Southern shield., 1853-02-26
LIFE ON THE BORsR.  A THRILLING NARRAVE. {
 OR THE AK SEARCH FOR THE SILVER IrE nF THE OZARK MOUMTATWS
 CONCLUDED.
1CoNCLUDED.1

The two men remained for p,rhaps a1hr
 ter ot an hour in their hiding place lEsl
 when all seemed to be secue, and 'G,O
 peared as if the Spaniards hadgone fprsN1
 up the stream. Thompson raSed I.is3ht-A
 and gazed for moment dow, upon-bA
 valley, which was illuminated blythe moon
 which now shone brightly above them; ht then turned to his older companion, who
 in the meanwhile, had risen 10 his feet, ant
 was examining the lock of his rifle, to set
 whether in laying down the weapon, thu
 powder had not fallen from the pan.
 "Well. Pearson, what think you of thi
 apparition" he said. "I did not altogethel
 like it; for moment felt great desire
 to spring out, and plunge my knife into thu long rascal's throat; there would have been one less of them."
 "lt would have been as thoughtless as foolish," said Pearson, in half-suppressed tone, Git would not only have baffled our whole plan. but it would have exposed us to the vengeance of all these brown-sknned rascals. No-I see it all now; the fellows must bring their booty down the valley, and in the rocky bed of the stream itself, otherwise should have found their tracks fast year and the year before; and this long knave was stationed up here, onl y to secure them against surprise, while they in the meanwhile were bringing their burdens to the thicket, where, suppose, they load their mules at their leisure. We have now no more time to lose, for who knows whether they will make more than one other trip, and if we do not find them busy digging, so that we can carefully mark the spot, all our pains will be for nothing"
 "But it is impossible that they can find all the best ore in one night, and they will certainly continue their work after day break," replied Thompson.
 "Thev are now removing what they dug yesterday, and then they will destroy all tracks that they may have left behind them,' replied Pearson; "No. no, we must not wait till daybreak; besides it seems as tho they smelt mischief, or what is the meaning of this sentinel? Come down into the val ley, then; we will creep through the thicket where they can hardly have left watch, and follow silently the course of the river. Ii we find them busy at the mine, we must mark the spot, and then depart as quickly and as softly as possible; for I have my reasons for suspecting that they are here in greater numbers than usual. We will, therefore, let them carry off what they have collected; when they return next year, they will find it harder to fill their leathern sacks than heretofore, unless the silver lies in heaps in these mountans."
 The hunters now descended carefully n- to the narrow valley, and gided like ser pents into the somewhat open thicket, watching attentively for the slightest object which might threaten them with danger or discovery. But there was no guard left with the mules, which were grazing quietly, and did not seem to remark the stealthiIy approaching adventures, who, panting hea. willy, at last reached the open wood beyond the thicket Here, as Pearson was on the point of has;ening toward the river, Thomp- son grasped him by the arm and asked whether they should not rather look for the silver which the Spaniards must already nave secured somewhere whereabouts.
 'Go to the al with your folly !" repliedl Pearson, sharply, "woud you waste your lime here at child's play, to look for a thing which, if we should find, we could not car y away! Come, come. every moment we nay meet the knaves on their return, and { is quite important for us to hear them be- ore they have suspicion that we are in he neighborhood."
 With these words he freed himself from Thompson's grasp, proceeded into the bed 'f the river and glided onward with noise. ess steps over the round, smooth pebbles, ollowed as noiselessly by his companion, ike two dark shadows of the lower world.
 They had kept on their way undisturbedI nd uninterrupted for about half mile, without remarking the slightest token of he presence ofliving beings, when sudden y, close before them they heard voices, and | ad scarcely time to cast themselves behind fallen pine, before five dark forms appear d, with small sacks upon their backs, Thich, 10 judge by the bent attitudes ofP onsiderable weight; they came directly |e 'wards them. and stepping silently from n ne large stone to another, proceeded int le direction of the thicket.
 When but few paces from the spoth here our adventures lay concealed, their le ader stopped, and addressed some words le
 Spanish, to those who followed him ;lis len he, at once, continued his way, and le 'on disappeared behind q projecting anglelc'
 rock, near bend in the river hd "Could you understand what that tallhd seal muttered. in his beard!" inquired Inc thompson, turning to his companion, whof as lying near. To- "Not word." replied the latter; ''it iSe