Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-10-21
Saved bya Dream.

seed mouse, was IIttsOiihS SASNeH-
Tennessee making collections for his
house. He had to visit many towns
off the railroads, and in such cases ne
secured. horse and buggy or rode
horseback. One night after he mad
finished his. business in Chattanooga
he made ready for horseback ride OF
fifteen or twenty miles the next day.
Upon retiring to his room for the
night he sat down to smoke a cigar.
He was neither overtired nor sleepy,
but after smoking q few minutes he
had what he termed a vision. he
was riding over the country on horse,
back, when at the junction OF the
roads he was joined by a stranger.
He saw this man as plainly as one
man can see another in broad day
light, noting the color Of his hair and
eyes, and taking particular notice OF
the fact that the horse, which was
gray in color. had ~" branded on
his left shoulder. l-.. r--
The two rode along together for q
mile or more, and then came TO
spot where q tree had blown down
and fallen across the narrow high
way. They turned into the woods
to pass the spot, he IN advance, when
he saw the stranger pull pistol and
fire at his back. He felt the bullet
tear into him, reeled and fell from
his horse. and was conscious when
the assassin robbed him and threw
his body fir6her-iHtos the woods. lie
seemed to see all this, and yet at the
same time knew that he was dead.
His corpse was rolled into hollow
and covered with brush, and then the
murderer went away and lett MN
alone In making an effort to throw
off the brush the dead man came to
life; that is, the agent threw of the
spell and awoke himself' His cigar
had gone out, and, as near as he
could calculate, he had been uncon-
scious, as you might cali it, for about
fifteen minutes. He was deeply agl-
stated, and it was some time before he
could convince himself that he had
not suffered any injury. BY and by
ne went. to bed and slept .soundly,
and next morning the remembrance
of what had happened IN his VISION
had almost faded from his mind.
! Luckily for Bronson, he made some
inquiries at the livery stable as he
went for his horse, and he was told
that it was lonely road, and that it
would be prudent to go armed. But
for this ha weHld have left his reyol-
yersin his trunk at the hotel. He set
out on his Journey in GOOD spirits, and
found the road so romantic, and met
horsemen going to town so often that
he reached the junction of the roads
without having given a serious
thought to his vision. Then every
circumstance was recalled in the most
vivid manner. He was Joined BY q
stranger on gray horse, and man and
beast Tailed exactly with those IN the
vision. The man did not, however,
have the look or bearing of an evil
minded person. On the contrary, he
seemed to be in a Jolly mood, and he
saluted Bronson as frankly as an hon
est stranger. would have done. He
had no weapons in sight, and he soon
explained that he was going to the vii
lage to which Bronson was bound on
business connected with the law.
The agent could not help but feel as
tonished and startled at the curious
coincidence, but the stranger was so
talkative and friendly that there, was
no possible excuse to suspect him. IN
deed, as if to prove to his companion
that he meditated no evil, he kept a
little in advance for the next hall
hour. Bronson's distrust had entire
~ vanished, when turn in the road
brought an obstructiont to view There
was q fallen tree across the highway.
This proof that every point and cir
cumstance in the vision was being I'M
rolled before his eyes gave the agent a
great shock. He was behind the
stranger, and he pulled his revolver
and dropped his hand beside the horse
to conceal it.
"Well, welln' said the man, as he
pulled up his horse. The tree. must
haze toppled over this morning.
Wen have to pass around it to the
right" $50
Bronson was on the right. The
woods were clear of underbrush, and
naturally enough he should have been
the first to leave the road, but he
waited. 7fz- s@A. tA
go ahead, friend" said the stran.
ger, and as il the words had been ad-
dressed to the horse, the animal which
the agent bestrode started up.
Bronson was scarcely out OF the
road before he turned in his saddle.
The stranger had pistol in his right
hand. What followed could not be
clearly related. Bronson slid from
the saddle as the bullet whizzed passed
him, and a second later returned the
fire. Three or four shots were ra pidly
exchanged, and then the would be-
murderer uttering q yell to show that
he had been hit, wheeled his horse and
galloped off. He had not gone ten
rods when the beast fell under him,
and he kicked his feet from the stir
rups and sprang into the woods and
was out of sight in moment. The
horse had received a bullet in the
throat and was dead in a few min
uteS. @[-tgs1- g3s5 EGSt3kLt 4G
As a matter of course Bronson put
, tfematter in the hands of the proper
officials, but the horse could neither
be identified nor the man overhauled.
1t was agreed that he was an entire
stranger in that locality, and that
while he did not know bronson nor
the business he was engaged in, he was
ready to commit a cold blooded muir
der and take his chances of finding a
fat wallet to repay him.