The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-12-06
b eharge Of De tsnt, and said that l

was picketed that evening behind the
supply tent, and the clerks and took
turns in sitting on guard at the opening
of the tent. l saw nothing of the two
''strikersn after we left the train, and no
suspicious person approached the tent
that night. I shifted the silver from my
''grip" into a pair of saddle-bags, and,
armed with my revolver and a borrowed
Winchester rife and belt of cartridges,
mounted my pony at three o'clock the
next morning to complete my journey.
Day was just breaking when I came to
the fork of the trail at Fort Robinson,
two miles out from Crawford siding
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 believed that I would
proceed by way of Driftwood 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.
urged my pony at a good pace until,
after sunrise, passed a camp of freight
ers who were preparing their breakfast,
and later met several wagons on tine
move, which relieved the loneliness OF
my ride and caused me to feel more Sc
cure. As the morning was hot and OPP
pressive 1 now proceeded more slowly.
About half an hour after meeting the
freighters halted at one of the numer-
Gus creek crossings, and dismounted to
drink and to eat part of the lunch OF
crackers and dried beef which 1 had
brought from the commissary tent. AS
l had no cup I stretched myself out upon
the rocks at the edge of the current, and
buried my nose in the cool water of the
springfield stream.
AS lay drinking, With my head Just
above the water, a distant sound of
hsrses' hoofs struck on my ear. Iceased
to drink, listened intently, and soon
heard distinctly the noise of horsemen
coming rapidly up to the canon.
l sprang to my feet in alarm. My first
impulse was to mount my pony and apply
the spurs, but as his gait, racking gal
lop, was a very slow one, I came to the
sudden conclusion to dodge into the
brush and let the horsemen, whoever they
were, 60 by. There were a few box
alder-trees and several clusters of plum
bush close ueder the rocks on the right
l grasped the bronco's rein, and led him
in behind the thickest of the thorn and
tied him.
had little time to think or act before
the horsemen came up at a gallop. I
peered through the leaves as they ratified
on, and discovered that there were SIX
riders, and that the two strikers were in
the lead They passed my hiding-place
without an apparent suspicion that I was
concealed there, and, though still much /
Harmed, was congratulating myself that /
had outwitted them when, Just as they
ode into the water, my pony lifted up
lis head and uttered a shrill, inquirine
vhinny.
The party instantly halted. Every
-ider turned his face eagerly in my
lizfitio9p dff1edRR s,t;aSzeR niles and re
-olvers ~ - 4 Pss=sI .ielsf'ess. -
ction. Ny pony whinnied again before
could get a grip upon his muzzle, and
cit that unless some Unexpectedly fortu-
iate circumstance interviewed should
ose the money and probably my life.
rhe horsemen were determined, villain
,us-IooHing men, and as l glanced about
saw they had great advantage over
ne. The scattered patches Of pine scrub
N the steep bare sides of the gorge
,ffered me but little shelter for a retreat,
md the bushes behind which stool
we're but a slight protection against heavy
bullets. At a second whinny of my
lorse the men dismounted and stood be-
iind their animals.
Hes in there, sure" I heard one OF
hem say "Spread out, boys, an let's
surround them bushes
Without waiting to hear any more
thrust the Winchester through the tops
# plum bush and fired at the nearest
lorse, aiming at its body back of the
shoulder. The animal went down with
i groan, and. the man behind it sprang
pack with a fierce oath
Ny only hope now lay in swift action
md certain aim. A quick motion of the
ever reloaded and cooked my Win
hester, and almost before the horse had
allen to the ground had aimed and
ired at the fellow as he turned to run fol
over.
He fell, but got up and ran again.
Shifting my aim, opened a rapid fire
Ipon the other horses and men. The
-obbers returned a few hasty and inef-
ectual shots and then scattered in fight.
When I had fred the seventeen shots,
which emptied my repeating rife, three
iorses lay on the borders of the canon at
rarious distances away, and one man
With a broken leg was dragging himself
oward the shelter of the creek bank.
His companions had fed down the canon,
wo on foot ahd the others on horseback.
Three or four of their shots had struck in
he brush about me, but none had hit
ne.
The sudden, fierce determination
which had seized upon me, and the
witt, effective firing which followed,
we're as much a surprise to myself as they
.ould have been to the ''road agents,
Who no doubt believed there was more
han one shooter behind the bushes that
heltered me- l dared not stop to look
lfter the wounded man, who undoubted-
V would have fred at me if I had ap-
him. Mounting my pony and
keeping as much as possible under cover
If bushes, rode my animal at his best
peed up the canon.
About five miles from the scene of the
ihooting came upon a graders camp,
md sent some of the men to look after
he wounded robber and to secure the
adde's of the fallen horses.
afterward learned that they got the
adde's but could find nothing of the
nan Youths Companion.
The President of France.
Says a correspondent, speaking OF
President Carnot, of France: "He is
dressed with notable care. Good taste
b, ,ral oo ,,ood +a;1o-;,,,, c.bara o+sv