The Shasta courier., 1864-07-23

huntSr uiu not see us. ! was partialiv
screened hy the moss where stoad-Aurore
entirely so. Besides, the plan's eyes were
not turned in our direction. They were bent
upon the gruu d. No doubt he had heard
the reports ofmy pistol; but he trusted mare
TO his tracking instincts; and. from his bent
attitude, could tell tina; he was trailing his
own dogs-almost as one of themselves would
have done.
As he neared the edge of the pond. the
smell of the water reached him. and. sudden
ly halting. he raised his eyes and looked for
ward. The sight of the pond seemed to puz-
zle him. and his astonishment was signifed
IN short. sharp expression.
The next moment his ewes fell upon the
prostrate tree. then quickly swept along its
trunk and rested full upon me.
'Ah al!' he exclaimed, 'syer thar, are
ye? Whar's my do.s?"
stood eyeing him back, but made no re-
ply.
.'You hear. don't yer? Whar's my dogs?'
still remained silent.
His eyes fell upon the log. He saw the
blood-spots upon the bark. lie remembered
the shots
You scoundrel - cried he, with horrid
emphasis. YOU We kilt my dogsl'' and then
toftoN GU a. Npi'V W VttiS anu
while tie ruffan gesticulated as if he had
suddenly gene mad.
After WHILE he ceased from these idle
demogStrations, aud planting himself firmly.
he rai>el his rifle muzzle toward me, and
cried out:
Come off that log. and fetch yer blue
skin with yer! Q lick. confound yer! Come
off that log. Another minnit an I'll plug
ye!"
have said that at first sight of the man
had given up all idea of resistance, and in
tepded to surrender at once; but there was
something Sc arrogant in the demard-so in
sulting in the tone with WHICH the ruffian
made it-that it fred my very flesh with in
diynation, aid determined me to stand at bay.
Anger at thus heing hunted -nepved
both my heart and my arm. The brute had
bayed me. and resolved to risk resistance
Another reason for changing nv de
termination-1 now saw that he was alone.
He had followed the dogs a-foot, willie the
nthers on horseback had no doubt been stop
ell or delayed by the bayou and morass. Had
the crowd come up. must have yielded :;
but the rufFan him mself-furmidalle an'ag,,-
mist though ha appeared-was still hut cne.
and to Surrender tamely to Il sir gle individ-
ual was more than my spirit-inheritei from
border ancss,ry-could brook. There wa
ton much of the moss trooper blood in my
veins for that and | resolved, come what
would, to risk the encounter.
NV pistol WAS more firmly grasped. and
looking the rufian full into his bloodshot
ey s. | shouted back;
g Fire, at your peril Miss, and you are
mine!'
The sight of my uplifted pistol caused him
to quail; and have no doubt that, hal op
portunity offered he would have withdrawn
from the contest. He had expected no such
reception.
But he had gone too far to recede. Hi
rifle was already al the shoulder. and the
next moment saw the fash. and heard the
sharp crack. The 8. thud' of his hnllet. too.
fell upon my ear, as it stuck into the branch
against which | was leaning. Good marks
man as he was reputed. the sheen of my pis
tolls had spoiled his aim, and he had missed
me!
did not miss him. lie II to the shot
with denoniac howl and as the smoke
trimmed off | coull see him writhing and
scrlmbling in the black mu.!
hesitaied whether to give him the second
barrel-ior was angry and desired his life
hut at this moment noises reached me from
behind. | heard the p'unging paddle, with
the sound Of manly voice; and, turning,
beheld the Bamharra.
The latter had shot the pirogue among the
tree-tops close to where | stood. and with
voice and gesture now urged us to get aboard.
'.Quick. mas. Quick. 'Rare. gal, jump
into de dug out! Truss Old Gabe he stand
bv young mass to de drff!'
A most mechanically | welded TO the sol
icitation of the Old negro-though l-now sa W
but little chance of of cur ultimate escape
and having assisted Aurore into the progue
[ f,llowed and took my seat beside her.
The strong arm of the negro som impeled
us far out from the shore; and in five min
sutes after we were crossing the open lake to
ward the cypress cump in the midst. We
bad escaped.