The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-08

'-Ou-Fc S--t 700 1ate gentlemen,
: said, pointing ont the side window o.
the saloon. "There comes the cavalry
J The three conspirators jumped to then
feet and bolted for the window. Even
the sheriff turned TO look AS he did Sc
gave him shove toward the three
which sent them all sprawling on the
floor In a pretty badly mixed up condi
ton. | made dash for the door and
as | went through il l grabbed the key
and locked them in As / turned TO &c
so / saw the lot struggling up from the
floor, and, knowing that il wouldn't
take them many seconds TO find their
way out through the window, / didn {
waste much time in watching them.
Camp, Baldwin and the judge had
left their horses just outside the saloon
and there they were still patiently stand
ing, with their brides thrown over their
heads, as only western horses will stand.
1t didn't take me long TO have those
brides back in place, and as l tossed
each over the peak of the Mexican sad
die gave two of the ponies slaps which
started them off at Il lope across the
railroad tracks. l swung myself into
the saddle of the third and flicked him
! with the loose ends of the bride in
way which made him understand that l
meant business.
Baldwin's cowboys had most Of them
scattered TO the various saloons of the
place, but two of them were standing in
the doorway of store l acted so quick
ly, however, that they didn't seem to
take in what was about till 1 was well
mounted Then I heard yell, and,
fearing that they might shoot-for the
cowboy does love to use his gum turn
ed sharp at the saloon corner and rode
up the side street, just in time to see
Camp climbing through the window,
with Baldwin's head in view behind
him.
Before had ridden 100 feet | realiz-
ed that 1 had done up horse under me,
and, considering that he had covered
over 40 miles that afternoon in pretty
quick time, it was not surprising that
there wasn't very much go left in him.
l knew that Baldwin's cowboys could
get new mounts in plenty without vast
ing many minutes and that then they
would overhaul me in very short order.
Clearly there was no use in my attempt
ing to escape by running And, as I
wasn't armed, my only hope was to beat
them by some finesse.
Ash Forks, like all western railroad
towns, is one long line of buildings run
ming parallel with the railway tracks.
Two hundred feet, therefore, brought
me to the edge of the town, and wheel, |
ed my pony and rode down behind the |
rear Of the buildings In turning look |
ed back and saw half dozen mounted |
men already in pursuit but lost sight |
of them the next moment. AS soon as / |
reached street leading back to the rail
road turned again and rode toward it, |
my one thought being to get back, if |
possible, to the station and put the let
tiers into the railroad agents safe.
When I reached the main street, l
saw that my hope was futile, for an
other batch of cowboys were coming in
full gallop toward me, very thoroughly
heading me off in that direction. To es-
cape them headed up the street away
from the station, with the pack in close
pursuit. They yelled at me to hold up,
and expected every moment to hear
the crack of revolvers, for the poorest
shot among them would have found no
difficulty in dropping my horse at that
distance if they had wanted to stop me-
1t isn't very nice sensation to keep
your ears pricked up in expectation of
hearing the shooting begin and to know
that any moment may be your last. 1
ion't suppose was on the ragged edge
more than 30 seconds, but they were
enough to prove to mo that to keep ones
back turned to an enemy as one runs
away takes a deal more pluck than to
stand up and face his gun. Fortunate
or me, my pursuers felt so sure of my
capture that not one of them drew a
BEAD ON me-
The moment I saw that there was no
escape l put my hand in my breas.
rocket and took out the letters, intend