Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-05-02
Of making successful defense when


he should be finally overlaken.
There was point nearly two miles
ahead, where, if he could only reach
it. the road ran along the foot of
narrow ledge and above PERCEPTIONS
gulch. and where he thought he might
halt the coach behind q sheltering
point of rocks. and ''stand Off their
pursuers with his revolve,s. He was
now determined at every hazard to
keep the woman and her child out of
the clutches Of her pursucrs.
With this goal and end in view,
then. he drove with n rccklcssncss
which in any less urgent case would
have been mad. indeed. More than
| once the poor woman screamed with
fright, as the hack hinged forward or
careened over. and ran for several
yards on two wheels.
But Fletcher kept steady :nd strong
rein upon his animals. and threw his
| weight on one side or the other. rs
! the coach rocked and threatened to
overturn.
Several minutes passed in this mad
flight, when. glancing back at a
smoother turn. the driver caught an
other view of Corson and his men;
they were now pressing hard upon
him. There was but few minutes
more to spare in racing, but Gideon
had reached 4 point where. if no acct
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 chung fran
ticaliy to her seat with one arm. and
to her babe with the other:
Another half mile was passed safely.
and Gideon felt y thrill of triumph as
he struck the mountain spur, upon the
other side Of which he felt sure Of
making 4 successful stand against
their pursuers. Both 1t the Gulch and
the Forks. he was known Us ''crack
shot, with his revolvers, and those
three fellows. he thought. with no lit
Il, Judgment, wouldn't care Ito run
up agin 'cm,' when once he had
gained the shelter of the julting rocks
on The other side.
But just as he reached the point of
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 Of The ledg. by its own mo-
mentum. Il was short turn up 4
steep ben CHI with ledge above and a
chasm below: he threw I'll his wei ght
in I backward pull upon the lines. but
the team. now thoroughly frightened
and wildly excited By their furious
run. refused to obey the rcins, AMI
plunged recklessly ahead.
They were now within few aods OF
the fatal turn. and Gideon, foreseein G
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 "sioughed' of the road, over.
turned and. as it did SO, wrenched
the team off the narrow "dug-way."
The poor animals scram b!cd resist
ingiy 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, as
he says. even while tGm bling with his
precious freight from the bank of the
spur, against which he had leaped
into the roadbel.
Luckily the bank 1T that point was
| of earth instead of rocks-the led &c
was but few steps further on-and
the three, though shocked and Jared,
were unframed by their violent ext
! from the hack.
Gideon, however, did not sop 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 4 minute or two before the
pursuers rounded the point.
| set close behind hyar" he COM
manded the woman. land hyar. take
yer baby N keep es quiet n es cool
es ye KEN
Then he drew a revolver from one
OF tie holsters at his hips. and drop
ping upon his knees at spot where
he could peer through between two of
the boulders, cooked the weapon, and
leve!ed it upon the road preparatory
to hating the fellows with shot rs
I