The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1890-05-30

is' iott' ~
we made a brief halt at u temporary
stage station. wherethe driver s four
INLAND team was exchanged for
fresh horses.
/ peeped out md got n glimpse of
the teams, of two men with lanterns,
of n low structure of sod or adobe
family outlined, and of the black
side of a pine covered mountain be-
yond. The night was quite dark,
with floating clouds and no moon.
1t became somewhat lighter as we
passed out of the gap a little later,
as | noted through u crack i'll the
FLAP opposite.
The road was now smoother, and
settled back in mycorner as my COM
panions had done. togeta little solid
sleep if possible. | dozed off for q
time but was awakened by the groan-
ing of the old man beside me. He
seemed to bein great pain, and writh-
ell about nervously. l asked him
what was the trouble. He replied
that his rhumatism was nearly kill
ing him:
Il wisht the driver'd let me aout
when we git t. tn mex crick. He'll
water likely, n Ivejestgott' stretch
my legs er die. Ye see Pm troubled
with cramp rheumatism, an tn amt
no room III hyer to get the cramp
out O my legs"
/ told him l would speak to the
driver when We halted, a few minutes
later, at the, bank of a stream
White river, | believe. l thrust my
head out of the side and asked that
the old gentleman might be let out
for n moment to stretch his legs.
"All right" said the driver, as he
clambered down from his own seat.
"I'm goin' ter let the bosses take q
pull at tn drink"
l then helped the old man to dis
mount, steadying him by the arm as
he got down. He seemed to have a
good deal of difficulty in alighting,
and groaned in a most lugubrious
fashion. The fapswung TO after him,
as | had unbuttoned it all around to
let him out. The young man oppo-
site me lay curled up on his seat, but
l could see that his eyes were wide
open, and that he waseyeing me with
a sharp, clean glance. Myeyes prob
ably responded when they fell upon
his, for he Strengthened up in an alert
fashion and leaned toward me.
Say" he whispers: edo you think
that old chaps all right" Strikes
me that grooming of his was put on.
What'ye Think"
The question startled me no less
than the young fellows manner, and
l was about to make some reply when
a gun or pistol shot rang in ourears
followed by a yell either of pain or
surprise, and alurch ofthe hack threw
me forward against my companions
knees.
Either the shot or the yell had
startled our team, and we went down
the hank and into the stream with q
lunge. l heard shots-one, two,
three-as we splashed through the
water. Then more yells, loud and
fierce.
My notion of what had happened
Dr. what was happening was con
fused for a moment, and then 1 saw
my comrade-for the light still
Misunderstanding through to the
drivers seat as we went careening up
the opposite bank.
A second later he had gathered the
lines, which were tied in front, and
while he held them with one hand he
grasped a rib of the hack with the
other. Then he leaned out and
glanced back.
Luckily the horses, which were 60
ing at a gallop-they were animals
which needed no urging-kept to the
road, and the coolheaded young fel-
low was not pitched out.
"There's a lot of 'em," he shouted
in at ME a moment later. 81 can
just see four or five getting onto
their horses. They've killed the
driver, l guess, and are after us now.
With that hegathered up the long
dashed whip which lay in the boot
and, dropping upon his knees, began
yelling and laying the whip upon the
team.
In a moment we were going at a
fearful pace, and. despite the excite
ment and fright of the moment. | no.
ticed that u four horses came to
hand and ran with a steady, even
gait, which did credit to the young
mans driving.
"Get ready for 'em now!" he
screamed back at me, "they'n be
down on us in a minute. Open the
back flap n pour it into 'em with
your guns, and when they're empty
get mine under the seat!"
He was my captain as we'll as driv-
er. and l obeyed instinctively, for l
certainly had formed no plan of de-
tense or action.
l managed to unbuttoh and roll
up tie leather behind, and peering
out, on my knees before the back
seat, l saw that we were indeed fol-
lowed. 1t was light enough to dis
tinguish objects dimly at 100 yards,
and there were at leastf five horsemen
in our rear, tearing along at the top
of their animals speed. Knowing
tbat tbov roro within riAo shot r