The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-16

In alightiEg, and groAned IN most luGuori-
Gus fashion. The Zap swung to after him, as
Ehad unbuttoned it all around TO Let him out
The young man opposite me lay curled up on
his seat, but / could see that his eyes were
wide open, and that he was eying me with
a sharp, keen glance. lily eyes probably re-
spouded when they fell upon his, for he
Strengthened up il an alert fashion and leaned
toward me
"Say," lac WHISPERED, edo you think that
old chaps ell riZhts Strikes NE that groan-
ing Of his was put on. What dye thinkFn
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 eG:g, followed by yell either OF
pain or surprise, and = lurch Of the hack
threw me forward against my compassion 3
knees.
Either the shot or tie yell lad started our
team, and we went down the bank am into
the stream with lunge. l heard shots-one,
two, three-as Nesplas5ed through the water.
Then more yeIls, loud and fierce.
My notion Of what had happened or what
was happening was colfused for a moment,
and then SAY rny c9mrcde-for the light
stiI burned-crawitpg throggh 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 rib of the
hack with the other. Then he leaned out and
glanced back.
Luckily the horses, which were going at
gallop-they were animals which needed no
urging-kept TO thsroad and the cool headed
young fellow was not pitched out.
There's lot Of ienl," he shouted in at me
a moment later. II can just see four or five
getting on their horses. They've killed the
| driver, guess, and are after US now"
With that he gathered UP the long Iashed
whip, which ley in the boot, and, dropping
upon his knees, began yelling and laying the
whip upon the team.
In moment we were going at fearful
pace, and despite the excitement and fright
Of the moment | noticed that our four horses
! came to hand and ran with a steady, even
! gait, which did credit to the young mans
driving.
SECT ready for 'em nowl' he screamed
back at me, they'll be down on US in min
| ute Open the back flap m pour it into 'em
| with your guns, and when they're empty get
| mine under the seat"
! He was my captain as well IS driver, and 1
obeyed instiRctively, for l certninly had
formed no plan Of defense or action on my
| own account.
| [ managed to unbutton and roll up the
leather behind, and peering out, on my
! knees before the back seat, | saw that we
were indeed followed. 1t was light enough
TO distinguish objects dimly at a hundred
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 rife shot, l opened fire on them over
the seat. / worked the lever of my gun as
rapidly as could but made awkward bust
ness of it. Presently got shell stuck and
began trying to get it out. In the meantime
our pursuers were gaining with every secorE.
They were within fifty yards before 1 could
get out my shell, and I was too excited to
think of using another gun. Suddenly the
light in the hack went out and a hand upon
nay shoulder jerked me backward. Then a
voice yelled in my ear:
LET me get at theml Load the guns for
me n let the team go. We might S well
smash as be riddled with bullets. Here
here's two boxes of cartridges"
dropped back to the other seat and gave
place to him. He threw his carbines over the
back of the hind seat and began firing
1t seemed to me that a steady stream of
fire poured out OF the back of the stage, and
before l had filed 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 bottoml" shouted
my comrade as he kept on with his firing
The road agents. did not come nearer, evil
IDENTIFY fearing toe great exposure to the
stream of shots from The hack, and my cour-
age rose to something near the level Of my
companions. Icaught 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 into a
gully, and the hack bounced frcm side to side
SO violently that it was impossible for US to
do anything but cling to the sides of the box.
Its ali rightl" rang my companions voice
In my ear, shortly after we had begun 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 be-
low, o. Iremembsr the road"
Sure enough the men had dropped back and
the shots had ceased. Ny cool, brave COM
rade now cIambered over me, and in some
way got into the front seat of the jumping
coach. 4 moment later l noticed that we
were slowing up and running more steadily
Five minutes more and we halted-what was
left of uS-Sale and sound in front OF a stage
station.
Our story was soon told, our horses ex-
changed, and fresh driver, doubly armed,
put with us Such little accidents 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 Immediately and look af-
ter our other driver.
1t was only the darkness and the motion of
the vehicle ana horses that had saved Us from
being hit We found several bullet MARKS
about the coach next morning. One of them,
wei aimed, had gone through the back seat
at an angle and into tae front, and might
have passed directly between Us. My respect
for my young comrade was greatly raised by
the event Of that night, and was further is
creased by an after acquaintance which dis
covered his real modesty ana worth
On my return 10 the Hills l learned that
our driver mad been picked up at the crossing
Of the CreeS badly wounded, and also that the
brave fellow had yelled 10 the team 10 90 the /
very second be was nit. Ee had been carried
10 Sidney. As to the rheumatic old man, he /