The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-10-11

Winchester rifle. They said we could
guard the money without trouble that
night, and it was arranged that should
start for the grading camp at three
o'clock the next morning. BY leaving
at 80 early an hour | believed that
could battle pursuit by any robbers who
might have conspired to follow me.
My pony-atough Oregon half-bre
was picketed that evening behind
the suppl y tent, and the clerks and |
took turns in sitting on guard at the
opening of the tent. / saw nothing
Of the two ''strikers" after we left the
tram, and no suspicious person ap
preaching the tent that night |
shifted the silver from my "grip" into
a pair of saddle-bags, and, armed with
my revolver and a borrowed Win
chester rifle and belt of cartridges,
mounted my pony at three o'clock the
next morning 10 complete my journey.
Day was just breaking when l came
to the fork of the trail AT Fort Robi-
son, two miles out from Crawford sid
ing Both routes led to the grading
camp-one trail lay through White
River canon and the other led to my
destination by way of Driftwood. One
of these routes / must take, and as the
men who were ''shadowing' me be-
lieved that / would proceed by way of
Driftwood l chose the White River
canon route, rough, new trail that
for seventeen miles led through a
tumbled, rocky gorge or canon in the
bottom of which rippled merrily the
little streamlet that is the beginning of
the White River.
l urged my pony at good pace
until after sunrise, passed camp of
freighters who were preparing their
breakfast, and later met several wagons
on the move, which relieved the loneli-
ness of my ride and caused me to feel
more secure. AS the morning was
hot and oppressive l now proceeded
,, more slowly.
About half an hour after meeting
> the freighters | halted at one Of the
numerous creek crossings, and dis
u mounted to drink and TO eat part OF
2 the lunch of crackers and dried beef
l which had brought from the commits
sary tent. AS had no cup stretched
I myself ont lpon the rocks at the edge
" of the current, and buried my nose in
y, the cool water of the springfield stream.
As l lay drinking, with my head
just above the water, distant sound
of horses hoofs struck on my ear.
j. ceased to drink, listened intently, and
I soon heard distinctly the noise of
: horsemen coming rapidly up to the
:, canon.
u Isprang to my feet in alarm. My
u first impulse was to mount my pony
and apply the spurs, but as his gait,
o racking galop, was very slow on,
l. l came to the sudden conclusion &c
Q dodge into the brush and let the
7 horsemen, whoever they were, go bv
l There were few box alder-trees anC
s. several clusters Of plum bush close
% under the rocks on the right. / grasp
~ ed the broncos rein, and led him IL
D. behind the thickest of the thorn auC
p tied him.
!, had little time to think or act be
g fore the horsemen came up at galop
= / peered through the leaves as the,
- ratified on, and discovered that the,
>, % were six riders, and that the strikers
:, =, were in the lead. They passed IN.
~ ~ hiding-place without an apparent sus
70 ). picion that | was concealed there, and
y, ", though still much alarmed, was con
u a graduating myself that l had outwit
- ted them when, just as they rode int
"a the water, my pony lifted up his hea,
III and uttered a shrill, inquiring whinny
4 The party instantly halted. Ever
h. rider turned his face eagerly in m
~ n, direction, and half-dozen rifles and re
a. a. volvers were jerked into readiness fo
~ ~ action. My pony whinnied again be
- ~ fore could get a grip upon his mu2
H. IL zle, and felt that unless some uneA
" pectedly fortunate circumstance inter
;, vened l should lose the money an
= probably my life. The horsemen wer
70. determined, Misunderstanding mer
:, ~ and as glanced about l saw they ha'
~ a great advantage over me. The scat
10 tered patches of pine scrub on tn
IL IL steep bare sides of the gorge offere
1 aS me but little shelter for retreat, an
~ y, the bushes behind which stood wer
"a but slight protection against heav
~ bullets. At second whinny Of IN
e' horse the men dismounted and stoo
49, behind their animals.
" "Hes in there, sure" l heard on
20 10 of them say. "Spread out, boys, al
= lets surround them bushes"
~ Without waiting to hear any MOI
y l thrust the Winchester through tn
/. tops of plum bush and fred at tn
a. nearest horse, aiming at its bod
., back of the shoulder. The amin;
~ went down with groan, and the ma
cb b behind it sprang back with a fietC
~ oath.
I'd My only hope now lay in swift a
NJ tion and certain aim. A quick motto
ed of the lever reloaded and cooked II
wa Wincheste. and almost before I'll
,er horse had fallen to the ground | ha
in. aimed and fired at the fellow as
an, turned to rnn for cover.
he He fell but got up and ran agai
Vn Shifting my aim, opened rapid fl
upon the other horses and men. TT
ev robbers returned few hasty and inc
re- fectual shots and then scattered
flight. When had fired the seve
in teen shots, which emptied my repcs
ing rifle, three horses lay on the Dor
,k- er of the canon at various distanc
rs. away, and one man with a broken Ii
was dragging himself toward the sh'
,re ter of the creek bank. His compa
I'm ions had fled down the canon, two
,on foot and two on horseback. Three
if four of their shots had struck in t
brush about me, but none had hit II
Id The. sudden, fierce determina'i
rk, which had seized upon me, and t
adj, swift, effective firing followed, were
I'VE much a surprise TO myself as tn
sYt could have been to the "road agent
md who no doubt believed there was mo
4 a than one shooter behind the bush
lie that sheltered me. dared not st
TO look after the wounded man, W
it'll undoubtedly would have fired at |
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