Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-07-12
that wo should very shortly DO driven

81 don't know how you feel about IL, "
said my companion in tho same hard,
Unconditional voice, "but / had rather
burn to death hundred times than fall
into the hands of those fiends."
Before l could reply, a great tongue
OF fire burst through into the interior.
a sudden thought seemed to como to
tho brave woman at my side.
"This way-quick she exclaimed.
And pulling upa trap door in the rough
flooring, she dropped lightly through
following-!ctting the trap fall back
to place.
There was no time for standing on
ceremony. Reaching out Il small hand,
that was icy cold, though firm as a rock,
Mrs. Rainsford, taking my own,
drew me TO the further end
OF the rude cellar. In those parts
1t was customary to construct Il sort OF
vegetable cellar few feet away from the
house, in addition to he one under the
dwelling, for winter use. But Rainsford,
from some within of ms own, had dug
his place Of winter storage i'll one end of
the main cellar Itself, roofing it over ON
the outside with slabs of gray sandstone
from the river bottom. All tins his
widow hastily explained MS We CROPPED
our way TO the heavy door of thick
planking in the side of the cellar wall.
and, having entered, pulled it to after
us.
1t was indeed last resort, and it il
no wonder that for some time neither of
lis was inclined for conversation. Over
head was the roaring of flames, followed
II little later by the crash oil falling tim
bcrs and beams The heat was almost
sitting, but luckily the wind blew the
fire and smoke directly away from the
covering above. or else, despite the,
arcrturcs left for ventilation, we should
have been smothcrcd.
We could hear the Apachcs cries of
icndish JOY rs they stood about the
burning building, expecting to see their
victims bursting through the flames, and
1t was triling satisfaction to know
that they were doomed to disappoint
ment
As the anxious hours went by, and
the intensity of the heat decrease some
what, drew from Mrs. Rainsford her
simple story. She and her husband,
who was twice her own age, had moved
southwark from Montana. "lIc was al
ways good to me, Jim was" she said,
with little sob, and SO they had lived
in quiet contcntmcnt on their small
ranch till the terrible tragedy of the
previous day. War Cloud had ridden
up with his party and demanded whis-
ky, which Rainsford refused him with
out ceremony. Whcrcupon the Apache
chief deliberately shot him through the
heart, and, strangely enough, the band
rode away without offering any violence
to his Mortified wife, who, all alone, had
dug q grave under the cottonwoods. and
buried her husbands body out of SIGHT.
She was intending to make her way TO
the nearest settlement on the following
morning, and after communicating with
her people in Montana, decide upon he,
further course OF action. Then had
nnnnnTa6 tt.@
return, told her OF myself as
far as seemed necessary, and /
need hardly say, placed myself entirely
at her service, rs the faintcst of returns
for all she had done for me-savinc nv
life in double sense, rs it were, for
not only had she afforded me protection
from the fury of the savagcs, but had
undoubtedly prevented my dying n hor-
riblc death from the poisoned arrow.
1t is probable that the Apaches pre-
sumed that we had both persisted in the
flames, for, after day dawn, when ven
tured to push aside one of the slabs
Of stone covering our retreat, they had
gone. And two hours later a party OF
home bound prospectors with four horse
mule team and complete outfit hove in
sight, and / need hardly say, after hear
ing our story, they extended every kind
ness toward u.s.
We reached Ell Paso with them in
about fortnight, and their said good
by to Mrs. Ransford, for time at least.
Did ever see her again
Why, yes. married her the
year after, and we came
East to live, for it's your aunt Bcss I've
been telling you about-didn't you mis-
trust' Nol Well, those are the facts
in the case, as the lawyers say, but
there she comes across the street. Better
not mention that have told you the
story; she never likes to talk of that OK.
pcrience, or hear it mentioned. But hel
hair has hnnn ,,.l;t "a