The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1857-11-19

him reach over his left shoulder, and when
he brought his hand back he had large
bowie knife in it; could see the blade eleam
in the moonlight, and saw Karl run his
finger along the edge, and then feel the
point.
My heart beat fearfully, my breathing was
bard. Ii was with the utmost exertion that
/ continued my snoring. M
Slowly and noiselessly the fohlwretch ap-
preached me. ! could hear his breathing
plainly, and could hear the grating of his
teeth, as he nerved himself for the stroke.
The villain was by my side, and he meas
ured the distance from his hand to my heart
with his eye. In his left hand he held
thick handkerchief all wadded up. This
was to stop my mouth with. Every nerve
In my body was now strung, and my heart
still as death. OF course my snoring had
ceased and at that instant the knife was
raised above my bosom!
Quick as thought, brought my pistol up
! the muzzle was within foot of the rob-
bers heart-he uttered quick cry-I saw
the bright blade quiver in the moonlight, but
it came not upon me. pulled the trigger
and the last fear was past.
had thought that the weapon might
miss fire, but it did not. There was sharp
report, and as l sprang up and backed, /
heard fierce yell, and at the same moment
the robber fell forward, his head striking my
knee rs it came down.
| Weak and faint sank back, but sud.
den tip of the canoe brought me to my sem
ses and l went aft and took the paddle. As
soon as the boats head was once more right,
l turned my eyes upon the form in the bot
tom OF the canoe, and saw it quiver--only
n spasmodic movement-and all was still.
All that night l sat there at my watch,
and steered my little bark. Ihad my pistol
ready, for i was not sure the wretch was
dead. lie might be waiting TO catch me of
my guard and shoot me.
But the night passed slowly away, and
when the morning broke the form had not
moved.
Then | stepped forward and found that
Gus Karl was dead He had fallen with
his knife true to its aim, for he had struck
very near the spot where my heart must
have been, and the point was driven so far
into the solid wood that had hard work to
pull it out, and harder still to unclasp the
marble fingers that were closed with dying
madness about the handle.
Swiftly flowed the tide, and ere the sun
again sank to rest had reached J.ogansport
The authorities knew the face Of Gustus
Karl at once, and when had told them nv
story, they poured out a thousand thanks
upon my head. -
A purse was raised and the offered reward
put with it and rendered to me. ] took the
simple reward from the generous citizens
while the remainder directed should be
distributed among those who had suffered
| mnot from fha Ianralat,on. &c IL
robber.
! found Kemp sick and miserable. II,
: was burning with fever, and the doctor hac
shut him up in room where well maj
e must have suffocated.
r "Water waterl In Gods name, give m,
waterl" he gasped.
"!1ave you not had any water!" asked
Of him. ... ......
NO." lie told me.
l throw open the windows, sent for a pail
of ice water, and was on the point of ad-
ministering when the doctor came in. He
held his hands up in horror, and told me it
would kill the sick man. But forced him
back, and Kemp drank the grateful bever.
age. He drank deeply and then he slept
The pcrspiration poured from him like rain,
and when he awoke again his skin was moist
and his fever was turned.
In eight days from that time he sat in his
saddle by my side, and together we started
for Little River.
AT Walton's settlement found my horse
wholly recovered, and when offered TO pay
for his keeping Walton would take nothing.
The story Of my adventure on the river had
reached there ahead of me, and this was the
landlords gratitude.