The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-06-18
WHOLE No. 1138

u We Inlnk!
The question startled me no less than
the young fellows manner, and | was
about to make some reply when gun
or pistol shot rang in our ears, fol
lowed by a yell either of pain or sur
prise. anda lurch OF the hack threw
me forward against my companion's
| knees.
Either the shot or the yell had start.
led our team, and we went down the
! bank and into the stream with lunge.
| l heard shOts--One, two. threc-as we
splashed through the water. Then
more yells, loud and fierce.
My notion of what had happened or
was happening was confused for a mo-
ment, and then l saw my comrade-
for the light still burned crawling
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 Il 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 cool-headed young fell
| low was not pitched out
There's lot of 'em," he shouted in
at me a moment later. Il can just
| see four or five getting onto their
horses. They've killed the driver, [
! guess, and are after Us now"
With that he gathered up the long
lashed 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 our horses came to hand
and ran with steady, even gait, which
| did credit to the young mans driving.
''Get ready for 'em now," he yelled
back at me; ''they'll 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 well as driver,
and [ obeyed instinctively, for I GER
tainly had formed no plan of defense
OF action.
I managed to unbutton and roll up
the leather behind, and peering out, [
saw that we were indeed followed 1t
was light enough to distinguish objects
dimly at a 100 yards, and there were at
least five horsemen in our rear, tearing
along at the top of their animals speed.
Knowing that they were within rifle
shot l open fire on them over the seat.
worked the lever of my gun as rapid
ly as / could but made awkward bust
ness of it. Presently I got shell
stuck, and began trying to get it out.
In the meantime our pursuers were
gaining with every second.
They were within fifty yards before
l could get out my shell, and [ was too
excited to think of using another gun.
Suddenly the light in the hack went
out, and hand upon my shoulder
jerked me backward. Then a voice
yelled in my ear:
'.Let me get at them! Load the
guns for me m let the team 90. We
might S well smash as be riddIed with
bullets. Here-here's two boxes of
cartridges y
[ dropped back to the other seat and
gave place to him, He threw his car
bine over the back of the hind seat and
began firing. Crack! crack! crack! 1t
seemed to me that a steady stream of
fire poured out of the back of the stage
and before I had filled the magazine of
my gun his was empty. He snatched
mine, however. and thrust his own
back to me.
Loading was awkward business at
first, as had to feel for the feeder, but
l managed soon to thrust them into
my gun as fast as he could work the
lever of his own. The men, whoever
and whatever they were. rode up to
within twenty-five or thirty yards, and
spreading out, opened fire on US.
Keep close down in the bottomI'
shouted my comrade, as he kept on
with his firing.
The ''road agents. did not come
nearer, evidently fearing too great ex-
posure to the stream of shots from the
hack, and my courage rose to some
thing near the level of my companions.
[ caught glimpses as l glanced up now
and then of plunging horseman, with
shadowy, outstretched arm, from
which flashed blaze after blaze of
light.
All at once we began descending in
to gully. and the hack bounced from
side to side so vioently that it was
cling to the sides of the box.
'.It's all right!' rang my companions
voice in my ears, shortly after we be-
gan the descent; They've quit. They
can't ride along the side of the gulch,
and daren't follow straight behind.
There's a stage ranch below, too. L
remember the road"
Sure enough, the men had dropped
back, and the shots had ceased. My
cool, brave companion now clambered
over me, and in some way got into the
front seat of the jumping coach A
moment later l noticed that we were
slowing up and running more steadily
Five minutes more and we halted, what
was left of us. safe and sound in front
| of stage station.
Our story was soon told our horses
| exchanged, and a fresh driver, double
armed, put with us. Such little acci-
dents did not stop stages in those parts.
There was no danger, they told us,
from that same gang. The three men
who were left promised to go imme-
diately and look after our other driver
1t was only the darkness and the
motion of the vehicle and the horses
that had saved us from being hit. We
| found several OuIlet-mafkS ABOUT Iut
coach next morning. One of them,
well aimed, had gone through the
back seat at an angle and into the
front, and might have passed directly
between US. My respect for my young
comrade was greatly raised by the
events of that night, and was further
increased by an after acquaintance
which discovered his real modesty and
! worth.
On my return to the Hills learned
that our driver had been picked up a
the crossing of the creek badly wound
ed, and also that the brave fellow haC
yelled to the team to go the very sec
ond he was hit. He had been carried
to Sidney. As to the rheumatic ole
man he was of course a rascal in league
with the band who attacked us.
Killed in Battle in the Last So Years
did you ever think how few people
are killed during wars?" asked Thoma:
Sloane of Boston as he sat in the Colon
made last evening. well, here is ;
7 4