Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-04-09

the guns OF the defenders sounded
when, with loud shout, Lige Willetts
leaped from an upper window on that
side of the burning saloon and landed
on the woodshed and, Immediately
climbing the roof of the mansion ITSELF
applied brand to the dry, time worn
clapboards. Ross Schofield dropped on
the woodshed close behind him, his
arm lovingly Unfolding a gallon jug of
whisky, which he emptied mot without
evident regreD upon the clapboards as
Lige fired them. Flames burst forth
almost instantly, and the smoke, unit
ing with that now rolling out of every
window of the saloon, went up to heav-
en- in cumbrous, gray column.
AS the flames began to spread there
was rapid fusillade from the rear of
the house, and hundred men and
more who had kept on through the
fields to the north, assailed it from be-
hind. Their shots passed clear through
the fiimsy partitions, and there was a
screaming like beasts bowls from with
in. The front door was thrown open,
and lean, fierce eyed girl, with a case
knife in her hand, ran out In the face
Of the mob. At sound of the shots in
the rear they had begun to advance on
the house a second time, and Hartley
Bowlder was the nearest man to the
girl. With awful words and shrieking
inconceivably she made straight at
Hartley and attacked him with the
knife. She struck at him again and
again, and In her anguish of hate and
fear she was so extraordinary a specta-
Gle that she gained for her companions
the seconds they needed to escape from
the house. As she hurled herself alone
at the oncoming torrent they sped from
the door unnoticed, sprang over the
fence and reached the open lots to the
west before they were seen by Willetts
from the roof
Don't let 'em fool your he shouted
Look to your left, There they GO,
Don't let 'em get awayv'
The Crossroaders were running across
| the field. They were Bob Skillet and
his younger brother. and Mr.. Skillet
was badly damaged. He seemed to be
holding his jaw on his face with both
hands. The girl turned and sped afl err
them. She was over the fence almost
as soon as they were. and the three ran
| in single file, the girl last. She was Ell
ther magnificently sacrifcial and fear
less or she cunningly calculated that
the regulators would take no chances
of killing a woman-child, for she kept
between their guns and her two COM
panions, trying to cover and shield the
| latter with her frail body.
ii
fire from here Wei hit the girl Shoot
Willetts and Ross Schoheld We're still
standing on the roof at the edge out
OF the smoke, and both fired at the
same time. The fugltives did not turn.
They kept on running, and they had
nearly reached the other side of the
| field when suddenly, without any pre-
monitory gesture, the elder Skillet
| dropped fat on his face. The Cross
| roaders stood by each other that day
| for four or five men ran out OF the
| nearest shanty into the open, lifted the
PROSTATE figure from TIE ground and
| began to carry il back with them. But
| Skillet was alive. His curses were
heard above all other sounds. Lige
| and Schofield fired again, and one of
| the rescuers staggered. Nevertheless
as the two men slid down from the roof
! the burdened Crossroaders were seen
| to break into a run, and mt that with
| another yell, fiercer, wilder, more joy
Gus than the first, the Plattville men
\ followed
The yell rang loudly In the ears OF
| old Wilkerson, who had remained back
In the road, and at the same instant
| he heard another shout behind him.
| He had not shared in the attack; but,
| greatly preoccupied with his own his
| trionic affairs, was proceeding alone
| up the pike. except for the unhappy
yellow mongrel still dragged along by
the rope, and alternating, as was his
| natural wont, from one fence to the
/ other, crouching behind every bush to
| fire an imaginary rifle at the dog and
| then springing out with triumphant
bellOwings to fall prone upon the terri
| fed animal. 1t was after one of these
! victories that shout of warming was
, raised behind him, and Mr.. Wilkerson,
/ by grace of the god Bacchus, rolling
| out of the way in time to save his life,
| saw horse dash by him, big, black
horse whose polished TANKS were drip
ping with lather. Warren Smith was
| the rider. He was waving a slip of yell
| low paper high in the air.
! He rode up the slope and drew rein
beyond the burning buildings just
ahead of those foremost in The pursuit
! He threw his horse across the road to
oppose their progress, rose in his stir
rups and waved the paper over his
| head. stop" he roared "Give me
one minute! Stop He had a grand
voice, and he was known in many
! parts of the state for the great bass
roar with which he startled his juries
To be heard ut a distance most men
lift the pitch OF their voice. Smith
lowered his an octave or two, and the
result was like an earthquake playing
On organ in n Catacomb.
! stop" he Numbered. Stop
| In answer one of the flying Cross
p, readers turned and sent bullet whis
! ting close to him. The lawyer paused
long enough to bow deeply in satirica