The Shasta courier., 1864-01-09
NUMBER A.

seemed not to notice them. while Scar Cheek
became interested, and showed certain un.
easiness. He locked toward his own rife,
and once or twice loosened the pistols in his
belt. as If they disconnected him. The Young
man and the stout man exchanged glauces,
but they said nothing. 10 question was ask.
ed as To who the other was; what little con-
yersatlon passed was very laconic, and a
smile had wrea'hed the lip of none of them.
The httle supper was eaten in silence, each
man seeming to be wrapped in thought. 1t
was agreed that .he watch should be divided
equally among he four, each man standing
guard two hcurs-the old trapper taking the
first watch. the young man next and Scar
Cheek and he with the scowi following.
1t was a bright moonlight night. Over
the wild waste of rrairie not a sound was
heard us the three Law sleeping on their
BLANKETS. The old trapper paced up and
down, ran his eyes around the wild waste be.
fore Kim, and then would stop and mutter to
himself : 1t cannot be he's he said half
aloud, y but time and that scar may have
disguised him. That boy, tco-'tis strange
feel drawn towards him then that villain
with the seowl;'' and the muscles of the old
trapper's face worked convulsivelv. which
the moonbeams falling upon, disclosed ira.
ces of bygone refinement. The trapper noise
lessly approached the sleeping men, and
kneeling down, gased i4tently upon The face
OF each snd scanned them deepy Walking
off. he muttered to himself again, saving
:. 1t shall be, !" and then judging by the stars
that his watch was up, he approached.,he
young man and woke him. pressing his fin.'
ger ON his lip to command silence at the
time. and motioned him to follow. Thev
walked off some distance, when the trapper.
taking the young man by the shoulder, turn.
ed his face to the moonlight, and after gag.
ing at 1t wistiully, whispered in his ear
Are you Perry Ward ?' The young man
started wildly, but the trapper prevented
bis reply by saying, Enough, enough"-
de then told him that he was his uncle. and
the man with the scar was the murderer of
his iather; and that be with the scowl had
convicted the speaker of forgery by his false
oath. Tie bio deserted the lips of the
young man, and his ewes glared and diIated
almost from their sockets. lie squeezed his
uncle's hand, and then, with a meaning
glance as he looked at his rife, moved to.
ward the camp. mo. no" said the trap
per, mot in cold blood give them n
chance" They cautiously returned to the
camp, and found both of them in deep
sleep. The uncle and nephew stood over
them. Scar Cheek was breathing hard, when
he quickly cried out. ~ did not murder poor
Perry Ward" Liarl'' said the trapper.
In voice of thunder, and tho two men start.
ed and bounded to their feer g No worse
than red skins" said the trapper q Harry
Ward IS about" and seizing his knife he
plunged it into Scar Cheeks heart. ..Then
take that" /" said he with the seow, and rails.
ing his rifle, the trapper fell corpse. With
bound and wild cry the young man fell
upon the murderer Of his uncle. and WITH lis
knife gave him several fatal wounds. THE
struggle was fearful one, however. and the
young man had also received several had
cuts, when his adversary fell from the loss
of blood, and soon after expired. Thus ended
this strange meeting. and thus were uncle
and nephew reyensed.