The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-05-29
ACODY ADVENTURE.
In the Days When Buffalo Bill
Was a Pony Express Rider.
HIS CLASH WITH AN OUTLAW.

The Story of HolduP and Its Curl
QUE Climax as Told by the Great
Scout HImsslf-A Boy's Nerve and q
Case of Dramatic Retribution.
No enterprise ever undertaken in
America was more fruitful of pictur-
esque incident, hardship and adventure
than the famous pony express line that
Russell, Majors and Waddell establish
ed In the flfties.
The route extended from the Mis-
souri, river to Sacramento, a distance
of 1890 miles. 1t traversed country
full Of hostile Indians and white des-
peradoes and led across plains, through
valleys and over lofty mountains.
Naturally the riders were picked men.
They had to face deadly dangers and
were often called upon to do double
! duty in place of slain or wounded
comrade. The pay, however, was good,
as befitted so dangerous a calling 1t
ranged from 500 to $125 month.
was (wrote Colonel William T..
Cody about sixteen years old when
applied for chance to enter this
service. My mother and sisters need
ed my help, and the good wages paid
by the pony express company tempt
ed me-
AT first l was told that | was too
young to stand the tremendous strain.
but after considerable pleading on my
part the company consented 10 give
me trial as an extra ON ran Of forty
five miles that was to be covered with
three horses in three hours
l accepted the offer, and it was on
this route that quite early in my ex-
perience as an express rider, | met
with q most peculiar adventure. One
morning as l was crossing a rough bit
OF country on the gallop there came
suddenly the cry of Halt! Up with
your hands, boyr'
A man had risen apparently from the
very ground under my feet While he
covered me with the revolver that he
held In his right hand he extended his
left to catch my bride rein. There
was nothing to do but obey, although
knew that the pouch contained a
large sum Of money.
"Give me that pouch, boyp'
! held it out, but as he extended his
hand for it my opportunity came.
kicked the revolver from his grasp,
drove the spurs in deep and made a
dash.
was just beginning to chuckle over
my escape when bullet whistled by
my ear. That was too much for me.
should have known better than to
stop, but without thinking l wheeled
in my saddle and returned the shot
just as the desperate fired again. This
time he hit my pony, which gave one
leap and then fell heavily.
Luckily + landed ON my feet and
jumped to the shelter of a big rock
The outlaw was coming toward me
and trying to fire as he ran, but l no.
ticed that at each pull of the trigger
his revolver missed fire. | believed
that had him at my mercy. wanted
to capture him and march him to the
next relay station, where the men
would take charge Of him. With this
In mind l refrained from firing, and
so he was enabled to reach the cover
Of the same bowlder behind which |
myself had taken shelter
There we were, rock ten feet in
diameter between US, and each very
well aware that it was fight for life
For a time neither of US dared to
move; then gradually and as silently
as possible | crawled back from the
rock far enough so that | could watch
both sides of it at once. But as l lay
there watching my poor pony gave
what seemed an almost human moan
and turned his faithful eyes upon me-
He made a desperate, vain attempt to
rise and uttered low neigh so full Of
grief and pain that determined to put
the horse out of his misery, and, rest
ing on one elbow, | took careful aim
and sent bullet through his brain.
Instantly my shot was followed by
one from the other side of the rock
so quickly, in fact, that the two re-
ports were almost simultaneous. 1
could not tell whether it had been
aimed at me or not, but knew was
not hit
The struggles of my pony had ceased,
and everything was still. l waited
and watched until 1 could stand it no
longer; then 1 began slowly and eau
tiously to creep round the rock, hold
ing my revolver ready to fire on the
instant. even stuck my hat out
ahead of me as decoy, but it brought
no response.
Suddenly I saw the outlaws boots,
and, to my surprise, the toes were
turned up. Another step brought me
within full sight of the man. He lay
on his back, quite dead, his revolver
beside him, as If it had just fallen
from his hand.
A little examination showed me what
had happened. The outlaw had been
reloading his revolver when 1 fired at
the pony. In those days the only am
munition was powder and ball, which
had to be forced home with ramrod.
During the loading the weapon was
held upright, and when that part Of
the operation had been completed the
caps were placed on the nipples.
The outlaw had not removed the caps
that had failed to explode My shot
had startled him. He had accidentally
Ia A~az 4 L