“Where was Frank while you were struggling with Rube?” said some one afterwards to Jesse.
“Fore de Lord, boss, he had his mouf full of Frank.”
Rube had caught Frank’s shoulder in his teeth, while Jesse grappled with him. Biting Frank and stamping Jesse’s bare feet, the outlaw struggled with herculean strength for liberty. He dragged his captors across the floor of the little cabin, shaking it from bottom to top. The noise of the scuffle within was heard by McDuffie and Carter, who meanwhile had been quietly approaching. Just at the moment when Rube was falling to the floor, the colored men on top, they rushed in, and seizing Rube, disarmed him. He was searched and tied before being allowed to rise. A Colt s revolver, forty-five caliber, and $175 were found on his person.
The capture was made about one o’clock P. M., eighteen miles from Demopolis. His captors concluded to avoid the risk of escape consequent upon a journey after dark to Demopolis, and, therefore, took him to Linden, the county seat, only nine miles distant.
Rube was made to mount McDuffie’s horse, with his hands tied in front, his arms pinioned by tight cords to his body, and his feet tied underneath the animal. McDuffie mounted behind the prisoner, and, escorted by Carter and the two colored heroes, Hildreth and Marshal, the party set out for Linden, reaching there just at dark. The great desperado was in the toils of his pursuers at last. He was destined, however, in a short time, to outwit his captors, and to perform the last and most daring exploit of his career.
CHAPTER XX.
RUBE’S LAST DESPERATE ACT—ESCAPE FROM JAIL—THE DEADLY DUEL ON THE STREETS OF LINDEN—THE OUTLAW KILLED.
On arrival at Linden, the sheriff being absent with the keys, the prisoner was taken to a room of the jail. The ropes still bound his hands, heavy iron shackles were locked around his ankles, and the chain uniting them was securely fastened to the floor.
McDuffie repaired to the telephone office and reported the capture to the express officials at Demopolis. After obtaining a full description of the outlaw from McDuffie, and being satisfied the right man had been captured, McDuffie was asked:
“How many pistols had he?”
“Only one,” said McDuffie.