The herald., 1898-01-09
in FRONTENAC CAVE.
AS TOLD BY ONE WHO WAS THERE, AND EDITED BY
HAYDEN CARRUTH.
Author of Tracks End," etc.

Copyright, 1898. by Bachelor Syndicate.
should never have waited, as have
done, till this year 1872 to set down a
plain account of a strange experience
of mine fifteen years ago, had it not
been at the earnest and oft-repeated
request of the Captain, though why he
should have felt SO about 1t l can't say.
But the fact Is, the old man was never
quite right in his head ON this point
after that day they drew us up out OF
that terrible hole, though he lived fif-
teen happy and peaceful years, as he
deserved to do, and is now dead (and
1t makes my heart ache when think
OF IT. at a much greater age than many
Of us can hope to reach.
But the captain being now gone, Gas
! said) shall here put down the facts
OF our adventures; and 1 verify believe
had / the skill of some book writer's, or
even the half of that OF the best OF
them, that 1 could make tale mt to
print. But, having no knack at all with
the pen, can only tell my story plain,
and in my own way, just as 1T hap
pened, like q man writing letter, and
perhaps some day a book writer may
get hold of 1t and make something
which folks might read; only l warn
him now, before going further, that II
he in any way bring in the name OF
Henry Clay Fargo, which Is my name,
or that OF Nathan Archway, which was
the Captains, he is not to use any of
his story tricks, but stick to the facts
as shall give. them, only telling them.
of course, in the right and regular way
that, such things should be told. So
begin.
It all started the day the London
gang robbed the Lumberman's Bank
at Hawks Landing. 1t was my i'll
luck to be in the bank and at the side
of young Robert Archway when he was
most cruelty shot down by that noto-
rious scoundrel, Isaac London. 1 had
asked Robert to go there to identify
me, wishing to get small draft
cashed; and why /, too, was not shot
like poor Rob l know not. 1t was at
noontime, and. we were alone in the
building with the exception of two
bank men,. and the robbers numbered
eight or nine, four of them coming in
to the bank, but only three going out,
for during the general fight, in which
Robert was killed, the cashier shot
down one of them, though the next mo-
ment was himself shot, along with the
other man behind the counter. These
two were brave men as any I ever
saw.
The next day the bank owners made
public that the robbers had got off with
no less than $4,000. At the same time
a reward for their capture of $4,000
was offered. which people thought lib
eraa enough.
Hawks Landing was a small town in
Minnesota, on the Mississippi river. 1t
was just below the foot of Lake Pepin.
and great bluffs, the highest 1 ever
saw, were all around, divided and fur
rowed by ravines and coulies leading
down to the river, but with their tops
fat and on the level with the prairie,
which began in good earnest from five
to ten miles back. Near by came in the
Zumbro River from the west. with its
own bluffs and coulies, making much
confusion.
But must tell you first how came
to be there. I had left my home in
Kentucky. being then about eighteen.
to seek my fortune, as the saying used
to be. had gone down the Ohio River
(though my mother and sisters had no
liking ito the notion of my going at alD
and then up the Mississippi, stopping
at Hawks Landing by chance and
nothing else. 1t was lively town, the
business coming from the steamboating
and the rafting and logging industries,
1t being opposite the mouth Of the
Chippewa, In Wisconsin, a stream COM
ing down out of the pineries. The
country round about on the Minnesota
side was but little settled, by far the
greater part of it having but newly
been got by the government from the
Indian tribes.
had scarce come down the gang
plank from the steamboat when 1
chanced to hear the name of Archway,
and snapped it up briskly enough. be-
ing already homesick. This I did be-