The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-09


Englishman raised an alarm the four
horsemen dashed away into the gloom.
and everyone was SO taken by surprise
that the move was q complete success.
They've got my girl-they're carry
ing Off my daughter!" shouted the
Englishman, as he danced around, ana
q dozen men stepped forward to oner
advice or suggestions.
1t was a case of abduction. The four
desperadoes could not have known that
the Englishman and his daughter were
on the train, but had taken the girl on
chance that she had rich friends who
would pay a heavy ransom for her. 1t
was q new idea-playing the brigand in
the west, but they had figured that it
would be safer and more profitable than
train robbery. There was just one man
on the platform who had realized what
had happened and did not lose his head.
Without word to the father-without
a word to the excited passengers rush.
ing about and asking what had hap
pened, he ran down the platform to
where cowboy stood holding q
broncho.
II am Lieut.. Haskell. of the-th cav
alry!" said the officer as he approach
ed. "a woman has been run off by a
gang of outlaws. I want your horse
and guns"
"You bet!' was the brief reply.
Here's good critter, and here are
two guns and fifty spare cartridges.
I'd like the fun, but can't go. Whoop
'em up, old mani"
who's that-there's another of 'en!"
shouted the excited crowd, as they
caught sight Of the officer dashing away
in the darkness on the trail Of the out
laws.
The cowboy explained, and the con-
ductor shouted: "All aboard" He
could not hold his train longer. The
thing to do was for John Livingstone
to stop off and collect a gang to go in
pursuit. 1t might take hours. but that
was his only show. II the outlaws
could not be overhauled, then they
would expect to find him there When
ii came 10 question of ransom. The
Englishman's traps We're bundled out
of his car and the train went on. and
II was daylight next mO&ning before
q gang of ten men picked up the trail
and rode away in pursuit or the out
laws.
Lieutenant Haskell was not over fif-
teen minutes behind the abductors as
he rode away. He had acted on the i'm
pulse Of the moment, and yet he knew
with q detachment to guard the men
building the branch road touching the
main line right there. and had hunted
and fished and pretty thoroughly eX-
plored the country for twenty miles
around. He also knew more or less
, of the various outlaw gangs scattered
along the railroad. and had helped to
run down and break up several. 1t had
come to him like a flash that this was
Blue Pete's gang, who were "hived up
| over in Trout valley, twenty mile away.
He gave no thoughts to the odds
against him, but sent the broncho
straight down the rock trail-over the
creek--up the long hill and then
straight to the north along the crest of
the ridge. He hoped to overhaul the
outlaws and have it out with them.
and as if eager for the fray the horse
under him did his level best. Had the
officer stopped to think he would have
been more careful. The men before
him We're as cunning and crafty as
Indians. AS he rode at headlong pace
the wind was at his back. The ring
Of the iron shoes against the rocks
would be carried in advance Of him.
The outlaws would naturally wish to
make sure if they We're followed, and
1t would be asy to set a trap. One
was set. In single file, riding at a
hard gallon. they covered ten miles of
ground without drawing rein. Then
one rider drew up and dismounted and
the others kept on at a more leisurely
pace. Ten minutes later the broncho
| came laundering down the tran with
the lieutenant peering ahead into the
darkness and wondering If he was not
close upon the gang. There was a
| tlash-a report. and the horse leaped
high in the air, uttered a scream al
most human and when it's feet touched
the earth he fell in heap and rolled
over, sending the officer twenty feet
| away among the stunted bushes. He
was half stunned by the fall, and it
was five minutes before he sat up and
realized what had happened. He had
| ridden into an ambuscade and been
done for. While he was unhurt his
horse was dead, and without a horse
there was no hope Of overtaking the
| outlaws. He had seen the flash and
heard the report, and knew that he
had been ambuscaded. Was it only by
| one man or the whole gang Must he
give up the quest and return to. the
town without news? Horseless and
| alone could he hope to accomplish any
| thing? He answered the question by
turning from the horse and speeding