Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

38 front had made the most fearful of bullseyes. Jake Auckland raised his head a lit- tle, and with an exclamation of dismay looked at the figure, lying flat on its back, with the sightless eyes turned toward the pitying heavens. ‘This is getting too hot for me!” he added, and facing to the rear, where the way was still open, he bent his head, carrying his Winchester in a trailing position and ran like a deer. The action was as unexpected to Zach Peters and his friends as to me, and they were not prepared for it, though had it been delayed a few min- utes, they would have made good their boast of “ having him dead to rights.” Thus he gained several rods before his flight was noticed. Then the whole three joined in the chase, firing as they ran and shouting opprobrius epithets at him. Crack, crack, spat the Winchester on both sides of me, and I[ heard the sound of running men as they threshed through the undergrowth; but Jake Auckland, tall, lank, muscular and young, was fleet of foot, and, surely if ever a man was running for a prize, it was he. Some of the bullets must have whis- tled close to him, but from what has al- ready been stated, it will be seen that he had many advantages on chis side. and these grew greater the longer he ran. The last glimpse I had of him, he was still running, and I saw no evi- dence that he had been wounded. But ig was high time I was thinking of myself, for I cannot conceive of a more desperate situation than mine. Three of us had taken position in the blind, which was the most dastardly ambush conceivable. However inno- cent my purpose, no human being would acquit me of a guilt as great as that of my companions. One of these was already killed, and the other had been put to ignominious flight. The truce of which I had formed high hopes the evening before was a myth. Jake Auckland had done his THE ARGOSY. best to shoot Zach Peters and the latter had fired repeatedly at Jake. He may not have known his identity, when he lay behind the blind, but he knew it when he was a fugitive, and none pur- sued more vigorously than he nor strove harder to wing the fellow as he dodged in and out among the trees. And what would be Zach’s disposi- tion toward me? It was too much to expect him to pardon my action, or to accept the fact of my having only a revolver, as evidence that I wished no harm to him or his. No; we were un- relenting enemies, between whom there could be no truce. A man must think and decide quick- ly at such times. My first impulse was to leap to my feet and run as Jake had done, but the situation was unfavor- able. I could not gain the start that was his and would be shot down be- fore going twenty paces. What I did was purely instinctive. I crept over the log in a twinkling, and lay flat on the ground on the other side. It will be noted that by this action, I placed the trunk between me and my three enemies, for they had come around from their former position in front of the blind and were now at the rear. The diameter of the log was suf- ficient to hide me from their sight, pro- vided they did not approach the am- buscade to make investigation. If, however, any one of them came near, discovery was inevitable. All my hope, therefore, depended upon their keeping a moderate distance from the spot. It struck me as a reasonable assump- tion that they would conclude that only . two men were behind the blind, for what was more natural than that when one was killed, the survivor should take to his heels? This unquestionably was theorizing to a fine point. I repeat that no credit was mine for doing what some might claim to be a clever thing. [I did it, be- cause there seemed nothing else pos- sible for me to do. ECORRIC OO© Ss eco