwo-k until
| about Ave O'Clock without hearing the
! slightest movement from the DanlteS. AT
! that time the women awoke and joined me,
and as soon as / had put them in posses
sion of the news they brought the two car
/ bines to me, that might explain the work
| ings of the weapons. They posted them
| selves in very short time. and then calmly
| took their places beside me. Neither
seemed more excited than the average man
wouSi have been under the circumstances,
and both strongly declared that, sooner
| than fall into the hands OF the DaniteS,
| they would end their own lives.
, -.
prepared supper and we ate it under
shelter OF the defence. Then came the
question of preparing for the night. Under
cover of the intense darkness i'll the gorge
| at midnight the men might creep up to the
very breastwOrk without being seen. To
prevent this l climbed,over and constructed
I an aOattlS from such small trees as could
break down or uproot The women brought
me more material from the other side,
| and l soon had an obstruction which
the Danites could not remove nor surmount
without creating an alarm.
The women remained awake until mid
night. but about that hour, the night having
| been without alarm, both dropped off to
sleep, sitting with their backs to the breast
work. Fifteen minutes later | became
satisfied that the DaniteS were creeping up
the gorge. 1t was so dark in that narrow
defle that could not hope 20 see them,
even if they reached the ebattis, and gave
my whole attention to listening. Now and
then I heard the crack of twig as they
crept forward, and by and by knew that
they had halted at the abattis. This wa
an unexpected obstruction, and in their
chagrin they cursed in whispers loud enough
to give their presence away. They remained
in front of the obstruction full quarter OF
an hour, and then retired without having
made the least effort to remove it.
The remainder Of the night passed with
out the least alarm, and the sun had been
hno Tr.rNFr
the DaniteS again. The same man, with the
same flag of truce, appeared in the gorge
and shouted that he wished to make a
proposition, and added:
eve have been reinforced, and it is use
less foryou to expect TO escape"
By way of reply showed the rife over
the breastwork for a shot at him, and he
disappeared as if the ground had swallowed
him up.
l then called a council of war The
women were so brave that their opinions
were worth knowing. especially as they
knew the characteristics of the DaniteS
better than did.
4 will tell you what they will attempt to
do,'' said the eldest, in response to my in
quiry. ut is their purpose to kill you and
secure possession of us women and the
animals. They haven't the patience to
wait and starve US out, because we could
subsst here for months. Il there were
only four Of them yesterday, there are
only four to-day, although if we tarTy here
too long. they might summon reinforce
ments. They can't attack us from above,
and they dare not make rush up the
gorge. During the day they will cut grass
and make four large, tight bales. When
night comes they will approach US by roll
ing these bales ahead of them. The wind
blows up the gorge, and II they set fire to
the abattis all the smoke and flame will be
driven this way, much to their advantage.
y nr laor fhn haf Y,icr
we are lost"
"And l have been thinking of another
matter" said the other. yesterday you
found place to climb up and look down on
the plain. These men are camped near the
mouth of the gorge. Perhaps you can look
right down on them. If SO, YOU can drive
them OFF,
Five minutes later Twas on my WY down
the gorge. keeping close to the right-hand
bank, and | reached the spot where had
clambered up before without seeing cor
hearing a movement on the part OF the
enemy. When l reached a position from
which | could look down on the plain saw
the four men about a mile away, cutting
and piling sage brush. Right below me,
staked out were the four horses, and there
was a tent of blankets and small camp
fire. The men had their carbines slung to
their backs and seemed entirely occupied
in gathering the brush. Here was an op-
portunity not to be neglected, and l made
all haste to descend and reach our camp.
Half dozen words explained the situation
to the women. Both saddled their own
horses, and while l was packing the mule
they took down and slowed the tents, and
in ten minutes we were ready to move.
Before reaching the mouth of the gorge
tne women were instructed to turn to the
left as We went out and ride to the east
with all speed, never minding how far be-
hind Jagged. We went out of the place at
full gallop, and while they turned to the
left rode to the right It would not do to
leave the MormOns a means of pursuing,
and perhaps overhauling US. There would
be no time to dismount and cut the
lariats and run OFF the beasts, but they
must be killed in their tracks. 1t seemed a
horrible thing to do, even when SO nerved
up and excited. but a shout from the
Danites settled the matter. The men had
seen us and were coming on the run. In a
minute was among the horses, revolver in
hand, and as fast as l could pull trigger l
sent the lead into them. Two went down
and the other two broke away and followed
me half a mile before tumbling over. The
DaniteS opened fire, but the range was too
long, and at the end of twenty minutes we
were out of sight and hearing.
Long week. after this we one day rode up
to the gates of Fort BTidger, all OF us un-
kempt, ragged, and scarcely TO be recog-
nized as human beings, but safely delivered
from Danites. Indians and the wild beasts
OF mountain and plain. One of the women
is to-day resident of Baltimore and the
other OF Chicago. and their measure of
happiness is completely. Y Sun.