Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-08-24

crluCer along UnlS ROAD
l could say that l suspected her, but 1t
would not be the truth. 1 was dead sure
the stranger was a man, and when he ex-
tended flask and asked us to nip" put
him down as good fellow. He was in no
hurry to go, and it was a quarter of an
hour before we separated. There was just
one unpleasant thing about him. While
his talk was friendly and his smiles fire.
quent, his eyes had menacing look They
never softened for an instant, but seemed
to thirst for blood, Both Of us we're struck
concluded that the stranger was bad man
to fool with. We had gone distance Of
three miles when we came upon an emil
grant family in their wagon. 1t consisted
of husband, wife and five children, and
they belonged to the sQuatter fraternity.
All were scared half to death, as the man
we had encountered had held up the squat
ter for his money, which amounted to only
fourteen dollars. After securing it the rob-
Der said:
IF you meet any one looking for Tiger
Cat tell them that she is still doing bust
ness at the old stand and can't be captured
or run out of the country
The sQuatter had never heard of the no
torious woman but when he gave us her
message we knew that we had missed a
golden opportunity. We returned down
the road at a gallop, and then began pur-
suit lasting three long weeks All that first
day we were not more than five miles be-
hind her at any hour, and rode over
forty miles. She was headed for the Choc-
taw country, and as she knew the roads
better than we did she gave us the slip
when night came. We picked up her trail
next day, but it was slow work following
1t. Some of the people we met gave US
straight information. but others who evil
IDENTIFY knew the woman and sympathized
with her put us on the wrong scent. Mile
by mile we traced her south to the Texas
border. She rested for two days with a
family living on the north bank Of the Red
river, south OF Doaksville. and then fol-
lowed the stream down into Arkansas. In
some way she got information that she was
pursued, and she laid plan to wipe US out.
Near the Arkansas line, where the high
way crossed a swamp, she prepared to am
bush and await our coming. We were
then one day behind her. There was a
sQuatter's cabin at the west end of the
swamp. She got there at noon and re-
manned over night, passing for a man and
claiming to have been grievously wronged.
She carried the idea that a sheriff was after
her, and the squatter loaned her a double
barreled shotgun and selected her ambush.
This was known some weeks afterward and
he fled the country to escape arrest
the north, and as we reached it we met
two men on their way to Fulton. We
made inquiries of them and found that
they had met n horseman about ten miles
up the north road. The description was a
fair one of Tiger Cat" and we at once
started off on the gallop- The two men
Amos Fox and George Cunningham-took
the road across the swamp and were shot
from their saddles by the woman in am
H. Nj hi ~ or
get back there until night. She then had
half days start of us and was doubtless
aware that she had killed the wrong men,
as she went off in great haste. She went
within four miles of Fulton and then
turned north and made for the mountains.
Our pursuit was slow, as we were strangers
to the country, but we managed to keep
the trail and finally reached n roadside
cabin at the foot OF the mountain where
Tiger Cat had remained over night.
Here she was also supposed to be "A man,
and she again told a story to gain SYM
pathy. When we had satisfied the settler
as to her true character he informed US
that she had gone to the northwest, over
the mountain. We We're then only three
hours behind her. Her horse had cast two
shoes, and she would likely halt on the
crest of u mountain at a hamlet called
Nobletown to get him reshod.
The mountain road was n rough one, but
we pushed ahead at reckless pace, while
she had to let her horse take it easy. As a
consequence she arrived only half an hour
ahead Of US. Her horse was in the hands
of the blacksmith, and the woman sat on a
stone ut the door of the shop. She did not
see US nor we her until we turned a bend
in the trail about thirty rods above the
shop. She instantly OWNED our identity
and our mission. She had n repeating rifle,
which was standing against the rude log
shop. She sprang for this and had the gun
to her face almost as soon as we had made
her out. She fired three shots as fast as
you could count. One of them passed
through my companions hat-a second
through the right ear OF my horse-the
third between our heads. Then, as we
dashed at her, she turned and reiterated
into the shop and closed the door. Her
horse and the smith were outside. There
were two windows in the shop, and both
were open, while the space between the
logs had never been chinked. We dis
mounted and took cover where we could
command the door. Opposite 1T and not over
ten rods away was natural sink which
made an excellent rifle pit and though she
got two more shots at us before we were
under cover her aim was not good. The
"Tiger Cat had been driven to bay at last.
Our first move after getting into position
was to make use of the blacksmith and a
flag of truce. He was instructed to de-
mand her surrender in the name of the
military authorities, and to say that our
orders We're to capture or kill her. She
talked with him through a crevice, and
sent us her defy as follows: 'Tell those
whelps that they can neither capture nor
kill me- and that give them ten minutes
to get out of thisr'
At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon my
comrade got into position where his fire
could be directed on the end of the shop.
He fired for the crevices and through the
window while did the same on the front
The woman returned almost every shot up
to about o'clock. Then she fired at longer