The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-03-16

with my work, when heard tre-
nendous splashiug in the river few
hundred yards below, followed by
shots and yells and the sound Of gal
lopiug horses. A moment later four
men rode into camp like whirlwind.
Loud cries of :t1Nhere is hep" 'Don't
let him get awayn' "Who's got the
rope?" gave me an inkling of what
they we're after. They wanted me.
The camp was large one, and gen
orally there were eight or ten white
. men and forty or fifty indians about;
but this happened to be ho iday, and
all the men had gone away except my
tent mate, Barton, and myself. We
were building some large irrigatiNs
bitches, anil had come out to take
charge OF the work only short time
before. T had found it nece ssary to
discharge a nu nber of the men an
replace them by others. Only the
day before had had trouble with one
of the men, Leonard by name. He
went little too far. and kno kel
hi down. As he arose he picked up
q heavy club and came at me with it,
bat throwing up my left hand to guard
my head I calght the blow on it and
knocked him down again with my
right. That settled the matter,I sup
posed, for the fellow went off to his
tent, swearing rouudly aud calling
for gun with which to clean out the
camp.
Bnt when heard the srlashing at
the ford rem em bered the incident Of
the day before, anil on the instant it
flashed into my mind. that I hal no
waaoon of any Kind and that might
need one. Islipped out quickly, and
running down to q tent near the end
of the line I seized a revolver and
belt of cartridges which knew were
there and was back when the men rode
up.
7 remained in my tent while the
men dismouated and tied their horses
together. Leonard appeared to be the
ieader Of the gang for I heard him
say:
ssLook here, boys, I'm the captain
Of this outfit, and you've got to do
just what I tell you. Well do all
that we came down here to do before
We leave; you must leave it to me-"
call right: % responded another.
s'We're herefor fun.''
s'We'll have our fun all right" re-
Piled Leonard. s'Come into my tent
and talk it over. You, Miller, stay
he-e with the horses and watch that
tent these so he can't get away"
Leaving one of their number ont
side with the horses uud 7r the big
tree, the men went into the t:nt next
to mine. They hadall been drinking,
and as Twas separa from them
only by two;thin canvas walls and
tw.nty feet OF space, their converse
ton was easily audible.
The conversation T heard was anus
ing, even under the circumstances.
Leonard was laying ont the progra
to be followed and telling his com
pa1ious what worthless cuss" I
was, the burden Of his accus ltio1s
bling that T wore white shirts in
camp and. was Ga long.leg5el cuss
from the east -...
The man LETT on guard outside I
knew; he was one Of our owa men.
While the talking was going on in the
next tent he came il to SEE me and to
e1 lain that he had been forced to
come down with the hers against
his will. He addel that if I wishel
to get away he would make no efort
to stop me.
Ny plan was to run out just as the
rife was fired AID bringing down the
man who had it. for I could hardly
miss him at twenty feet distance, get
in one more shot as the Others crowded
to the door ID we well buuched to-
gether and then eak for the big tree,
from behi ID which as shelter wonld
stand as good chance as two men IL
the open.
Fill 'g my coat pocket with loose
cartridges and taxing my revolver II
my ri ,ht hand, 7 was on the point of
step lug outside and opening the p O.
ce5dilgs when I heard one of the men
say:
That's no fun. Let's make him
put up his fists be ore We ha him;
or, if he wont do that, we'll make
him wade the river
''Tha,'s great" replied another.
awe might as we'll have some fun out
Of him first. Come on"
Remembering the old western
maxim, "Never show gun until you
use it, I tucked my revolver in,o nv
vest 50 that it was out of sight, but
with the butt not more than two inches
from my hand as I held mypipe to my
mouth. 7 turned to Barton, who was
trembling, and cautioning him to con-
troll himself I lighted my pipe and re-
sumsd my stool near the front OF the
tent. A NO nent later the canvas door
was thrust aside and a man entered,
followed by two others.
The first conner was little fellow,
slender and not much over i've feet in
height, but he had wicked look in
his eyes and the face of a professional
. desperate. I learned atterward that
he was considered the dad man" OF
the neighborhood. Behind him was
q big man in flannel shirt and no
coat, with .45 Colt tucked into the
waistband Of MS trousers. He was
saloon keeper jo . small town near by