How Aunt Polly Prevented a Jail Delivery [pp. 82-86]

HOW AUNT POLLY PREVENTED A JAIL DELIVERY
of the cell nearest the corridor door, keeping him covered with a revolver meantime,
and make him let out the others. By the
time the second man was released Phillips
would be outside the corridor door and have
it locked.
tJncle Joe scrutinized the corridor, but
could see nothing wrong. He then passed
along from cell to cell, unlocking the padlocks and leaving them in the staples. Then
he came back to the cell nearest the outer
door, felt in his pocket for his revolver, but
he had apparently forgotten it as he withdrew his hand rather impatiently. Walking up
to the cell door, he threw off the padlock, the
door flew open, out came the occupant, and
the next moment Uncle Joe was knocked
flat by a well directed blow from the desperado's fist, while the man ran to the cell
adjoining his, threw off the lock, and the released prisoner ran from cell to cell to let
out the others, while Uncle Joe's assailant
sprang upon him again and held him down.
To say that I was frightened would but
faintly express it. I stood a moment halfdazed, then realizing the danger, I jumped
back and slammed the corridor door shut
and locked it. Then I sprang up the stairs
where Aunt Polly, who had heard the
struggle, was already coming down with a
Winchester rifle in her hand. As she stepped
on the stairs to descend, there was an exultant yell from below, and with a crash
the corridor door fell outwards off its hinges.
The desperadoes had used the tools to good
advantage.
They came pouring out into the hall under
the impression that the coast was clear, and
that all they had to do was to open the
outer door to effect their escape.
"Get back there, every mother's son of
you!" shouted Aunt Polly, as she threw the
Winchester to her shoulder like a professional. "The first one who makes a step
forward is a dead man."
The outlaws halted at the sight of the
weapon, but only for a moment. There was
no one in sight but a small boy and a woman,
and what did they care for a female who
would probably faint away at the first sign
of resistance?
"Come on, boys," shouted Missouri Bill,
and they made a rush.
Click! click! went the hammer, as Aunt
Polly saw this move; then bang! bang! and
as the smoke rolled away one man reeled
backward with a hole in his skull, dead, and
another with a howl of pain retreated into
the corridor, holding his hands to his side.
As the smoke lifted and I saw Aunt
Polly's face it was enough to make one's
blood run cold. Afraid? Well, I guess not.
Her eyes were sparkling like coals of fire,
her face was pale as death, and as she spoke
the words fairly hissed through her set
teeth.
"Back, you villains! Get into your cells!"
And she descended a step or two with the
smoking rifle pointed at the crowd.
The gang fled back toward the corridor
and there halted. Missouri Bill gave a yell
and they turned. They were going to make
another rush.
"Drop that gun, old lady, or we'll kill
you," shouted their leader.
Without even turning her head, my aunt
whispered:
"Willie, do you run down and lock the
hall door after you, then run out on the
street and tell the men the prisoners are
escaping. Hurry, now, or they'll kill us
both."
I sprang down the stairs, locked the hall
door, and rushed out into the street. What
transpired within Aunt Polly told us later.
The gang were shouting and swearing at
being defeated by one woman, and when I
dashed down the stairs and outside they
realized that it was "now or never."
"All ready, boys. Come on," shouted
Bill, and forward they rushed. They reached
the stairs, ran up a few steps, then there
were two more loud reports and all was
still, all except that sickening bump!
bump! of two dead bodies as they fell from
step to step.
Again the desperadoes fled to the rear of
the hall, but without the leadership of Missouri Bill, who lay with his companion dead
at the foot of the stairs.
Aunt Polly had up to this time been acting solely on the defensive, but now she
became the attacking party. Calmly stepping down the stairs and over the dead
bodies, her face livid with the excitement of
the moment, she advanced.
"Get into your cells, you dogs," she
screamed. "The man who is here by the
time I count ten will be a corpse. One
two three-"
She got no further, for the outlaws made
a rush for their cells. Aunt Polly went
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