The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-29

soLheoooy had GoG Ill there to sleep.
But this passed away as quickly as
1T came, for no man would have brok-
en- into my cart for that purpose.
And that thought, gentlemen, opened
my eyes. Whoever was in there had
broken 1T.
"My next thought was of Mr.. Dick
Hardhead. He had heard me say
that my load was all sold out, and OF
course he supposed that | had some
money with me. And in this ne was
right-for had over two thousand
dollars. also thought that he meant
to leave the cart when he supposed l
had reached safe place, and then
either creep over and shoot me, or
knock me down-or perhaps slip out
and ask for a ride, or something of
that sort. All this passed through
my mind by the time had got a rod
from the hole.
"Now, never make it O point to
brag OF myself, but yet l have seen
great deal OF the world, and l am
pretty cool and clear headed under
difficulty. In II very few moments
my resolution was formed. NV horse
was now knee-deep in the mud, and l
knew ! could slip off without noise.
So drew my revolver-I never travel
in that country without tit is ask
barrelled one and sure fire; drew this,
and, having twined ne reins around
the whipstock, | carefully slid down
into the mud, and as the cart went on
| went behind it and examined the
hasp. The door OF the cart let's down,
and is fastened by hasp which slips
over a staple, and is then secured by
paddock. The paddock was gone
and the hasp was secured in it's place
by bit of pine stick-so that a slight
push from within could break IT, My
wheel wrench hung in leather bucket
on the side Of the cart, and l quickly
took it out and slipped it into the
staple. the iron handle Just sliding
down.
"Now I had him. My cart was al
most new, with stout frame of white
oak, and made on purpose for hard
usage, heavy loads, and service. l
did not believe that any ordinary
man could break out. Igot on to my
cart as noiseless as got off, and then
urged my horse on, still keeping my
pistol handy. l knew that at the
distance OF half a mile further |
should come to a hard, good road,
and | allowed my horse to pick his
own way through this mud. 1t was
about ten minutes after this that l
heard n motion in the cart, followed
by a grinding noise as though some
heavy force We're being applied to the
door This continued some moments,
and than n
the sole OF boot We're applied to the
door. | SAID nothing, but the idea
struck me that the villain might try
to Judge about where sat and shoot
up through the top OF the cart at me,
so | sat down on the footboard.
"Of course knew now that my un.
expected passenger was villain, for
he must have been awake ever since l
started, and nothing else in the world
but absolute villainy would have
caused him to remain quiet so long,
and then start up in this particular
place. The humping and pushing
grew louder and louder, and pretty
soon | heard q human voice.
"'Let me out of this!' he cried, and
he yelled pretty loud.
81 lifted my head up so as to make
him think that | was sitting in my
usual place, and then asked him what
he was doing in there.
Let me out and I'll tell ye, he re-
piled.
"'Tell me what you're in there for
l said
81 got in here to sleep on your
rags, he answered
How'd ye get imp l asked.
Let me get out, or I'll shoot ye
through the head, he yelled
"Just at that moment my horses
feet struck the hard road and knew
that the rest OF the road to Jackson
would be good going, The distance
was twelve miles. | slipped back up
on the footboad and took the whip.
had the same horse then I've got
nova tall, stout, powerful bay mare
and you may believe there's some
go in her. At any rate, she struck q
gait then that even astonlsbed me.
She had had n good mess OF oats, the
night air was cool, and she felt like
going In fifteen minutes we cleared
the wood and away we went
at great pace. The chap inside
kept yelling to be let out. and
threatening to shoot if l didn't let
him out. Finally he stopped, and in
a few moments came the reports OF
pistol-one-two wo-three-four--o af-
ter the other, and | heard the balls
whiz over my head. Ii had been on
my seat, one OF those balls, if not two
OF them, must have gone through me.
popped up my head ap'.,n and gave
yell and then a deepl lr5an, and then
said, %, save mel Pm dead mani
Then l made q shutting noise as
though | were a falling off, and finally
settled down again On the foot-board.
now urged up the old mare by giving
her an occasional poke with the butt
of the whip, and shewen along faster
than ever.
"The man called to me twice more
pretty soon after this, and as he got
no reply he made some tremendous eff
forts to break the door open, and as
this failed him he made several at
tempts upon the top. But l had no
fears OF his doing anything there, for
the top Of my cart is framed i'll with
dove-tails and each sleeper bolted to
the posts with nn iron bolt had it
made SO that / could carry heavy
loads there. By and by, after all else
had failed, the scamp commenced to
holler whoa to the horse, and kept
it up until he became hoarse. All this
time kept perfectly quiet, holding the
reins firmly and poking the beast with
the whip.
eve wasn't an hour liz going that
dozen miles-not q bit of it. hadn't
much fear-perhaps l might tell the
truth and say that ! had none, for |
had good pistol.and morethan that,
| my passenger was safe-yet did feel
glad when came to the old flour bar
rel factory that stands at the edge OF
Jackson's village, and in ten minutes