Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1889-01-24

nothing to the man at his side, but un-
der cover of his cape, he slipped the
lines and whip into his left hand, and
with h,s right cooked the revolver in
his pocket. The elderly passenger, not
withstanding that his eyes were also
fastened on the clump of eaks, scanned
quite uususpicious and continued to
talk.
II reckon l can git another wife easy
enough. 1 know fellow that came in
to that section, only little while ago,
without a dollar, and he married right
purity gal, only sixteen, and he'a older
thap-'
A shrill whistle suddenly startled he
silence of the night. The passenger ON
the box, almost with pause, leaned
over, and laying one hand on the lines
with the other pointed a pistol at the
drivers head, and said, but no longer
in the accents Of m uneducated person :
Hold up your hands, lieutenant =
At the same instant man, with a
masked face and holding gun, appear.
ed in the middle of the road, and stop.
ped the horses.
The lieutenant turned pale, ana star
ell in amazenlent at the man by Ills
side.
It's no use.' said the elderly passen.
ger. sternly. We've got the drop on
you BE quick, or III
WELL said the lieutenant, defeated
ly, you have got the drop on me, for a
fsctl' And drawing a long breath he
slowly raised his arms. But when his
left elbow was high as his shoulder,
with his right hand he pressed the trig
ger of the revolver in his pocket.
There was a muffled report, shrek,
and curse, followed by another re-
port, then another, and another, con-
fused and intermingled, the sharp crack
of the rifle ringing out over the duller
noise of the pistols. When the sounds
ceased, the man in the road waH crawl
ing on his hands and knees toward the
shadow of the oaks whence he had en-
erged. There was no ono on the box
but the lieutenant, who was standing
erect. The next moment he pitched
head first over the dashboard on to the
off horses back, and from there
rolled onto the road. 1t needed but
this TO goad the frightened animals in
to stampede, and with the lines un-
der their heels. kicking and ahying,
they galloped out over the prairie.
1t is not easy for two horses to run
away with a Concord coach, especially
after coming up Stony Greek grade
And so, after the stage hal numbered
and lurchcd at their heels for u half
mile or 80, the horses came down to a
trot, and then finally stood still, and
gazed around, trembling and ready for
second flight. The moment that the
vehicle stopped, the vsiled face Of the
lady passenger appeared at the door,
an her terror stricken voice cried, but
almost inaudibly, My God what has
happened? ?
Aroused from troubled sleep by
the report of a pistol, followed BY a
mans shrek, more shots, curses and
groans, she had opened her eyes just in
time to see heavy body fall over the
wheel and on the ground. Then the
stage had started forward, the wheels
going over the thing on the ground with
sickenlng jolt. As the stage bound
ed on she had been thrown violently to
and fro, clingng convusively to her
baby, unable to realize what this griz-
zly horror might be. With shaking
hands she now unfastened the door, and
stepping out, found herself alone in the
awful silence and solitude Of the night
Hark what was that? She tore her
veil from her head, and with it came
her hat. Great masses Of black hair fell
down her shoulders. and white young
face shone out in the moonlight, lovely
even in its terror. The noise was but
the piping Of an insect, but it sounded
like distant shrek. Then the wind
stirred the dry buffalo grass, ana it
seemed to the panic stricken woman as
through it WAS the voices Of men pur-
suing. Her hair rose, and all the blood
in her body rallied in her heart. She
would have fainted had it not been for
the waiting of the dependent baby in
her arms What should she dop Her
first impulse was to run from what
might be behind her. But her feeble
limbs failed at the sight of the wide
plains and obstructing sage-brush. II
she could but get upon the stage and
drive. She went to the horses and
spoke to them One of them whinnied
in reply. and that encouraged her -