154 



WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



case from his chamber ; and do you, Emily, watch from 

 the end window, and if you perceive any movement 

 that side, apprize us of it here. — Now, my boys, be cool 

 — I'll give my best horse to him who shoots the first 

 man. You have a good supply of ammunition, could 

 we but coax the scoundrels from their shelter — and I'll 

 try a ruse.' The old gentleman took the idiot's spit, 

 placed a coat upon it, while Henry and I chose a position 

 at either side of the broken window. Mr. Morden 

 raised the garment to the breach ; it was indistinctly 

 seen from without ; three bullets perforated it, and it 



fell. * He's down, by ! ' roared a robber, exult- 



ingly. ' Now, Murphy, now's your time ; smash in 

 the door with your sledge ! ' Instantly a huge ruffian 

 sprang from behind a gable, and his rush was so sudden 

 that he struck twice with shattering force. We heard 

 the hinges give — ^we saw the door yielding — ^and at that 

 critical moment young Morden 's gun missed fire ! 

 * Curses light upon the hand that loaded it ! ' he cried, 

 as he caught up an axe and placed himself determinately 

 before the door, which we expected to be momentarily 

 driven in. Murphy, perceiving the tremendous eflFects 

 of his blows, called to his comrades to * be ready.' He 

 stood about five yards from me — the sledge was raised 

 above his head — and that blow would have shivered 

 the door to atoms. I drew the trigger — the charge, a 

 heavy one of duck-shot, passed like a six-pound bullet 

 through the ruffian's body and he dropped, a dead 

 man upon the threshold. ' Captain Dwyer,' said Mr. 

 Morden, calmly, ' the horse is yours ! ' 



" I had now received my own double gun, and gave 

 the musket I had used so successfully to Henry Morden. 

 The death of the ruffian with the sledge brought on a 



