Iron County register., 1888-04-19

him. There was but a few minutes
more to spare in racing. but Gideon
had reached point where. if no acci-
dent should occur, he felt certain of
gaining the narrow pass.
His horses were sweating profusely
from fright and exertion. but still
seemed full of energy. On. on. they
flew. 1t was wonderful that the coach
kept right side up. while the poor
frightened woman inside clung fran
tically to her seat with one arm. and
to her babe with the other.
Another half mile was passed safely.
and Gideon felt thrill of triumph rs
he struck the mountain spur, upon the
other side of which he felt sure of
making successful stand against
their pursuers. Both at the Gulch and
|! the Forks. he was known as a ''crack
shot, with his revolvers, and those
| three fellows. he thought with no lit
! tie jud dgment, wouldn't care ''to run
up agin 'em," when once he had
gained the shelter of the jutting rocks
on the other side.
| OuL IliSL ttS llc tCtCHCu thC pOAhe VI
the spur. and when too late he re-
membered dangerous curve in front
where, going at their present rate OF
speed, the hack must inevitably be
thrown off the ledge by its own mo-
mentum. 1t was short turn up
steep bench with ledge above and
chasm below. He threw al his weight
in backward pull upon the lines. but
the team. now thoroughly frightened
and wildly excited by their furious
run. refused to obey the reins, and
plunged recklessly ahead.
They were now within a few rods of
the fatal turn, and Gideon. foreseeing
instant catastrophe. dropped the lines.
sprang over the back of his seat and
catching both woman and child in his
arms. jumped out with them upon the
upper side of the road. They were
scarcely out of the hack when the
vehicle '.sloughed" off the road. over
turned, and, as it did so, wrenched
the team off The narrow dug
The poor animals scrambled resist
| ingly for an instant, then one lost its
footing and fell; the other plunged
over it, and coach and all went crash
ing into the bottom of the gulch be-
| low Gideon had time to note this, rs
he says. even while tumbling with his
precious freight from the bank of the
spur, against which he had leaped.
into the roadbed.
Luckily the bank at that point was
of earth instead of rocks-the ledge
was but few steps further on-and
the three. though shocked and Jared,
were unharmed by their violent exit
from the hack.
Gideon, however, did not stop an
instant to note whether the woman or
her child were injured. but gathering
the baby on one arm and grasping its
mothers arm with his free hand, ran
forward. carrying the one and fairly
dragging the other:
just few steps beyond the ledge
were several big powders on the
lower side of the road. To gain the
shelter of those before Corson and his
men came in sight was now Gid S
object Before the powders were
reached. he could hear the clatter of
hoofs around the curve. The men
were in close pursuit and riding
hard, but by dint of great exertion
Gideon reached the rocks with his
charges a minute or two before the
pursuers rounded the point.
Set close behind hyar." he COM
manded the woman. land hyar take
yer baby m keep es quiet m es cool
es We ken"
Then he drew revolver from one
of the holsters at his hips. and drop
ping upon his knees at a spot where
he could peer through between two of
the boulders, cock ed the weapon, and
leveled it upon the road preparatory
TO halting the fellows with shot as
soon rs they came in sight.
Hs had not q second to wait before
the leader appeared ut a point just be-
yond where the stage and team had
gone off the bench and over the cliff.
1t was Corson himself, but he lad
slowed up" and, before Gideon
could make up his mind to fire. he sud-
denly drew rein. and gave utterance
rs he did so 10 loud and excited
oath.
He had discovered what had hap
pened to the stage. by means-as was
afterward proved-of sheep-skin
seat-cushion, which had been flung
out of the hack as it overturned. and
had lodged on top of the ledge.
The other two men came up almost
instantly and halted and then the
three dismounted and talked eXcitedly
ogether-though Gideon could not
distinguish what they said-and one
of them went forward and peered long
and intently over the ledge. But
either he dared not go near enough to
the verge of the precipice to see plainly
to the base, or he could not clearly
make out the wreck on account of the
chaparral thicket below. for, after
gazing a minute, he shook his head
decidedly, as though convinced that
passengers and all had gone over.
and then all three quickly remounted.
wheeled their ponies about upon the
'dug-way." and disappeared as rapid
ly as they come.
"Unyhughr' grunted Gideon, with
great satisfactlor, ''ye think ye' We run
us over thar IN smashed the hull out
fit. dom ye. m ye've skipped mighty
sudden fer fear It sumun ID come
along N diskiver yer deviltry, haint
YEP"
Then he told Mrs. Corson to get up,
and taking the child from her arms
1 ..l a.