Year: 1861

steep Weii, anu WHEN Wouiu i"h iuto
state of unconsciohsness, Il was trobled
with such wild'like dreams that l woul
rather 1 had remained broad awake
At last, about midnight, I went to sleep
soundly; how long L FAY I do not know,
but wakened suddenly TO find some one
kneeling over me and very carefully cut
ting shirt open; Now have always
had the power (callit presence of mind


or anything else,) of 'comprehending in
an instant allrthatis going on around me-
no matter from how sound sleep l may
be walked. 1t is anything but pleasant
to wake and fiud- oneself in the power
of q desperate who will have no hesita.
ton in plunging knife into your heart.


/ felt myself in anything but envi-
able situation, knowing that the slightest
indication on my part of being awake
would cause the villain to give me be-
tween the ribs the length ofhis bowie, or
his pistol For, although / could not see
his pistol, Ifelt sure that he had it handy.
To secure my pistol without letting him
knowathat / was awake, was very deli
cate operation,1 and L attempted to ac-
complish it in the following manner; my
pistol and bowie knife were both under
my saddle, which used for pillow
| threw my right arm up over my head,
taking care not to touch the robber, and
yawned, as if was half awake, but ready
with my left hand tocatch his arm in the
event OF his attempting to stab fne. i had
my eyes partly shut, so that he could not
easily see them glisten, but sufficiently
open to see his every move, which could
easily do, as twas clear starlight night.
On the instant that l moved, he raised
his arm to strike and was nearly betray-
ing to him my being awake by throwing
up my left hand, but some strong impulse
prevented me from doing it, and he held
his knife suspended to give the blow had
l made another move. When l threw
my hand over my head, with the same
movement placed it under the saddle
and on the butt of my pistol, which was
cooked ready for usca. lay'in that pos
ition for about half minute, but it SEEM
ed like an hour. BY that time had
power overmy breathing, which on first
waking came very thick. AS soon as he
thought that / was sound asleep again, he
lowered his hand and began operating on
my shirt, clearing it away from the belt.
Then / thought my opportunity had come
and tried to jerk my six Smoother, but it
was foul some way, and it would not
come. / thought that my time had ar
rived, for as quick, as thought he drew
and struck with his knife. He struck at
my throat. My eyes were broad open
then, and he must have overreached
himself, for the knife struck into the
saddle, and so tight that he could not
get it out. In trying to get my pistol,
my hand touched the cold silver hilt Of
my bowie. Instinctively / took hold of
it, abandoning the pistol, and was nerv


ing my arm for the blow when / felt the
cold muzzle of his. pistol against my for
ehead. ! struck out blindly, and, as l
done so, there was the stunning report Of
his pistol. How escaped do not know;
my face was blakened with the powder,
and my whiskers nearly burned off, but
that was all tho damage done to me. My
blow, though struck at random, had prov
ed severe one. My knife had gone in
to the loft side Of his neck inside of the
collar bone. The knife must have reach
ed his heart, for as drew out to strike
again, he fell on me with his whole weight
and his blood spirting all over my face.
He gave one quiver, and stretched out
his length and lay perfectly still-stone
dead! The whole transaction did not
take three quarters OF a minute. The
report of the pistol had aroused the COM
pany-every man sprung to his arms
Some were looking for the mules, which
others were asking who fred the shot,
and whore the Indians were. called to
the boys 10. take the dead man off of me,
for | was as weak as child. A couple
of them done as requested, while others
threw fresh sage brush on the half
smouldering campfire, and we soon had
plenty of light to see what had happened.
/ told the boys all,about what had oc-
Cured. We found all the mules in their
places but mine, which was stakcd off
about twenty yards from the camp, with
one of the other boy's.saddle and bride
on her. / went into the river and clean
ed myself from his blood, and then sat
down by the camp fire, where 1 remain
ed till morning, unable to sleep.