Morris tribune., 1899-07-15

/
victed, sentenced, and perhaps hanged;
or, if not this, what was even more
terrifying thing to contemplate. |
might be lynched on the spot-for law
in those days and in that region was
not always allowed to take it's regular
course-and. moreover. I could not
know that these men might not them
selves be a part of a murderous gang,
| intending thus to make away with us
/ both.
So after standing Mortified and be-
wildered for a few moments. during
which my mind seemed to see. as II
| glancing into a mirror, all the dread
! full evils which would result to me
| from this murderous act. | obeyed the
| instructive impulse to save myself IL
possible, and at once darted into the
woods
This. if the coming men proved were
really honest and doubling, proved my
guilt to their minds as conclusively as
anything could do. and heard one OF
them shout:
"There he goes! There he goes!
Head him off! Catch him! Take him.
dead or alive!"
And as the horsemen reached the
tragic spot four instantly flung them
selves from their beasts. which they
left in charge of the fifth, and at once
sprang into the woods in pursuit of me-
I had only a few rods the start OF
them; but l was flying for my life
for even more than life-and | made
desperate struggle up the steep hill
before me-
They pressed me hard. l was only
little in advancement enough to be
out of sight. They called to me to stop
or they would fire. ! thought I might
as we'll be killed that was as to be
lynched, and SO I kept on, straining
every nerve.
They were all armed with pistols,
and that leads me to think that the To-
cality in question was very danger
Gus place, or else that they were a
band of assassins in league with the
invisible marksman.
l was often in view of them and
whenever l was they fired at me.
During that terrible struggle up the
hill, which even now makes me shud-
der to recall no less than six shots
were discharged at me,
Strange to relate, remained I'M
harmed, though one of the balls pashed
through my hat, just grazing my head,
and two of them went through my
clothes in places SO close as to redden
the skin.
At length came to precipice, and
believed myself lost, for I could not
climb the face of it, and it extended so
far to the right and left that in run
ming along the base I must be cut on
by my pursuers.
On seeing this and my predicament
they gave vent to demOnaic yells of tri-
umph; and one, who seemed to be the
leader, shouted to his companions to
spread out on either side and they
would be sure to have me.
In this fearful condition Of affairs
became SO desperate that I was about
to turn and rush down the mountain,
right in the face of my foes, when a
few feet from me, in an angle of the
rocks, I espied a dark creVice, which
appeared to be large enough to admit
my body. Instantly l darted 10 this,
as my last hope, and hurriedly squeez-
ed myself into it, not knowing whittier
it would lead or what would be the re-
suit.
A few feet inward I came to the
broader opening of what proved to be
a large cave, and just at that moment
the foremost of my pursuers reached
the precipice, and fired into the aper-
ture
Being armed with a brace of single
barrelled pocket pistols and formid-
able bowie-knife, I now resolved to
make a stand and fight for my life,
feeling almost certain that, as my foes
could only approach me one at time,
| could kill them singly. This, how
ever, I did not wish to do as did not
want any blood upon my hands, but
THIS determined To 40 rather Iudu D0
taken alive, and shouted out words
TO that effect.
They evidently comprehended the
danger, for not one of them proved to
be reckless enough to make the fool
hardy venture. Instead of this, they
hastily collected quantities of brush
and sticks, piled them up about the
aperture, and set fire to them-the
smoke and flames pouring into the cave
and compelling me to retreat from my
position to avoid suffocation
/ started back through the horrid
place, picking my way over the uneven
surface, being barely able to see, by
the light of the flames, that l was in
an immense cavern, which l then be-
lieved would prove to be nv final tomb.
The horrors of my awful wanderings
there-alone, for hours, with probable
death before me, and worse than death
behind-I shall make no attempt to
portray.
At last, in the distance, saw faint
light, ana eagerly pressed forward to
r with Some hing like homo II Drovnd