The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-01-30

q enough We watched them for SOM
: time, Dauphin growing every time h
saw them drink. 1 had hard work t.
keep him still, and was on the point o
going back to the Swallows Nest whei
, one of the men rolled up in his blanke
? by the fire as If to sleep for the night
Soon the others began to do likewise
being, 1 think. two-thirds drunk, ant
, I thought there would never be a bet
ter time to do what I had planned
, By-and-by they were all in their blan
, kets except London and one other. Al
this London got up and snapped a pail
of handouts on the Captains wrists
who then himself lay down with q
blanket, while London went back ano
did the same.
But I was a good deal disheartenec
to see that the other man intended te
stay on guard. lie sat on a rock, q
candle burning beside him and with his
revolver in his lap But soon he begar
to drink out of big fiat bottle which
he took from his pocket, and l had
hopes. And my hopes used me well
too, because after some time he rolled
over on the bare ground and went as
sound to sleep as the others. leaving
the fire burning in the centre.
"Now is our time" I whispered te
Dauphin. Il will creep up to the
Captain and waken him. You go to the
guard and get his candle. Then you
can show us the way to the opening
and in two hours we can be out"
I'll get his barker, too, Harry-leave
me alone for that. We might need It.
and Gil Dauphin is the Teller that
knows how to use it,
He dropped his sleeve and stalag-
mite and we crept down among the
men without making a sound. l got
to the Captain and touched him on the
shoulder. He sat up instantly, cool, as
was ever his way. He held up his
shackled hands, but I pointed toward
the tunnel which led out of the cave
i and he nodded his head. 1 looked at
| Dauphin. He had got the candle and
pistol. and had them in his left hand.
Then he reached over and my heart
stood still as I saw him Juggling at the
| bottle in the sleeping guards pocket.
| l motioned him to come on, but he paid
no attention to me. 1t seemed an age
! that he worked at that bottle to get it
out, as the man lay half on it. !
thought 1 should go wild to see him
| taking the chance he was and wasting
our precious time. At last he got it
out and the Captain and I took a step
toward the tunnel. But instead of COM
| ing he pulled the cork with his teeth
| and began drinking out of the bottle.
Just then London turned over, opened
his eyes and saw him standing there
with the bottle to his lips. London
seized his pistol and bounded to his
| feet. Dauphin's bottle crashed on the
rocks and he took the guards pistol in
his right hand. For one second the
two men glared at each other across
the fire. then there was report which
stunned my ears. for they had both
| fired at once: and they both fell as
near together as they had fired. The
Captain dropped back on the ground,
while 1 ran away toward the pit where
the rope was. Some of the men came
behind with a light. The rope was
cooled on the brink. 7 pushed it over.
but it was unfastened from the point
of rock and the end snapped in my face
as it all went down. The men were too
close for me to spring on the ledge.
| There was nothing to do but to follow
the rope, hoping for as good luck as
the two others had had at this pit; so
| down l went
me. 1t had been in a coil, and il
struck in a heap, which is urIe way /
| struck. too, only I was on top of the
rope: and the first rope which l had
cut was there also. as / learned later.
Dauphin, if he told the truth, had been
bruised. stunned and half killed by his
| fall down the same place; and London
certainly hurt and. l believe. broke his
arm; but beyond being made dizzy
and given a strange ringing in the
head l got off free of harm, though l
was so shaken up and dazed at first
| that l knew not if I were unhurt or
had every bone in my body broken.
The men who were after me came to
the edge of the pit and fired all the
shots in their revolvers at me. or at the
I darkness, rather which was what
saved me, since not one hit anything
but the rocks. When they stopped
got to my feet, drawing myself up by
the wall, and started along the Gun
Barrel, humping my head we'll at the
turn and staggering along. L suspect
crooked enough. ! had no candle OIL
torch. but plenty of matches, so wher
I got out into the first room I struck
one and looked at myself a little and
tried to get together my wits by the
help of the light. The noise hac
brought down the bats and they were
pitching about on all sides, like kite:
which had lost their tails. I staggered
on across the room, lighting another
match after few steps; and so 1 Wen
all the way to Fish Camp by match
light, the bats taking it very i'll from
first to last
At Fish Camp I found some torch
. sticks and lit one, and then built {
fire. This was little cheering, anC
the warmth did no harm. l knew
, ought to be hungry, but the YER!
thought of food. and especially of fish
4 was unpleasant. I think if I had beel
sure that the outlaws could not ge
down that l should have taken ma
, by the fire: but, though l suspecte'
! they had no more rope, I was not Ger
tain of it, and so knew 1t was not safe
, But I took a few minutes to think o
how matters stood and I'm sure neve
had felt so frightened and utterly dis
f couraged before.
The great thing which made it wors
for me than at any time before wa
!. that | was now alone My bravery
h nothing to brag of, but it would tax
a a greater coward than I to give up be
t fore anything when with the Captain
h Then even Dauphn had been som
company but to be utterly alone wit
o the bats was another thing. Beside!