The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-12
A RACE WITH ROBBERS.
Miller in St. Nicholas.

i was lying ice-bound at Lewiston,
Idaho. Men wanted to eend money
below TO their friends or families;
merchants, anticipating tho tremend-
Gus rush, must get letters through the
snow to Walla Walla. Would 1 go7
Could go?
The snow was deep. The trails, over
open and monotonous mountains,
were drlfted full. Could any living
man face the drifting show and find
his way to Walla Walla2 At first the
merchants tried to hire Indians to
undertake the trip and deliver their
letters. Not ono could be found to go.
When the storm abated little, the
men who kept the ferry across the
Shoshone river scIAped of the snow,
ard, cutting down. tho upheaved blocks
OF ice, maze it possible to cross with
10 horse.
At first meant to carry only letters,
but, having finally consented 10 take a
iitda gold for one merchant, soon
found should loso friends II did not
tahe gold for Others. The result was
that l had to take gold worth nearly
SO, 900.
A fow muiIled up friends came down
to the river bank 10 see me of. it
was great oyent. For two weeks we
had not had q line from tho outer
world. And meantime the iivil wGr
Yas raging ip oil Its terrible fury. AS
I set out that bleak and icy morning,
after l had mounted my plunging
pony, saw in the crowd several faces
that i did not like. There was Dave
English, who was hung On that spot
with several of his followers, not 40
days later; there was Boone Helm.
hung in Montana; Cherokee Bob,
killed Ia Millersburg, and nlsu CaDada
Joe. This last lived with some low
Indians little way down tho river. SO
when he rode ahead OF me j was rather
glad than otherwise; for felt that he
would not go FAR. kept watch of
him, however, and when saw that he
skvlked around under the hill, as II he
was going home, and then finally got
back into tho trail, knew there was
trouble ahead.
But the "Rubicoh" was now behind.
Ny impetuous horse was plunging III
the enow, and l was soon tearing
through the storm up the hill. Once
fairly on my way looked lack below.
itaYe English aud Boone Helm were
bidding goodbye to two mounted
cowboys at the ferry house. Ten min
utes later, as l looked back through
the binding snow, saw these two
desperate fellows were following mo.
True, there was nothing criminal In
that. The two highWsymen had a
right to ride behind me ii thoy wished.
And Canada DOE had Just as good a
right to ride ahead OF me. But TO he
on horse, deep IN the binding snow,
and loaded down with gold, was bad
enough. To have q desperate block
ing the narrow trail befoIe you, with
his two friends behind you, was fear
full
had two six-.hooters close at hand
under tho bear skin Zap OF my saddle
bag whore the gold was. i kept my
left hand in my pocket, where lay a
small six-shooter, warm and ready.
Once, as the drifting and binding
snow broke away up the mountain, !
saw Canada Joe with bis head bent
down in the storm, still pushing ON
ahead OF me at sute distance. A few
moments after, as l crossed and
climbed the farthost bank OF an ugly
canon, the two robbers came close
enough to hail me. One OF them held
up u bottle. They evidently intended
TO overtake me II they could, and pro-
fess TO be friendly. This [ must not
allow urged my ambitious horse to
his best. BUT To my dlsmay, "a
hastened up narrow pass, l found
that | Tas not far bahind Canada Joe.
ported TO be the wost man In all that
country. And that was saying he was
bad indeed.
was IN a tight place now, and had
to think last. Ny ilr5t plan was to
ride forward and taco this man before
the others came up. Bus was really
AFRAID OF hiu. lt seemed much
easier task to tuna and kill tho two
rear ncn and get back to town. But,
no! mol all this was abandoned almost
as soon AS thought of, In thoso days
even the most desperate had certain
rights which their surviving friends
would enforce.
vas now but few hundred yards
behind Canada Joe. so far as ] could
find out, the robbers were closing in
on Inc. But we had ridden over the
toughest part OF tho road, and were
within few miles of tho high
plateau, so that the wind was tearing
past in gale, and the drifting show
slmost blinded me.
Suddenly l had II new thought. Why
not take to the left, gain tho plateau
by II new route, aud let these blood
thirsty robbers close their net without
having me inside? rose in my saddle
with excitement at the idea, and, strlk-
ing spurs to my brave horse, was soon
climbing up the gradual slope at q
gallop. Ali but was glad! Gallopl
galiopl gallop! seemed To hear many
horses. Turning my head suddenly
over my shoulder, l saw my two pui-
6uers not 100 yards behind mel They
shouted. was now on the high