The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-07

stantly. Our horses were plainly In the
hands of the enemy.
We must make the cave. boys he said.
It's only five miles away, and down hill
the entire distance
I'm q moment we were in motion, and
were gliding like winged birds down the
mountain. But the big sled with the brake
hIndered us somewhat. and looking back
when we had made about q mile we per-
ceived the band of outlaws, twenty in
hill and come swooping down the steep
grade witt as wolves. They were masked.
and soon bullets from their Wlnchesters
began to whistle around us.
Boys said Robinson. we must take
off that brake and then keep our feet for q
lightning trip to the bottom. If q man
falls'we can't stop TO rescue him.
The brake was removed aud the heavily
loaded sled shot ahead like q locomotive.
We approached the steepest part of the
or SO. like birds uron the wing. Then Rob-
inson, who was in the lead, ran over an
uneven spot and broke his suow-shoe.
NTH the most surprising quickness be
leaped upon the sled. and the race contin-
ned without interruption.
MET A DEADLY F~UsILLADE.
"In less time than it takes to tell il we
were at the bottom of the gulch and halted
at the mouth Of the cavern. The sled with
it's precious cargo was hauled inside,
and Robinson led rs to his arsenal-a
dozen loaded Winchesters. The next in
slant our pursuers swept down to the
mouth Of the cavern and were met by q
very unexpected and deadly fusillade from
a hidden enemy. They were taken com-
pletely absck inze game in which they
thought they had Che upper hand. 1t was
all over in q moment and the outlaws dis
appeared. leaving more han half their
number dead upon the field.
well, gentlemen, TO make q long story
short. we renamed in that cavern but q
few days; sent spies to our camp anu
learned that the survivors of the outlaw
band had ridden our animals out of the
country. The snow was deepening daily,
but Robinson declared that we must get
out of the mountains on snOw-shoes. fol-
lowing totally unfrequented trails. and
drag that loaded hand-sled with us. He
explained that in the spring the outlaws
would return in force and certainly effect
our capture if we renamed.
Taking from the store of food In the
cave enough to last Us upwards of o month
we set out. the thickly-falling snow quick
ly celebrating our trail. For thirty days
wefoiled through that wilderness like YER
liable galley slaves. and that trip / think
cannot be paralleled in frontier history for
hardshios m for daring. At last, on New
Years day. we reached a stage road leading
to Lewiston. and. applying to q rancher.
we hired his team and sleigh to haul q load
of alleged quartz from a new strike to
lewiston. We explained that we were
prospectors and that we had lost our horses
in the mountain
I'VE reached Lewiston without accident,
and the half million at least rests safely in
bank."
That hoard of gold-dust has. indeed. q
bloody history: men of blood perhaps
washed It from the earth in the old DAYS:
blood was spilled that people having no
right to it might claim it for their own.
and now that it has for the first time be-
gun to circulate in civilized walks of life
1t would be curious to know through what
white fingers it will pass that are as hid
eously stained. Verify, blood and gold are
terms i~nseparabie. No doubt an accurate
record of all these blood-stained transac-
tions is kept In the police court of the
Most High.