Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-03-15
II did: what of it,

Il saw that white raDDlU The DAY MOuOc
Jim shot at mo last winter. Guess faint q
good sign To-norrowll be the day he shot
at nle-and I killed him."
''But you killed him, dang it all, man.
What's the matter With your
''Its that It's thatl | tell You when you
sec man stand up to you and blaze at you,
and hear the whiz as it takes away bit of
your ear, it isn't nothing; but when you
draw and snap bang, and the man falls, it
makes you feel that them as kills will be
killed.
s'You did it in self defense and You had
perfect right He fired at you, and if you
hadn't he'd have killed you any way. Here,
take a swig at this bottle"
That night we lay in a shanty, which was
aalled by courtesy hotel. The hotel was
fearfully cold The roof had seams in it
through which we saw the cold and seemingly
frosty sky, and the way the wind now and
again sighed through the place makes me yet
feel chilled.
During the night there was heavy snow
storm, and at a. m. it was showing heavily.
We, however, determined to push on so as to
reach the springs on Rushing creek that af
ternoon, where we knew we could get splen-
did shelter for both man and beast. looked
forward to that place, for the man and
woman who kept it were civilized; and re-
member how pleased / was when I passed
through before to see white table cloth and
a carpet on the floor, which luxuries were
unheard of in my part of the wilderness.
While thus anticipating the pleasures that
were to follow, we approached the descent
to the lower levels, for we had been crawling
along the mountain side The descent is very
steep. 1t does not zigzag, but it is clear down
the mountain side, and it looked this after
noon unsafe even for q sure footed mule as
it glistened in the sun like the smooth face of
a glacier. The snow had ceased falling, for
which we thanked fortune and then tumbled
out of the wagon to prepare for the descent.
We could hear the roar of the rushing stream
in the ravine, on the brink of which we were
standing, and it looked several thousand feet
below us-so far, indeed that we could not
see the water On the other side of the snow
covered path was the mountain.
The first thing we did after we had stamped
some animation into our frozen bodies was to
lock the wheels, so that we could slide down
the path.
II think" said Tom, ''that I shall walk
down the hill You can get in there and
drive. Halloa!" he said suddenly, II am
blessed if there has not been an Indian on this
road today. Look Isn't this moccasin
marll?"
''More like bear,"I grumbled, for I had
settled myself in the wagon, and his excite
ment had made me jump out 'You are
fool" I said, Il suppose you think you will
be shot before we get down to Hot Springs"
''As like as not one of us WILL" was his
reply.
We walked on for few yards, when he
came up to me and said:
s'Did you know that there is something
moving level with us along the mountain
side?"
Nonsense" replied. elbow can that be?
There is no cover, and we should see man or
a bear if there was anything"
He muttered something which lost, and
turned my attention to the horses, About
half way down the mountain there is q sharp
turn in the road. Indeed, the turn is at right
angles, and it is SO sharp that anything fol
lowing in the wake is lost to sight for the
moment. Tom was right behind the wagon
and was talking to me, when | suddenly lost
sight and also sound of him. Them heard
the crack of rifle shot, and the horses sprang
forward on to the edge of the cliff. 1 jumped
up and gathered the reins in my hands more
tightly, and half managed to throw the horses
11uO Uuo IOdu Wu04 tueI0 was jill ANSWERING
shot Again the horses reared, and I heard a
cry as if something was in pain. The horses
plunged again. They were mustangs and
their mouths were as hard as iron. I hauled
at one rein then, for knew that was my only
chance. The horse nearest the edge had lost
his foothold. He gave snort and then slid
down into the soft and yielding snow. The
other horse planted his legs squarely and
p,,tt ba ,x-bo
were too near the edge, and the weight of the
horse, which was actually pendant, drew the
horse and vehicle nearer the edge. There was
a tumble of harness and sprawling black
mass. hauled, but hauled in vain The
wagon came nearer to the edge. 1t fell. 1
was flung into the air, and 1 remembered
nothing more.
1t was fully week before was myself
again. had been found on the rocks, The
horses were dead One had to be shot and
the other had been killed. When grew suf-
ficiently strong to take an interest in my sur
roundings I asked for Tom The question
was evaded, Had he gone to Yreka on horse
back, then? They did not reply. SIS he here
still loafing for me till 1 get wells' asked.
81 guess not" said the woman, sadly, who
kept the hostelry, and who had treated me
with every care while had been sick
''Then what is the matter with him:n
urged.
''He is dead" replied the woman with
sob. "Shot right through the heart by that
horrid Indian. Obi why will not the gov
eminent make those Indians keep to their
reservation on Klamath lake? They wander
all up and down the country, killing our
cattle and threatening our lives" And the
poor woman sobbed, for Tom, the brave
stage driver, was favorite, with all and
everybody, and in the first impulse of my
generosity 1 wished that I, too, had been
killed, for was it not through my obstinacy
that Tom had met his death on the banks of
Rushing creek?-Northwest Magazine.