The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-10-09
oined silence upon my trembling compan-

ion. :" = Q ~
had but little hope then. There would
be more dogs, no doubt-slower hounds fol-
lowing in the distance-and with them Ga.
yarre's angry friends. They could not be
far behind-they could not fail to come up
soon-the sooner that the report of my pis.
tol would guide them to the spot. 1t would
be no use making opposition to crowd of
incensed men. ] could do nothing else than
surrender. +.-. ? 49,
My companion entreated me to this course:
adjured me not toluse my weapons-for
now held the second pistol in my hand
But had no intention of using them should
the crowd of men come up; had only tax
en- out the pistol as a precaution against the
attack OF the dogs-should any more ap-
pear. =.-'e s~~. Ge -
For good while heard no sounds from
the forest, and saw no signs of our pursu-
ers. What could be OBTAINING them?-
Perhaps the crossing Of the bayou, or the
tract Of marsh. knew the horsemen must
there leave the trail; but were they all
mounted? - W. u -..- n
began to hope that the sBambarra' might
yet be in time. II he had not heard the sig-
nal whistle, he must have heard the renort
Of my pistol. But, on second thought, that
might only keep him back. He would not
understand the firing, and might fear to
come with the pirogue or boat. Perhaps
he had heard the first signal, and was now
on his way. 1t was not too late to enter
tain such supposition. Notwithstanding
what had passed, we had been yet but
short while upon the spot. If on the way he
might think the shots were fired from my
double barreled gun-fred at some game
| h0 uht hn Aata
hope he might come in time. If so, we
would be able to reach his quarters in
safety.
There was no trace of the dogs, save
blotch or two Of blood upon the rough bark
ofthe log, and that was not visible from
the shore. Unless there were other dogs
to guide them to the spot, the men might
not in the darkness so easily discover these
marks. We might yet battle them!
With fresh hope, turned once more to-
wards the water, and gazed in the direc-
tion in which expected the pirogue to
come. Alas! there was no sign of it. No
sound came from the lake, save the wild
calling of the afrighted birds.
turned once more to the land. l saw
the cane brake in motion. The tall cuIms
vibrated and cracked under the heavy tread
of man, who, the next moment emerging
into the open ground, advanced at sling
ing trot towards the water!
He was alone and foot-thcre were no
dogs with him-but thel long rifle poised up
on his shoulder, and the hunting accouter
ments around his body, told me at Il glance
he was the owner of the hounds. His black
bushy beard, his leggngs and buckskin shirt
his red neckcloth and raccoon cap-but,
above all the brutal ferocity of his visage,
left me in no doubt to who this character
was. The description Of Aurore answered
him in every particular. He could be no
other than Rulhn, Gayerre's best toady.-
Yes, the individual who now advanced was
Rufin, he, too, rival; and the dogs had
killed were hs--a brace of slcuth- hounds,
we'll known in the settlement as being spe-
cially to track anything or anybody that had
incurred the wrath of their brutal owner
| never knew what was the bond between
Gayerre and this fellow, of whom had
been told was an ardent admirer of Aurorc.
lie was dissipated fellow, half bunter and
half hog thief, who dwet in the woods like
an Indian, but for some unexplained rea-
son, was always at Gayerre's back.
As | have said, | had never seen this in
dividual, though had heard Of him often.
The Bambarre and Aurore had described
him minutely-had told me wild stories of
the mans wickedness and ferocious cruelty.
He was the terror and aversion Of every
family along the coast; and his name.-ap-
propriate to his character-oft served the
mother as q ''bogey" to frighten her squall-
ing children into silence.
The sight of this man Mt once deprived
me of all further thought of escape. per-
mitted my pistol arm to drop loosely by my
60 ,,~l IL 81,
intention of surrcndering ourselves up
lead to the idle splling of blood. With this
intention, | remained silent, having eau
toned my companion to do the same.
On first emerging from the cane brake,
the hunter did not see US. was partially
screened by the moss where stood. Aurore
entirely so. Besides, that mans eyes were
not turned in our direction. They were bent
upon the ground. No doubt he had heard
the reports of my pistol; but he trusted
moro to his tracking instinct; and from his
bent attitude, | could tell that he was trail
ing his own dogs-almost as one Of them
selves would have done.
As he neared the edge of the pond, the
smell of the water reached him, und sud-
denly hating, he raised his eyes and looked
forward. The sight of the pond seemed to
puzzle him. and his astonishment was ex-
pressed in the short, sharp expression. The
next moment his eye fell upon the PROSTATE
tree, and then quickly swept along its trunk
and rested full upon me.
'Ah! ahn he exclaimed, syer thar, ar ye?
Whar's my dogs?'
stood cycling him back, but made no re-
ply.
'You hear, don't you? Whar's my dogs?'
still remained silent. His eye fell upon
the log. He saw the blood spots upon the
bark. He remembered the shots.
'You scoundrel!' cried he, with horrid
emphasis, you've silt my dogp and then
followed volley of mingled oaths and
threats, while the ruffan gestculated as if
he had suddenly gone mad. After while
he ceased from these idle demonstrations,
and planting himself firmly, he raised his
rife muzze towards me and cried out
sCome off that log, and fetch your blue
skin with We! Quick, confound yer! Come
off that log! Another mint, an Ill plug
YEP
have said that at the first sight of the
man, had given up all ideas Of resistance,
and intended to surrender at once; but there
was something so arrogant in his demand
so insulting in the tone with which the ruff
fan made it-that it fired my very flesh with
Indignation, and determined me to stand at
bay.
Anger at being thus hunted, new-nerred
both my heart and my arm. The brute had
bayed me, and resolved to risk resistance.
Another reason for changing my determine
tion--I now saw that he was alone. lie had
followed the dogs foot, while the others
on horseback had no doubt been stopped or
delayed by the bayou and morass. Had the
crowd come up, must have yielded; but
the ruf!ian himself-formidable antagonist
though he appeared-was still but one, and
to surrender tamely to single individual,
was more than my spirit-inhcrited from
border ancestry-cou brook. There was
too much Of the moss-trooper blood in my
VEINS for that, and resolved, come what
would, to risk the encounter.
My pistol was firmly grasped, and, look
ing the villain full in his bloodshot eyes, |
shouted back: --.-.z.
Fire at your peril! Miss, and you're