The pioneer West : $b Narratives of the westward march of empire
History
The pioneer West : $b Narratives of the westward march of empire
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.)
The stage-drivers and conductors told us that sometimes Slade would
leave a hated enemy wholly unmolested, unnoticed and unmentioned,
for weeks together--had done it once or twice, at any rate. And
some said they believed he did it in order to lull the victims into
unwatchfulness, so that he could get the advantage of them, and
others said they believed he saved up on enemy that way, just as a
schoolboy saved up a cake, and made the pleasure go as far as it would
by gloating over the anticipation. One of these cases was that of a
Frenchman who had offended Slade. To the surprise of everybody Slade
did not kill him on the spot, but let him alone for a considerable
time. Finally, however, he went to the Frenchman’s house very late
one night, knocked, and when his enemy opened the door, shot him
dead--pushed the corpse inside the door with his foot, set the house on
fire and burned up the dead man, his widow and three children! I heard
this story from several different people, and they evidently believed
what they were saying. It may be true, and it may not. “Give a dog a
bad name,” etc.
Slade was captured once, by a party of men who intended to lynch him.
They disarmed him, and shut him up in a strong log-house, and placed a
guard over him. He prevailed upon his captors to send for his wife, so
that he might have a last interview with her. She was a brave, loving,
spirited woman. She jumped on a horse and rode for life and death. When
she arrived they let her in without searching her, and before the door
could be closed she whipped out a couple of revolvers, and she and her
lord marched forth defying the party. And then, under a brisk fire,
they mounted double and galloped away unharmed!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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