The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1894-09-11

was measurin' his length at every stride
an puInpin' fer breath like broken
winded steam engine already. -.
It made me savage weth rage first an
then turned me into tn weakest coward
thet ever looked danger ia tn face an
then turned tail an ran away. Run we
would, as fast as Winetou's best stock
could carry US, an leave tn ranch t burn:
Twas a pretty place, too, an looked
peaceful enough, nestled betwlxt tn NIL
an tn river; fanked on one side by
stables an corrals, an shacks an bunk
rooms fer the cow.hands on th' other,
weth out cellars, milk-room an icehouse
built in t tn hill at tn back, shown
how comfortable it all was. tn Concdo
wes big outfit an Perry-bein' part.
ner-had fixed things up deal ahead o
tn average ranch house, an it seemed
pity t. leave it t make bonfire fer tn
cussed redskins, but all could think OF
then was th' safety Of Mrs. Winston an
her baby, an when Tartar brought wett
gruut ag'in' tn gate o tn corral; aa'
I saw, at glance, thet it, en- to- stable
beyond was bare O. hoof er heel empty
as an alkali hole in August-I turned
nigh sick with fear an dread O whut
was before US.
Well, rode en-. I felt pretty sure
thet Mrs. Winston's own saddler--a big
Oregon horse, as fast as anything on tn
river-mustb be somewhat about tn place:
most likely they had him up close t tb
house fer some reason er other.
! rode up t. tn open door. I cd catch
B glimpse through it o Wing Lee, tn
Heatheu Chinese thet did tn cookin',
settin' tn table fer supper, an cried out
: Mrs. Winston, who came outside t
meet me.
"Whut horses is tn on th' place'"
s'Not one left" said she. "Perry
sent over fer Bueno yesterday, two of his
string have fallen lame and one got a
kink in his neck. But what's the matter,
Steve, that makes you want to borrow"
sprung of O. my own horse an took
/ look at him. His head went down an
bis TANKS was workin' like force-pump
with every breath; if I'd only saved him
up little he might o been able t git u:
4 mile or two up into tn hills, but il
want no use t. think about thet now.
Call Wing Lee!" cried l, catchin' uE
the baby thet came toddlin' upt' me.
IAN come into tR big room. We've gol
= barricade it ag'h ta' Piegans!"
The Silver Conano was one o th' few
frame buildin's on tn Argall, made o
some O. th' first lumber ever turned Out
b - sawmul over in Pine Tree guIch.
But whut they call th' ''big room" was
older n the rest, an was made O hewn
logs, we'll built an pointed, an weth
good strong shutters t tn doors an win
dows. In th' first place Perry used it fel
saddle room, bus it was so large an SC
comfortable warm in winter an cool il
summer-thet his wife took fancy to it
an how it was tn regular livin' room o
th' family. Twas far stronger than tn
rest O. th' house, an saw thet there was
where our stand 'u'd have t be made.
They got into it through narrow pas
sage way which was shut off from tn
ainin' room by good stout door. Stout
enough; but not like t stand long ag'lr
th' hatchets O. dozen Piegan braves
An knew thet little entry was where
th' battle 'u'd be fought out t tn bloody
end.
Well, we didn't stop t. think er talk
much, but just got hard at it, doin' the
work before US. Mrs. Winston din't
need t be told anything, she was SC
brave an so ready; an tn Chlnamsn
buckled to in a way that I hadn't be-
Iieved was in him. If he'd lodged into
some hole er crawled out t. save his own
skin by givin' us away t. the Backfeet,
shouldn't wondered tit; but there
be vus, workin' like white man;
helpin' me t drag th' mattresses of o
tn beds, an jam 'em ag'in tn outside
door, turnin' th' piano up on end t
hold 'em in place; an crowd th' win
dows full O. pillows an bed blankets, an
barricade 'em tn best we could weth rh
rest O. tn furniture; hopin' t deaden tn
force O. th' bullets thet We knew d be
fyin' like hail in q big storm before
long.
All this time Mrs. Winston had been
ransackin' tn mems quarters, tn bunk
house an Perry's saddle.room an
bringin' in all sh' guns an cartridges she
could lay hands on.
She'd led Tartar into tn safest corner
an close t. his head pulled her baby's
cradle, an there th' little one sat CROWN
an reachin' out her tiny pink fists t th'
tired broncho thet only blinkeu his eyes
1t her, beir' too dead beat by his elgnt-
mile run t. raise his head, though he
knew her we'll an tn Jumps O. sugar her
mother d taught her t feed him. An
then, spreadin' out big table, she got
all th' guns together, an putin in fresh
charges laid 'em out in order, ready t
hand when I came t need 'em.
Tn was quite show. Perry's Win
chester an mine, an au oldfashoned
,nuzzleloader thet looked liable to do as
much harm at one end as tn other; Two
GOOD sixshooters, left at home by SON"
o. the boys, mounted Smith and We>soa
besides tn two thet was in my belt; au'
an old powder-an'-ball Colts thet she
could mt find any caps fer, an so want
want no GOOD, except t club. Snc pu'
'em all in as good shape as she kne0
how, an then looked t me fer fresA
orders. By this time I'd got things a:
near on war foo:in' as l could, al
turned t take look at tn China DO
"'D'y'know how t fire 80 ";
said I. C'n y shoot an Indian dog
thet'll surely kill you if y let him gol'
Wing Lee shook his head. Isaw how
it was; he'd stick by me, an obey os'
ders, but couldn't count Oh him fel
much more then thet. looked at Mrs.