A BRAVE WOMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 54, 2 July 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

A BRAVE WOMAN.

Site is Carried _Lway by iM-laws.

HER SUCCESSFUL ESCAPE,

Tho Ruffians Shot With Their Own Woapons—A .-.rilling Hide.

Men are accusbomed bo look upon women as frail, tender and without pluck, but the bravery and heroism of bhe female sex when forced to face the inevitable, shine forth in instances which men may have equalled but never excelled.

In June, 1878, three ruffians, one of whom was a half-breed Indian, rode up to bhe pioneer cabin of Henry Clark, situated near bhe State line j_B-We.ll Kansas and Nobraska, due north of Smith Centre, and on the bank of the Republican river, lb was aboub 10 o'clock in bhe forenoon, and Clark was in Marysville, Kan., on business, leaving bhe wife, who was a robusb woman of 25, alone on the place. Hospibaliby is bhe rule in the West, and when the men asked for breakfast she could not well refuse, although she made up her mind at first glance that they were bad men. They said they were looking for sbock, and seemed bo be posted as to Clark's absence. All were heavily armed, and rode good horses. While Mrs Clark was very much frightened and annoyed at their presence, she made a pretence of being cool and brave, and this probably put the climax off for some time. She prepared a good breakfast, and the men sat down to cab, bub ib was easy bo see bhab bhey were nob hungry. They only made a pretense of eating, and when bhey gob up bwo of bhem seized her and rushed her oub doors, and bhe third, who had already mounbod, received her on his saddle. In speaking of bhis acb, Mrs Clark explains.

" I had been expecting jusb such a move, and was in a measure prepared for it. I knew bhey meanb me evil, and I was glad when I saw bhey were bo bake me away. We had no neighbour nearer bhan bhreo miles, and I felt that only in being taken aWay from the house was bhere any chance of rescue from bheir clutches. Men wero consbanbly riding aboub bhe counbry looking for land or sbray sbock, and I had sbrong hopes of meebing some parby before we had gone far. Therefore, when they seized me I made but libble resistance, and, apparently to bheir greab surprise, I did nob scream nor faint."

The men rode off at a gallop up the river, skirting bhe edges of bho timber, and in aboub -hree-quarters of an hour reached a cabin which had been abandoned early in the spring by a family named Miller. Tho settler's wife died, and he had removed to Red Cloud. The cabin was a small and snug affair, having a heavy door with a bar bo it, and bhe windows provided wibh almosb bulleb-proof inside shubters. Tho men rode s'braighb to the cabin and dismounted, Mrs Clarlc being assisted off tho saddle before the man who rode the horse with her got down. As she struck bhe ground she grabbed for bho bubb of a revolver which sbuck oub of bhe hdlsber of tho man who helped her down, and what happened in bhe nexb bwo or bhreo minutos she relates herself :

"I was and am a fair shot wibh rifle or re^'olver. I firsb seized bho weapon wibh bhe idea of cottimiting suicide, bub changed my mind in an instant, pulled rip the hammer, and shot the man in the leg before he had taken his hands off me. Then I da- ted for the cabin, carrying the smoking weapon in my hand. The half-open door was only ten feeb away, and I was inside and had bhe door, bar in place in a few seconds. Indeed, bho man whom I had wounded had scarcely cried oub before I was in bhe house. My acbion was so sudden arid unexpecbed bhab nob a hand was sti-bched oub to stop me. Fortunately for me, the bar stood on end just behind tho door, and as I slipped it into place I folb bhab I had been saved. Two or bhree years of pioneer life give a woman courage and confidence, and I knew I had disabled one of bhe men and had five bullebs lefb for bhe other two."

The wounded man received the bullet in bhe lefb leg jusb ab bhe knee, and made a serious matter of it. He fell to bhe ground and cursed and groaned in a terrible way, and vowed that the woman should be burned ab bhe stake bo pay for his injury. His companions.were at first inclined to ridicule him and to admire the pluck of bhe woman, bub when bhey realised bhab he would probably lose his limb, and that the trio had a peck of trouble on hand, their anger became frightful. They made a rush forthe door, evidently expecting to easily lay hands on the woman and drag her out, but they found it barred. When they turned to the windows they found them also well secured. It became plain to bhem bhab she rheanb determined resistance, and they gave up their efforts and rehired bo Consul b. From whab Mrs Clark overheard she was convinced thab bhe bwo men wanted to help bhe wounded one off and leave ab once, bub He obstinately refused to move ah inch until he had ,been revenged on bhe woman. He called, .their .attention to the fact that it was a lonely neighbourhood, hot likely to te visited by any visitors before night, and bhab bhey could babber in- bhe door and secure bheir vicbirh. When they referred to His wound as evidence of her bravery, He fiercely shouted : "D—n her, it was art accidental shot. She's got my revolver, bub she" won't dare fire it to saVe her life. O'eb a log and busb in bhab door." The men hunted aboub until bhey found a large linib which had been brimmed up, and bhey seized bhis and made a rush for bhe door. The woman knew just Whab bhey were preparing for, and she softly unbolted one ofthe blinds and swung it back until she could see them. One of the panes of glas3 was gone, aiid She rested bhe revolver in this opening, 'ibok deliberate aim at the man nearcsb Her, aud when she pulled bhe brigger he fell down and expired wibh scarcely a kick, having been shob through tho heart., The other immediately ran Away, bub tobk a circuit.and came back to bhe wounded man. . Then bhe cursing, raving, and storming were renewed, and the wounded man.propped himself up and emptied the contents of bhe Winehesberand his revolver into the door and window blind. Mrs Clark had warning, and she sab down on the floor in.a corner. Some of tho bullets fell inside, but she was in a safo place. When the wounded outlaw had exhausted his ammunition lie called upon his companion to beat the dbor in with a rock lying near by, ahd threatened him wibh death if he did nob. Mrs Clark was looking oub of bhe window, and she says : " The man was thoroughly afraid of me, more so bhan his friend, ahd he refused bo obey, - saying there, had been nonsense enough, and he would now help the other Away. Ho stood looking toward the cabin as he talked; and I saw the wounded man slip a cartridge into his revolver, and raise the weapon and fire. The bulleb was meant to kill, but it did not even wound, and bhe man turned, drew his own weapon, and fired three bullets into bhe would-be assassin's body, causing his deabh in a minute or two. He did nob go near the body, but waved his hand to me as a token that I was not to be disturbed, and then gob bhe horses bogebher, sbrapped bhe rifles bo bhe saddles and rode away as hard as he could go." The woman soon lefb bhe cabin and book her way homeward, bub was meb by her husband aiid .bhre'e cabbie hunters aboub a mile away. The bhree labber pursued bhe fugitive for miles, securing bwo of bhe horses, and exchanging several shobs, bub he finally got safely away.—"New York Sun,'; __...:_—