The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-25
THE THREE MEN sPRANG TO THEIR ARMS

depots, but all new to garrison duty in
the mountains. The Sierra Nevadas
northeastern California touches them
enjoy long seasons Of fair
weather. and winter did not fall
until December. Then one stormy
night, after a heavy snow. the report
came into camp that three men had de-
serted. They left the day before.
mounted and armed, with official per-
mission to hunt in the mountains, and
had been seen by the mail carrier nearly
hundred miles across the valley, making
for the railroad at Winnemucca. A de-
tail of ten men was instantly mounted
and sent in hot pursuit. 1t was just my
luck that these men should have hap
pened to come in my first party. / had
slept and eaten with them, had borrowed
tobacco and shared money, had helped
and been helped by them in many ways,
and now must sit that saddle till l
sighted them, and then arrest. even to
the taking of life. For that was the
order.
The first night out we slept in Tow
of haystacks at Cedarville, and started
next morning with the dawn. 1t was
still showing lightly, and there was little
hope Of overhauling the fugitives, but
the evening of the third day, as we saw
for the first time the trailing line Of
smoke from a Pacific Railroad train,
some sharp eye in the party discovered
the deserters in a canon. We turned,
rode toward them, and were seen. In an
instant the three men sprang to their
arms. Arrest meant to; go to Alcatraz
Island fo3 five years, in the constant COM
paniouship of a ball and chain. Resist
ance, however hopeless, was better than
that. The snow was so deep that we
could only go forward slowly, and they
could have shot every man of us long be-
fore we reached them.
"Go back, there!" one of them cried,
"Go back, or we'll Shoot" and three
armv carbines were leveled at our party.
1 confess 70 allowing my horse to have
his own way then, and dropped little
behind heavy-set lance corporal on a
very strong mount.
"You fellows come out of there" "
yelled our Lieutenant. "Put down your
guns and come out quick.
A rifle shot answered him.
"Boys, make ready!' commanded he
calmly. "Come on! Take aimn'-and
he leveled the gun that had lain at his
saddle -''fire!"
His own weapon and two or three oth-
ers answered the command, but the de-
serters saw how serious matters were,
and resolved on real fight, which at first
they had not thought would be necessary.
They fired again, and the horse I rode
groaned, trcmbled and fell heavily in the
snow. | was at the very rear of the line,
and had been riding forward simply be-
cause the rest we're, but sitting in fright
that was aging me- And that ounce oflead
traversed our column and unhorsed me.
went forward on foot, for the fall
had not hurt me, and I have a very con.
fused recollection of gunshots, oaths and
general turmoil. WhenI could take my
bearings again we were on our way back tt
camp, the three men mounted and riding
before. myself on tho pack mule, and thu
smell of real burned gunpowder in my
nostrils.
Two Of the men were returned to duty
along toward spring, but the third, their
leader, was to go to the court martial and
take the sentence of an outraged military.
He still lay in the guard house with a lame
! shoulder when was ordered one day to
take him to the blacksmith shop to have
irons put on him. I opened the
old wooden door and told him my GRAND.
He was a spirited fellow, and the pros
pcct of standing by IN anvil while red
hot bands were welded upon him smote
him like blow. | saw him straightcn
up moment. his eyes afrc, his nostrils
wide, his face white. Then he came for
ward and walked before me and toward
the smithy, studying the valley, the hill:
and the clouds. Just above the shop :
little bridge spanned the stream of ho
spring water, and as we stepped upon il
he turned, wrested my carbinc from me
tripped me into an almost scalding bath
and was gone. The action was seen b,
half the garrison, and dozen men started
in pursuit. drew the Remington .
the army carried then and, dripping uu
angry, tried to wing my man. He wa:
my charge and I dared not let him 60.
But he did go. Behind the forge stood
half dozen horses, saddled, bridled. tiet