But it was a bitter fight, and the old robber gang, who had run the county for years, were desperate in their resentment.

Unfortunately, this resentment was basely and maliciously shown by an attempt, successful but happily not fatal, to poison one of my partners.

He had a long and grim fight with death, but his indomitable will pulled him through.

I myself, though I had little to do with politics, had a narrow escape from a somewhat similar fate.

Living at that time, in winter, at what was called the Meadows Camp, I usually had a quarter of beef hung in the porch.